Goals Remain the Same for Indians in a Football Season That Promises to be First of Its Kind in State
By Chris Johnson on August 28, 2024
The 2024 high school football season will be like none before it.
A whirlwind of change in the offseason has brought about a four-class system that will culminate with four state championship games that will be played somewhere other than Wheeling for the first time since 1994.
And just when everybody had a grasp on who was in what class, 22 schools were re-classified two weeks before the season kicks off.
Yet, at Bridgeport High School, it’s safe to say that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The Indians are expected to be Class AAA state title contenders by a large portion of the state. They have running state records of 56 straight years without a losing record and 31 straight years making the playoffs. The only thing that appears to be in the way of extending those streaks is the time required to get to them.
As always, there are starters to replace, but there is wealth of experience returning. It was another strong offseason in the weight room, another strong flex period and another strong set of August practices.
Yet, Tyler Phares and his coaching staff have kept the lofty expectations in check by not focusing on them and focusing on figuring out to work hard every day to be a better team than you were the day before with the goal of playing their best football at the end of the year.
“There are still unknowns,” Phares said. “We’re trying to build depth. There is competition at a lot of spots and we are trying to see who is going to rise to the occasion to beat other players out. It’s a battle every day.
“It’s something we are excited about but at the same time, you hate the unknowns.”
Gone to graduation is 2023 Curt Warner Award winner (given annually to the state’s top running back) Zach Rohrig, who ran for 1,822 yards and 25 touchdowns. But there is plenty of fire power back from an offense that averaged a school-record 47.3 points per game.
Josh Love (1,199 yard, 18 touchdowns), Timmy Jeffress (651 yards, 10 touchdowns), Alex Moses (551 yards, eight touchdowns), Cam Martin (334 yards, five touchdowns) and Jack Spatafore (169 yards, three touchdowns) all return and Phares said Gavin Williams, Gabe Martin, Graham Vincent, John Knight, Eli Knight and Sam Goodwin are battling for touches in the crowded, talented backfield as well.
“We have a lot of depth and a lot of talent in the backfield,” Phares said. “It’s going to come down to who blocks and who holds on to the ball.”
Spatafore also threw for 459 yards and six touchdowns last season and Donnie Williams emerged as big-time threat as a receiver with 13 catches for 452 yards (an average of 34.8 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. Williams is also back and the Indians have added another prime target in Carter Zuliani, an all-stater who had been at Buckhannon-Upshur his first three seasons.
Jon Bender is also slated to see time as an end.
Paving the way for the potentially explosive offense is an experienced and deep group of linemen led by returning all-stater Wes Brown Jr.
Joining him up front are Noah West (moving from guard to tackle), Bear Metheney, Owen Gillespie, Malachi Nuse, Brady Abraham, Braedyn Yates, Harrison Hall, Tristan Noble, Wes Conley, Alex McGinnis, Colton Miller and Juan Pablo Cortez who are all expected to be in the mix for playing time.
Unfortunately, the Indians will be without talented junior Bryson Lowther, who was slated to start on both sides of the line, after he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Conley is expected to start in place of Lowther and Phares says he has two centers battling for playing time in Yates and Hall, both of whom have looked good in the team’s scrimmages.
“They are the bread and butter of our team,” Phares said of his talented group of linemen. “They have all worked hard, not that our backs haven’t also worked hard, but those guys up front open up a lot of holes and we are excited about this group.”
On defense, the team’s top three tacklers from last year are back in Love (104 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss), Cam Martin (83 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss) and Williams (74 tackles, 10 for a loss). Love is set to move from linebacker this year, joining Martin as a safety. Williams returns at linebacker.
Up front, Zuliani and Jeffress, who is moving from linebacker to end, will anchor the edges. Brown returns at defensive line and will be joined in the interior by any number of the same group in the mix for playing time on the offensive line.
Joining Williams at linebacker will be Bender, John Knight, Eli Knight, Austin Harbert and Alex Naternicola among others.
With Love and Cam Martin set at the safeties, with Spatafore and Williams helping out, the primary cornerbacks will be Moses, Goodwin, Dante Pierre, Luke Rohrig and Vincent.
Gavin Williams is slated to handle kickoffs, place kicking and punting. And any of the skill position players could be a factor in the return game.
“There is no doubt about the talent,” Phares said. “We just have to continue to get better and hopefully we will be playing our best football in November.”
Bridgeport will kick off the 2024 season at 7 p.m. on Friday at Wayne Jamison Field against Buckhannon-Upshur. More on the B-U game coming Friday on Connect-Bridgeport.
Editor's Note: Top photo is the team shot for the 2024 season. Second photo is of Love, third is of Brown and bottom photo is of Donnie Williams. Photos by Joe LaRocca.
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