Guest Blog: A Look Back on Special Season, a Look Ahead to 2026, and a Thank You to Seniors, Coaches
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on November 27, 2025
Editor’s Note:The piece below was written by Doug Marquette, who has assisted Connect-Bridgeport with several sports pieces during the recent staffing issues. We appreciate Doug more than he knows, and on this day, Thanksgiving, we are thankful for him volunteering to assist. Please note the piece below an editorial piece by Marquette.
By Doug Marquette
For Connect-Bridgeport
In a disappointing and surprising end to the Bridgeport Indians football season, Chapmanville Regional High School won 33-27, ending the Tribe’s 25-game win streak and hopes for back-to-back AAA state championships.
When a team can go 11-1, dominate their first 11 opponents, lose in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs and consider the season a disappointment, you know you have a unique program.
Not suffering a losing season since 1967, not missing the playoffs since 1992 doesn’t happen by accident. That level of success demands intentionality. Our kids begin lifting weights in January to prepare for a season eight months away. Not a handful of serious kids, but all the
kids who are not involved in a winter sport. Not on their own and not to impress anyone, but with coaches observing and players doing football specific lifts.
kids who are not involved in a winter sport. Not on their own and not to impress anyone, but with coaches observing and players doing football specific lifts.
Then it’s flex days in the spring; teaching incoming sophomores the speed and intentionality of a varsity practice. In the summer comes 7-on-7 competitions, passing competitions essentially, which help the defense mostly, to prepare for the many spread offenses they will face.
This 2025 team did all those activities with the goal of repeating as state champions. That they fell short of their stated goal won’t be what we should remember about this team. We should remember that senior dominated line – Lowther, West, Hess, Conley, Yates, Abraham, and Hall – and what a joy it was watching them own the line of scrimmage every game and eliminating the opponents rush as an option.
We’ll remember the emergence of Gavin Williams as an offensive force to be reckoned with and look forward to seeing what he can do next year. We’ll remember Kasen Baun returning to football after not playing his sophomore and junior years to give the Indians a hard running back on offense and a hard-hitting weapon on defense. We’ll remember and say “what if” in regard to losing Gabe Martin to injury half the season, robbing the team of its top returning defensive player and a special hard running athlete on offense. We’ll expect better
fortune for him in 2026.
fortune for him in 2026.
I hope we’ll remember Bryson Lowther, playing on two surgically repaired knees, both braced to provide stability and protect against additional injury, making crushing blocks on offense and always occupying a place in the opponents’ backfield on defense.
When you judge your season, not on winning more than you lose, not on making the playoffs, but on winning another championship you will often be disappointed. That’s Bridgeport football. That’s the standard.
We haven’t had a losing season for nearly 60 years, haven’t missed the playoffs since the 1992 season. Yes, I hurt for the seniors today, but we’ll be back with the same standard next year, looking to play for another championship.
In the meantime, let’s thank the seniors for their success and dedication. To head coach Tyler Phares and his outstanding group of coaches, thank you for what you do for our kids and the community. For those in the community that live high school football, we know we are blessed to be Indians.
Editor's Note: Photos courtesy of Tom Mellott.
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