There is a suburb located about northeast of Dallas in the state of Texas named Fairview. As far as cities and suburbs go in Texas, it is not overly unique.

 

When it comes to being the home of a Bridgeport High School football super fan, it is certainly unique. If you take the trek 35 miles you may run into the home of David Sotelo. He is a proud member of the 1972 Class AAA state championship team.

 

So proud, in fact, that he is more than just a member of the team. He recently has his written word published – and not just anywhere or about anything.

 

Sotelo, perhaps not so surprisingly, recently had an article published in a magazine. Perhaps a bit surprising considering he lives 1,150 miles away from the field where he captured the school’s second-ever state football championship is that the magazine in question is a West Virginia magazine.

 

You may have heard about it. It is Goldenseal Magazine, which next year will celebrate its 50^th anniversary. We’ll get back to the article here shortly, but first have to see how Sotelo spent essentially one year in Bridgeport and walked away with a state title.

 

“My folks moved to Bridgeport from Lewis County for what was my junior year in high school,” said Sotelo, who played defensive end for the Indians. “The thing sone may find interesting is I was in another school the next year.”

 

That one year with Bridgeport, however, is one for the books, at least one the football front.

 

“Bridgeport has had 10 state football championship teams and I think we were special for a couple of reasons,” said Sotelo. “It’s why I think we’re the best even though I’ve enjoyed every single one of them.”

 

The first reason is certainly a revelation. The team finished its 10-0 regular season with seven shutouts and only allowed 25 points total during that run. Philip Barbour was the only team during the regular season to hit double digits and did so in a 44-14 setback. That means for the nine other games, the team allowed just over one point a contest.

 

When the postseason arrived, it was just a four-team format. The Indians won 18-15 against Saint Albans and 16-14 against DuPont in the Class AAA state title game. It is the ‘AAA’ win that gives Sotelo his second talking point on the team being special.

 

“We were in Class AAA but there were 20 ‘AA’ schools bigger than us when we won,” said Sotelo, who recalled Coach Wayne Jamison playing up a class, which he also did when the team won the 1979 title.

 

As for Jamison, Sotelo – like everyone else – can talk about him without hesitation.

 

“What impressed me about him was the simplicity in which we did everything and his absolute dogged determination to detail,” Sotelo said. “We have very few plays and two base defenses and we repped those plays so much we could do them in our sleep.”

 

While it is not part of his BHS victorious memories, Sotelo saw himself involved in another moment in Tribe history. One Sotelo loves, and one most that follow the Indians do not like to talk about too much.

 

“My son (Tony) played for the Poca team in 2001 that beat Bridgeport for the ‘AA’ championship,” said Sotelo.

 

Another unique thing?

 

“My son is best friends with Tyler Phares and just recently Tyler came down to watch the Texas state playoffs. It’s a small world in West Virginia,” Sotelo said with a laugh.

Sotelo has been in Texas since 1995 after marrying a Texas girl. Working for State Farm and moving up in the ranks, which allowed him to make the move from Cross Lanes in West Virginia to the Lonestar State.

 

Even in Texas, Sotelo’s love for Bridgeport and for his 1972 team never faded. Eventually, he approached Goldenseal about authoring an article about the team. The reason?

 

“It was one of the most significant events of my life. Everyone has a catalyst that moves them on to bigger and better things and, for me, this was that event,” said Sotelo.

 

With that in he contacted former editor Stan Bumgardner and pitched his idea. He said Bumgardner was thrilled with the story idea and said the magazine would run it. Sotelo wanted it to run in 2022, but that could not happen.

 

“(Stan) told me they were a year behind with backlogged stories. Eventually, it just boiled down to me wanting the story in there,” said Sotelo. “I can tell you it was not hard to write. It was a labor of love.”

 

Love is an operative word when it comes to Sotelo and the Indians program. He said he keeps up with it “24/7.” He said he follows various Facebook pages including MetroNews and WBOY and gets plenty of information from his son through Coach Phares.

 

“We follow a lot of stuff on Connect-Bridgeport, and we listen to (Voice of the Indians) Travis Jones. We also love to listen to Coach and Travis on the coach’s show,” said Sotelo.

 

Sotelo said the program has provided him with joy for as long as he can remember. Recently, he tried to repay a bit of that to the program.

 

“I think it was about two years ago we donated $1,000 to the weight room project,” said Sotelo.

 

While the 67-year-old Sotelo is retired from his job and perhaps writing, he said he’ll continue to listen to the Indians with his wife Shonda. He also said his son Tony – whose 6’5, 240-pound frame likely caused issues for BHS in the school’s only title game loss – lives in Texas and follows along too.

 

“That year was special,” said Sotelo. “I’ll do all I can, do whatever work it takes, to make sure that team is remembered.”

 

It is safe to say he is doing his part. His “Perfect in ‘72” article is just a part of that work.

 

Click HERE to buy the current edition of Goldenseal online or through the mail. The links are shown to the left of the page below a photo of the current winter 2023 edition.

 

Check back in the weeks ahead on Connect-Bridgeport where we will run the story submitted to us by Sotelo.