BRIDGEPORT -
Earlier this week, Bridgeport found out that it is one of five North Central W.Va. schools that will drop from Class ‘AAA' to Class ‘AA' beginning next fall. The Indians' football team now wants to go out with a bang. So, maybe it's a little ironic that Bridgeport destroyed Cabell Midland in the second round of the high school football playoffs. CMHS is the largest school in the state according to enrollment numbers released along with the reclassification of all state high schools. Bridgeport beat Cabell Midland 41-8, Friday night.
The Indians hosted the Knights at Wayne Jamison Field and went to work quickly on their home turf. Bridgeport took the opening kickoff and promptly marched down field. The drive included several impressive runs, Brett Hathaway carried the ball the to the one yard line, setting up the first score of the game. Hathaway, this week's Athlete of the Week finished the drive off, putting Bridgeport up 7-0. The Indians were able to burn the majority of the first quarter clock on that drive. The score game with about six minutes left in the quarter.
Cabell Midland went three and out on its first possession of the game. Bridgeport set up a play on first down and 10 from the Knights' 48 yard line. Nick Smith took the ball, broke every tackle he could find, then rumbled down the sidelines for a touchdown. That big run showed off Smith's speed and the team mentality of Bridgeport. Quarterback Troy Anderson put a nice block on a Cabell Midland defender that secured the score. Still in the first quarter of action, Bridgeport extended its lead to 14-0.
If back-to-back touchdowns didn't break Cabell Midland's spirit for the first half, the ensuing kickoff did. Bridgeport's Connor Kornbrath booted the ball to the Knights. It was fielded but the CMHS player was immediately pancaked by the Indians' Nathan Gonzalez in a hit heard round Wayne Jamison Field.
In the second quarter of action the Bridgeport attack continued. The Indians were facing third down and seven on their own 27 yard line when Head Coach Josh Nicewarner called for a quarterback keeper. Anderson tucked the ball and sprinted ahead to the Cabell Midland 27. Bridgeport continued that drive to the one yard line where Smith took the handoff and ran the ball in for a score. Kornbrath's point after attempt was blocked by the Knights but Bridgeport's lead moved to 20-0.
The Tribe's defense continued to impress and Cabell Midland did not score in the first half.
The third quarter was the same story. Cabell Midland's Cody Carter took a handoff while the Knights were driving. He tried to reverse his path but met Bridgeport defender Ryan Echard along the way as Echard recorded the tackle for loss.
The Indians' got that ball back at the end of that series and got a little crazy. Anderson dropped back to throw and hit a wide-open Danny Bleyer down field. Bleyer, who also had an impressive game defensively, was on the move to the end zone before being brought down by his jersey at the 15 yard line.
A few plays later, Hathaway finished it off with a 13-yard touchdown run. Tribe kept advancing the lead, 27-0.
In the fourth quarter, Bridgeport's offense and defense refused to let up. Cabell Midland scored late in the fourth quarter, playing against Bridgeport's defense.
No. 2 Bridgeport moves on to the semifinals of the 2011 high school football playoffs with a 41-8 victory over No. 7 Cabell Midland.
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