<body><div>As the high school football season reaches the midpoint of the 2024 regular season, Class AAA No. 1 Bridgeport returns to Wayne Jamison Field to face a familiar foe.The undefeated Indians will take on No. 13 Robert C. Byrd (2-2) with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. today. Bridgeport leads the all-time series with the Eagles, 27-5, and have won every game since 2010.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=20ZWEG_0vli1nVC00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=20ZWEG_0vli1nVC00" width="990" height="624" ></figure>“It’s absolutely still a rivalry game,” BHS coach Tyler Phares said. “It’s just a different atmosphere when we play them. Our kids are dialed in. It’s a crosstown rival. These kids are around each other a lot, they train together a lot.”The Eagles have defeated Keyser, 48-7, and Liberty, 41-7, this year with losses coming to Fairmont Senior in Week 2, 56-0, and last Friday to Preston, 28-7.Sophomore quarterback Junior Smith has had a strong start to the season for RCB with a team-best 464 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 161 passing yards and a TD. Senior Latrell Jones gives the Eagles a solid 1-2 punch on offense as he has ran for 300 yards and two scores.“They like to get Junior out on the edges and he is dangerous when he has the ball in his hands,” Phares said.Through the first four games, very little from an opposition’s run game has worked against Bridgeport. The Indians have allowed 93 rushing yards total in victories against Buckhannon-Upshur, Morgantown, East Fairmont and Linsly – an average of 23.3 per game.Thirteen different players already have at least 10 tackles for the Indians and as a team they have 29.5 tackles for a loss.In fact, Bridgeport’s Josh Love had more rushing yards on one carry last week against Linsly – 98 – than the Indians have allowed all season.Love leads the team with 454 rushing yards on 33 carries and eight touchdowns but the offensive firepower hardly ends there.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0uCioC_0vli1nVC00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0uCioC_0vli1nVC00" width="790" height="562" ></figure>Tim Jeffress has 230 rushing yards on 14 carries with three touchdowns. Alex Moses has 200 yards on 12 carries and six touchdowns and he missed last week’s game with a minor injury. Jack Spatafore has 170 yards on 13 carries and six touchdowns while also completing 10-of-13 passes for 309 yards and three TDs.The Indians have a total of 10 different players averaging at least 12 yards per rushing attempt.In the receiving game, Donovan Williams continues to be one of the biggest big play threats in school history. Two weeks ago he set the modern era record (dating back to 1997) for career receiving yards, last week he set the modern era record for career touchdown catches with eight.Current BHS golf coach Chris Kerr is believed to also have eight career touchdown catches predating the records that go back to 1997, so one more TD catch should give Williams the all-time record in any era for that category.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2jlzqq_0vli1nVC00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2jlzqq_0vli1nVC00" width="865" height="654" ></figure>A win tonight for BHS would also extend the running state record for years without a losing season to 57.Tonight’s game will be broadcast live on the Indians Radio Network (103.3 FM WKMZ) and can also be accessed on the Bridgeport Sports Radio App and the official website for Bridgeport AthleticsProviding play by play for the game will be the “Voice of the Indians” Travis Jones with Chris George serving as color analysist and Brent Kimble reporting from the sideline.Editor's Note: Top photo shows the BHS defense led by Gabe Martin (21), Cam Martin (8) and Wes Brown (77) bringing down a Linsly player for a loss. Second photo is of Donovan Williams (4) and in the bottom photo, Josh Love (14) looks for room to run as Tim Jeffress (23) looks on. Photos by Tom Mellott.</div></body>

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Class AAA No. 1 Indians Face Familiar Foe in No. 13 Robert C. Byrd Tonight at Wayne Jamison Field

As the high school football season reaches the midpoint of the 2024 regular season, Class AAA No. 1 Bridgeport returns to Wayne Jamison Field to face a familiar foe. The undefeated Indians will take on No. 13 Robert C. Byrd (2-2) with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. today. Bridgeport leads the all-time series with the Eagles, 27-5, and have won every game since 2010.