By: Michael Minnich
Exponent Telegram
A 41-yard touchdown pass from Jake Abbott to Bryson Gilbert in double overtime.
Abbott’s dive for two points.
Two plays in Fairmont Senior’s thrilling double-overtime 22-21 win over three-time defending champion Bridgeport that Fairmont Senior coach J.L. Abbott will never forget.
“The Catch, and then The Stretch. That’s why I’m here today,” Abbott told MetroNews ahead of his team’s Class AA state title game against Mingo Central (13-0).
“It was an outstanding game. Came down to the wire, double overtime. I was really proud of our kids,” Abbott said. “They found a way to win.
“We knew we could get back to the semis. It was just the icing on the cake to go in there and beat Bridgeport, a team that’s had our number throughout the years.”
Bridgeport is the first top seed in Class AA since 2008 to not make it to Wheeling, but the undefeated Miners have all the pedigree of a No. 1 despite having the “2” in front of their name.
“Someone asked me if I would have a hard time bringing our kids down to earth. No problem. They’ll be down. They’ll be ready to go,” Abbott said. “I caught some tape on Mingo earlier in the year. They kind of remind me of us a few years ago. They’re 2-by-2 and 3-by-1. They’ve got a great quarterback with some height to him.
“Offensively, they’re a dynamic team. Do we match up with them defensively? I believe so.”
On the other side, retiring Mingo Central coach Yogi Kinder has been able to scout the Polar Bears in person.
“I got them to see them play the last two weekends. They’re very impressive. Some big guys. Coach Abbott’s son is a heck of a football player. They’ve got the big Stills boys. But they also have some other good football players. Everybody sees us and Jeremy Dillon and Joe Hunt. We’ve got some other good players too. We’re similar offensively, defensively. It’s going to be a good football game,” Kinder said.
Kinder credits his schedule for toughening his team and for accomplishing the difficult task of a perfect regular season.
“Yes, it is. A lot of these teams are 7-3, but they beat up on each other. To go through the Cardinal Conference undefeated is pretty special,” Kinder said. “Our Cardinal Conference is as good as any AA in this state’s got. You’ll win enough football games against good competition that it’ll get you ready for a lot of big games.”
Mingo Central is here after a 41-21 win over James Monroe.
“Jumped out early, and we played really good run defense. We kind of took them out of their game plan. They ran the football on about everybody. We kind of shut them down,” Kinder said. “You try and take away their main stuff, and we didn’t do a very good job against the pass.”
There is room for improvement for every team, even for the 10-2 Polar Bears, starting on offense.
“Overall, I’d say a B-plus. Friday night against Bridgeport, it was probably a C. We still didn’t run the ball very well. We’ve got one of the best backs in the state and we’ve had a difficult time in situations turning him loose. At quarterback, we’re not throwing the ball like we used to. Jake played center last year. He’s more of a fullback playing quarterback. But he does a nice job of managing the offense.”
“Defense: A. Our defense has been pretty good throughout the whole year. We’ve got some aggressive kids on that side of the ball that play well with one another, that pay attention to details throughout the week. Our tackling has probably been better this year than past years.”
“Special teams-wise, I’d say we’re a B-plus.”
“We’ve got to know where the quarterback is, and then we’ve got to play a complete game,” Kinder said. “Our special teams have been pretty good all year, but the other night we just looked ragged.
“We’ve got to get to the football like they did against Bridgeport,” Kinder continued. “Do enough to win the football game.”
The best will be needed Friday, though, once the ball comes off the tee at Wheeling Island Stadium at 7 p.m.
“You have to. This is the state championship. If you don’t bring your A-game, you’re not going to win. Our guys are looking forward to it,” Abbott said.
Fairmont Senior has never won a state title on the field, having been awarded the 1946 title by the state’s sportswriters and losing in three previous trips to the title game, all in the largest classification.
“We’ve always tried to drill into the kids’ heads, we want to be here every year. Most definitely make the playoffs, but win a state title for Fairmont Senior,” Abbott said.