For a decade, the second week of Bridgeport High School’s football season featured a showdown with one of the top Class AAA programs in the state thanks to a long series with Wheeling Park. Last year was the first time in 10 years the two teams didn’t square off.

 

The power program is back for week two. However, it’s not the Patriots that will be in the time slot.

 

Instead, week two will feature perennial ‘AAA’ standout Morgantown. The Indians and the Mohigans have a home-and-home series scheduled and during the 2019 season, MHS will make the trek down I-79 south to Wayne Jamison Field.

 

Morgantown is just part of a schedule that will see change from the preseason forward.

 

“It’s a big challenge. Morgantown is a school that I believe is even bigger enrollment wise, if not around the same size, as Wheeling Park; among the biggest in the state,” said Cole. “We’ve scrimmaged them for quite a while, so I hope the kids know what to expect. Some years we’ve fared well against them and others we haven’t, but then that’s for about only 20 plays with each team running full varsity players and starters.”

 

That leads to another change. The long-standing scrimmage season that has annually featured Morgantown and Parkersburg South will see the Mohigans leaving. This year, it will be an all Wood County preseason.

 

“We’ve added Parkersburg this year to scrimmage. I’m pretty sure Parkersburg comes here, and we go to Parkersburg South,” said Cole. “The good thing is that for all three schools it’s not the long of a drive.”

 

The Morgantown game isn’t the only change. Gone from the schedule is Buckhannon-Uphsur and Lincoln. Back on the schedule are Big 10 Conference foes Preston and Philip Barbour. It’s part of the regular rotation of games done after every few years.

 

“That’s a mandatory thing. It seems like the rules change every year with the scheduling in our conference, but we’ll leave that to the athletic directors and the administrators to iron out,” said Cole. “Basically, the smaller Class AA schools and the Class AAA schools rotate and that led to those changes with Philip Barbour and Preston.”

 

As of now, all of the games are on Friday. That doesn’t mean a game could be moved, as has been the case multiple times in recent years, to accommodate a live showing of a contest by MetroNews or WDTV or another issue.

 

“Sometimes those games are moved, like last year’s Fairmont Senior game, based on a scheduling conflict,” said Cole. “Sometimes it’s because of television and sometimes it ends up being both. If the administration is for it and the kids are good, we’ll sacrifice to do it.

 

“If it happens this year, we have a little more experienced players coming back,” Cole continued. “That helps out because generally it’s an early-season game. Ultimately, the decision is in the hands of our administration.”

 

Barring that, the schedule is back to the standard five road games and five home games. Last year, Liberty was a rare sixth home game in week two and gave the Indians one of their toughest tests of the season in what turned out to be a closely fought 28-14 victory.

 

“The big thing with this group is that the schedule is so much tougher. That’s what our kids need to realize. Last year we had six home games. This year we have five,” said Cole. “Last year, we didn’t play a tough out-of-conference Class AAA team and this year it’s Morgantown. These kids need to live in the now and realize it’s a big change.”

 

The schedule is as follows:

 

8/30 (A) Lewis County

9/06 (H) Morgantown

9/13 (A) Liberty (Harrison)

9/20 (H) Fairmont Senior

9/27 (A) Robert C. Byrd

10/4 (A) North Marion

10/11 (H) Preston

10/18 (A) Elkins

10/25 (H) Keyser

11/1 (-) Open

11/8 (H) Philip Barbour

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows BHS Coach John Cole during a 2018 post-game speech, while he shown talking with lineman Devin Hill in the second picture. Below, Trey Pancake reacts after a Bridgeport fumble recovery. Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.