Friday's Bridgeport, Fairmont Senior Game Outcome has Implications Beyond Field and into Government
By Jeff Toquinto on October 29, 2024
Long before Patrick Ford ever thought about being Bridgeport’s next city manager, he was already well versed in the tradition of Indians’ football. For a native of Kansas who graduated from the University of Virginia that may seem odd.
Considering his spousal connection, it is not.
Ford is married to the former Alecia Sirk, a 1987 graduate of Bridgeport High School. One of Sirk’s best friends is Chuck Miller, who just happened to graduate with Alecia and also just happened to be a member of the BHS 1986 Class AA state championships squad. Because of that, Ford has a knowledge of the program and its expectations.
“Through Alecia, Chuck and I are great friends, and he has given me great details about the program,” said Ford. “He’s my non-paid advisor on city’s cabinet for high school football and gave me the confidence to accept my first official outside challenge on the job.”
Ironically, the person issuing the challenge is the same person responsible for Ford being in position to get the job. Fairmont City Manager wasted little time in pitching said challenge after Ford accepted the position of Bridgeport City Manager.
The challenge?
It involves this Friday’s Bridgeport game at Fairmont Senior. Both teams go into the game at 8-0, ranked at or near the top of the Class AAA standings, and both considered among the favorites to hoist a ‘AAA’ state championship trophy.
“The deal is whoever wins the game Friday, the city manager representing the team that loses the ball game will have to wear the opposing team’s jersey at the next City Council meeting,” said Ford, who has a great appreciation of the game as a past UVA football player and starting center.
The bet, of course, is a friendly wager. And it happens to be between friends who Ford said started off things when they worked on similar goals in the northern panhandle.
Blosser was Weirton’s city manager. Ford was the executive director of the Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle. Blosser already had a professional relationship with Ford’s wife Alecia, who had worked with Blosser on festivals.
“They work great together, and she volunteered with him on the Gate 5 Industrial Art Festival at Weirton Steel,” said Ford. “That friendship led to more than just our bet.”
Ford said the pair worked together early on, but both, he said were a bit “head strong,” Ford said with a chuckle. That soon went by the 
wayside and created a relationship where the pair worked together with others to bring more than $14 million in grants to Weirton and the rest of the panhandle that turned into millions more for the entire region.
wayside and created a relationship where the pair worked together with others to bring more than $14 million in grants to Weirton and the rest of the panhandle that turned into millions more for the entire region.
“Alecia and I took him out for dinner on a Friday night after I saw his car in the parking lot as he was working late one evening and things have been great from there. In fact, we were in town after he had was named Fairmont City Manager and wanted to take him to dinner to congratulate him,” said Ford. “He brought it to my attention that if I wanted a job like he had there was one open in Bridgeport. Initially, I didn’t think too much about it, but then after talking with Alecia we thought to give it a shot.”
And now, here we are. Even more unique is Blosser was so confident Ford would get the job, he initially talked about the bet before Ford was in his position.
“I told him to let me get it and he said, ‘you’re going to get it,’ and then he said, ‘once you do, we’ll bet on the game,’ so that’s where we’re at,” said Ford. “He had his foot on the gas about the gas for more than just the past week and he keeps telling me I’ll soon be wearing blue.”
The game is at 7 p.m. on Friday at East-West Stadium in Fairmont. Ford will be at the game as a guest of Blosser’s.
“Mr. Blosser was kind enough to get the tickets for the game,” said Ford. “I plan to return the kindness by giving him a uniform to wear. I think red will look good on him at a Fairmont Council meeting.”
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Patrick Ford showing he's still comfortable with his offensive line stance, while he is shown with his friend Patrick Blosser at his swearing in ceremony in the second image. In the third photo, Ford and Blosser are shown with a proclamation to the Business Development Corporation for its relationship with Weirton. Fourth photo shows the jersey that Ford hopes to see resting comfortably on the body of Blosser in the near future.
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