No. 3 Indians Take on No. 2 Martinsburg with Spot in Class AAA Championship Game on the Line
By Chris Johnson on November 26, 2021
For the 11th straight year and 12th out of the last 13, the Bridgeport High School football team has practiced on Thanksgiving Day in preparation for a semifinal playoff game.
Today the No. 3 Indians face their toughest test since moving back up to Class AAA as they travel to face No.2 Martinsburg with a spot in the state title game at the Super Six in Wheeling on the line. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and tickets are only available online HERE.
The two schools have dominated the state’s postseason landscape the past decade. The Indians have four Class AA state titles in that time span, while the Bulldogs have won the Class AAA title every year since 2010 except for 2014, 2015 and last season’s COVID season in which the Super Six was canceled and South Charleston was declared the winner.
Martinsburg is also the last team to deny the Indians a trip to the semifinals, winning in the 2010 quarterfinals en route to its first state title.
Today’s meeting marks the fifth ever meeting between the two and the all-time series is tied at 2. Bridgeport last defeated Martinsburg in the opening round of the 2007 playoffs.
“There’s no shortage of talent with them,” BHS coach Tyler Phares said. “They are strong, they are fast and they are athletic. They are the real deal and it’s going to be a real challenge. But our kids are excited to go up there and see how we measure up."
The Indians will have to deal with stopping not one but two stellar Martinsburg quarterbacks.
Sophomore Murphy Clement is a dual-threat QB with 1,181 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns along with 839 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. Junior Ezra Bagent, the younger brother of former all-state quarterback for the Bulldogs Tyson Bagent, is more of a pocket QB and has thrown for 2,208 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Hudson Clement, the older bother of Murphy Clement, is arguably the most dangerous receiver in the state with 72 catches for 1,407 yards and 17 touchdowns.
As per usual, the Bulldogs are balanced on offense as they have scored 38 touchdowns on the ground and 37 through the air.
“They just execute what they do so well,” Phares said. “There are not weaknesses anywhere with them.”
The Indians are coming off the most prolific rushing performance in the history of the playoffs as they ran for 690 yards and 10 touchdowns against Jefferson a week ago.
“What makes them so hard to stop is it’s a difficult offense to prepare for,” Jefferson coach Craig Hunter said after last week’s quarterfinal game. “You can’t replicate what they do in practice because they execute it so well. Plus they do a great job of adjusting to the adjustments you make against them.”
The Indians are averaging 436.7 rushing yards per game. Cam Cole is the leading rusher with 1,516 yards on 143 attempts and 24 touchdowns. He needs just 19 yards to move past Brett Hathaway into fourth place on the school’s all-time career rushing yardage list.
Landyn Reppert has come on strong in the past four games for the Tribe where he has nearly 900 yards. For the season he has 1,424 on 156 carries and 15 touchdowns.
Aidan Paulsen adds 584 rushing yards on 56 carries and 10 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Indians have been stingy against the run all year giving up just 77.5 yards per contest but they have been hurt by the pass at times this year. Last week Jefferson quarterback Sammy Roberts threw for 581 yards and six touchdowns. And they will likely see just as good a passing attack tonight.
Charlie Brazier leads Bridgeport in tackles with 69. Reppert and Phil Reed each have 64. Paulsen has 59, while 13 other players have posted double-digit tackles this season.
Tonight’s game will be aired on the Indians Radio Network on WKMZ 103.3 FM or on the Bridgeport Sports Radio App or www.bridgeportindiansfootball.com
The Voice of the Indians, Travis Jones will provide play-by-play with Chris George on color commentary and Brent Kimble with sideline reporting.
The winner of tonight’s game will face either Cabell Midland or Huntington in Wheeling.
Editor's Note:Top photo shows Brazier making a tackle, middle photo is of Phares and Cole going over a play and bottom photo features Paulsen looking for running room as Reppert looks for somebody to block. Photos by Joe LaRocca.
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