During a cool October evening at Wayne Jamison Field last football season, there was a spectator in attendance who had more than just a casual interest in what was taking place on the field. And what was taking place was one of the best games of the 2023 Bridgeport High School football season.

 

The Indians would hold off the always talented Linsly School for a 28-21 win. And the atmosphere, to say the least, was electric.

 

As for the spectator in question, he was seating on Linsly’s side of the field. Not by choice, but rather due to getting to the game a little too close to kickoff time.

 

“That was my first Bridgeport football experience, even though I had heard about it. If you follow football in West Virginia, you know about Bridgeport football,” the person in question said. “The atmosphere was so intense, and you could feel it even though I was not sitting on the home side of the field.

 

“I was sold then I wanted to be part of it and, now that I am, it is as good as anything I could have hoped for,” he continued. “Every decision I ever made kind of led me here. This is where I’m supposed to be.”

 

The person in question is Chase Moore. For statewide football diehards, the name may ring a bell.

 

The reason? Moore is the former head coach at Mingo Central. He spent two years on the sidelines with the Miners in 2021 and 2022.

 

Coach Tyler Phares is glad to have him.

 

“He’s a terrific addition to our staff. Our kids seem to love him. He’s really laid back. He’s the good cop to my bad cop,” said Phares “He’s a great guy for us to be able to bring in.”

 

What that means is the Indians have the services of four coaches with head varsity coaching experience –Phares, assistants John Cole and Tom Hilton, and now Moore.

 

“When you have people around you that have been in similar situations you’re dealing with, it can only help,” said Phares.

 

Moore was a standout player at Matewan, where he graduated from in 2007. Matewan, along with Burch, Gilbert, and Williamson, formed Mingo Central.

 

Although Moore is currently employed as a substitute teacher in Harrison County after a long-term substitute job at Mountaineer Middle last year, his past includes other stops and plenty of football. He spent time playing at Glenville State University starting in 2007 for then Coach Alan Fiddler.

 

Eventually, he would work as a student assistant and then spent two years as an assistant coach for former Coach David Hutchinson back in 2013.

 

“That was the first adult job I had coming out of college … I liked it. It felt good to stay close to the game,” said Moore. “I was able to satisfy my competitiveness in a new manner by looking at strategy, breaking down film, and so on. That kind of lit the fire for me to want to stay in coaching.”

 

The need for cash, however, made sure that it would not be the main part of his early post-college years. Eventually, he moved to Staunton, Va., where a college friend helped him land a job at Middle River Regional Jail in that city.

 

“I wasn’t coaching for a primary income because work would be a conflict, so I decided to volunteer,” said Moore.

 

The volunteer work landed him on the sideline of Riverheads High School (Virginia). Riverheads is a power in Virginia football.

 

“That was my first taste of high school football,” said Moore.

 

It whetted his appetite. Following that brief stint, he coached in youth league and middle school. Due to his job, he could not commit to a high school team.

 

“I just didn’t have the time to needed at that level to a program competing every year for a state championship,” said Moore.

 

Things changed when COVID hit. His wife, Kelsey Full, was doing her residency in South Carolina and he moved there. He did not know if it would be too far away from his son Miles who was in Virginia, but it proved “a little more difficult than I anticipated.”

 

Eventually, the coaching job at Mingo opened up. Moore was interested in it. And there were things working in his favor.

 

Moore’s high school principal was Mingo’s principal. The former coach Josh Sammons was a childhood friend.

 

“I thought this was a good opportunity and I ended up getting the job. I can say now, with some 20-20 hindsight, I was probably in a little over my head to start,” said Moore “We had a rather good staff, and the administration helped me out and helped my hand that first year. The second year, when I felt much better about things, we found out that we were going to be moving to the Bridgeport area.”

 

The reason? Kelsey was taking a position at United Hospital Center. He knew his run at Mingo Central would be a short one.

 

All things being equal, Moore could have possibly been on the staff last year. BHS Assistant Coach Casey Stewart, who was Moore’s position coach at Glenville, was often in contact with Moore.

 

“I told him I was moving to the area, and he told me to come coach. It didn’t work out (last) year because we were trying to find a house and that proved way more difficult than anything,” said Moore, who ended up staying with family in Wirt County before settling on a residence this year in Jane Lew.

 

With an opening on the staff, Moore applied. He got the job.

 

Moore, a former fullback and H-back from his playing days, is coaching the outside linebackers and the tight ends.

 

“I’m getting to know everyone in the community, and it’s been a blast,” said Moore. “Getting knowledge from the staff has made the transition a whole lot easier because they know what they are doing. I’m looking forward to the upcoming year.”

 

Moore and Kelsey, as noted, live in Jane Lew. His son Miles is six years old.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Chase Moore prepping for the 2024 BHS season, while he's shown during his time as Mingo Central's head coach in the second image. The third photo shows Moore as an assistant at Glenville State. Bottom photo shows Moore and his wife Kelsey, son Miles, and dog Bongo.