BRIDGEPORT -
We're headed into the semifinals of the 2011 high school football playoffs and we're about to see an interesting weekend. For the third Sunday in a row, coaches and administrators of teams remaining in the playoffs met at the WVSSAC office in Parkersburg to hammer out this weekend's schedules.
There were several factors on coaches' minds this time around. Thanksgiving is Thursday and the WVU vs. Pitt game is Friday night.
Interestingly, with just two games left in each class, the semifinal game in the bottom half of the bracket will be played on Friday night, in all three classes. In class 'AAA' that starts right here in Harrison County.
No. 2 Bridgeport gets home field advantage, leaving No. 3 George Washington the choice of date and time. GW Head Coach Steve Edwards Jr. picked a Friday night game, 7:30 p.m. kickoff, at Wayne Jamison Field in Bridgeport.
At this point in the post season, 'AAA' coaches have a hard choice to make. Should they continue to play on Friday nights like the team is used to? Or should the opposing coach choose Saturday in anticipation of a win, hoping that it will help the next week, as the 'AAA' state championship is always played on a Saturday at noon. For Coach Edwards it was about keeping his team in a rhythm they've been in all season.
Bridgeport and GW have quite the playoff history between them. The last time the two teams met was in the second round of the postseason in 2009. That was a sunny Saturday at The Wayne and the Indians dominated the Patriots 31-0. This time around it will be a bit of a better matched game as it's a No. 2 versus No. 3 contest.
GW dismantled Hurricane 33-6 to advance. Bridgeport killed Cabell Midland 41-8.
Looking back to Friday's game, Indians' Head Coach Josh Nicewarner said it was very close to a perfect game situation he imagined before kickoff.
"The score was a little surprising to be honest. I knew we had the potential to play well and luckily for us we were able to do that. Things were kind of, definitely in our favor all night. I hope it doesn't sound conceited but if we're able to move the ball we're going to be a tough team to beat, one way or the other, just with the style that we play. We were able to get up a couple of scores on them pretty quick. Teams have problems playing catch up with us because we are able to eat the clock a little bit. It was somewhat of a perfect game for us and quite frankly if you're not playing those type of games, you're not going to win at this stage in the game. So we have to continue to do that and it's really not even something that you worry about because if you don't get it you're not going to move on."
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