By: Michael Minnich
Mineral Daily News Tribune
For the first time since 2009, Super Six weekend won’t feature the Martinsburg Bulldogs.
For the first time ever, however, the Frankfort Falcons will be in Wheeling.
Class AA Championship Game: No. 2 Frankfort (13-0) vs. No. 1 Bridgeport (12-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m., Wheeling Island Stadium
Frankfort earned the program’s first state title game berth with a 49-16 domination of Westside last week.
Brady Watson ran for 142 yards and five touchdowns on 21 carries, and Gage Shaffer got the best of Justin Cogar in a duel of arguably the two best quarterbacks in Class AA, intercepting two passes on defense and throwing for 194 yards and a score on offense.
The Frankfort defense hasn’t allowed a point in the first half in any of their three playoff contests, keeping Westside off of the board while the offense posted 39 last week.
“It feels great. I’m very happy. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time…basically since I’ve been in high school, I’ve wanted to do this. But it means more as a coach. And I’m so happy and so proud. The kids did a great job. I can’t describe how I feel,” said an emotional Frankfort coach Kevin Whiteman after the game. “I’m just proud. Our school has never been there, and I’m very humbled and proud to be the first coach to take them there.”
Ridgeley’s state championship in 1975 is the only other title game appearances for FHS’s feeder districts.
Speaking of dismantlings, Bridgeport rushed for 483 yards against Wayne as a rematch of last year’s championship game turned into a 48-7 rout.
Dylan Tonkery rushed for 258 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries to lead the way, while Zack Spurlock carried 11 times for 128 yards.
Bridgeport has not allowed more than 14 points in a game this year.
The two schools met in the quarterfinals in 2012, with Bridgeport pulling out a 28-0 win. Shaffer and Watson were key members of that Frankfort team, so playing against the Indians will be nothing new.
Frankfort and Bridgeport have a pair of common opponents: the two toughest challenges to FHS’s undefeated season were overtime wins over Robert C. Byrd (27-21, in double OT) and Keyser (28-27, in OT). Bridgeport had an easier time with those two foes, defeating RCB twice (31-7 in the regular season and 35-14 in the second round of the playoffs) and taking care of KHS, 31-6.
Frankfort will travel to Wheeling on Friday, choosing to sleep in their own beds (or try to, anyway) the night before and not have to sit around the hotel all day waiting and anticipating their appointment with the Indians.
The two schools finished the regular season tied on points in the SSAC rankings, with Bridgeport earning the top seed by virtue of earning more bonus points from AA and AAA foes.
But this is what you want, right? The top two seeds, meeting in Wheeling, to settle things for good.
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