The regular season matchup many have asked to see take place for years is at hand. And it, arguably, could rank among the top regular season contests ever played in recent Bridgeport High School history.

For purposes of eliminating those who always feel something to complain about, we will use the standard parameter for “recent history.” That would be 1997 and forward, which is the time when “The Voice of the Indians,” Travis Jones, began compiling stats at a professional level.

 

This coming Friday, Sept. 4, at Wayne Jamison Field, two of the all-time elite football programs will battle when Class AAA power Bridgeport faces Class AAAA power Martinsburg. Between them lie more than 20 state championships.

 

“Our team needs to see the best competition possible, and with Martinsburg you’re getting that competition,” said BHS Coach Tyler Phares. “The best thing about two good programs playing is no matter the outcome they’re going to expose your flaws and vice versa. If we want to reach our end goal, and continue to get better, we need to find our flaws early and limit or eliminate them.”

 

In past years, a loss to Martinsburg or one of the other non-conference foes that make up this year’s schedule (Fort Hill out of Maryland and Spring Valley) could be disaster. There was no benefit in playing good teams because the point system that determined your playoff positioning did not benefit from a loss.

 

The new WVSSAC postseason playoff formula does give points to losing to a quality foe. However, that is not the reason the Indians are lining up against a team many consider the best in the state regardless of class.

 

“Those bonus points are nice, but that’s not something that was, or is, on our minds. This game is giving our team a challenge, a big challenge, and one that will likely set the barometer,” said Phares. “We’ve been wanting this challenge before; they have too. It just never worked out.”

 

As BHS Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Tom Sears said in a blog announcing the 2026 schedule, the two teams have been trying to meet for years. Despite what social media folks were saying at times on message boards, often behind anonymous names to bash high schools and occasionally the athletes, no one was ducking anyone.

 

“Every year that I’ve been here the matchup would come up. It’s because people want to see good football,” said Phares. “People need to realize if you’re in a conference those games get schedule first and foremost and it eliminates plenty of weeks available for schedules of non-conference teams to align.

 

“Sometimes it just doesn’t work, which is what we ran into,” Phares continued. “We’ve stayed in contact with them and this was the year where both schools had a week two opening, so we’re playing in the regular season instead of the playoffs.”

 

The postseason is where the Indians and Martinsburg have met. BHS has a 2-4 record against the Bulldogs, but one of those the Tribe faithful do not count – a 1-0 forfeit win during the 2020 COVID season. The “official” postseason win came in 2007 with a 27-26 win under Bruce Carey in a game at Jamison Field.

 

In recent outings, Bridgeport has not fared well. During 2021, Phares’ first year, Bridgeport lost 21-0 in the Class AAA semifinals (only three classifications at the time) and then the next year fell 21-3 in the quarterfinals – both of those games were at MHS. The shutout in 2021 was the first since Keyser beat BHS 25-0 in 2012.

 

“They have been one of the few teams that has had success against the single wing,” said Travis Jones about Martinsburg.

 

The Indians will bring the wing into the game this year along with its standard in the trenches defense. And Martinsburg will counter with an explosive offense and equally tenacious defense.

 

“This certainly has to be one of the biggest regular season games I can recall. If it were later in the season, you might say for sure it was the biggest if they both came in undefeated,” said Jones. “I look back to that 2000 game at Robert C. Byrd (a 7-6 Bridgeport win on the way to a 14-0 season and an AA state title) where both teams came in undefeated and so much was on the line.

 

“I remember the stadium was packed for that game and several of those early 2000 games with Byrd,” Jones, who added to the list the 2020 loss to a Spring Valley team loaded with D-1 players, continued. “Bridgeport and Fairmont Senior have faced off a lot with plenty on the line, but I think just looking at things this stacks up with them, particularly from a desire of many that follow high school football wanting to see them play.”

 

Jones said Martinsburg is the favorite in Class AAAA and mentioned Morgantown, who knocked off the Bulldogs in a classic title game last year. He said many consider the Indians the top team in Class AAA.

 

“No disrespect to Morgantown because they’re going to be good, but if you look at graduation losses team to team, Morgantown suffered more,” said Jones. “Any time you bring back in all-state quarterback Brian Dick and a receiver in Boston Todd, it makes Martinsburg dangerous on every play.

 

“They can throw, they can run, and they’ve got the line,” Jones went on. “This is a dangerous team. Although I would like to see this game later, the team that loses still has time to recover and finish high in the ratings. The big thing is that a long-awaited matchup is here, and we’re fortunate the dates worked out. This will be good for both teams.”

 

Phares did not dispute Jones’ assessment.

 

“We want a battle because if you’re not getting pushed, you’re just spinning your wheels,” said Phares. “The goal is to get better. Martinsburg will make you get better. They’re that good. We hope to show them we can be good too.”

 

What transpires will be revealed this Friday at 7 p.m. at Wayne Jamison Field. You may want to get there early.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows the Indians Brody Jeran (15) and Aiden Gorby (12) teamming up to make a stop, while Gavin Williams breaks loose on one of several big runs from 2025. In the third photo, Gabe Martin is shown in an early season game powering for yardage. Bottom image, from the Tribe's season-ending setback to Chapmanville, shows Coach Tyler Phares talking to the squad after the contest. All photos from 2025 are by Joe LaRocca.