BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Bluefield senior running back Mookie Collier was dominant on Friday night as the Class AA No. 2 Beavers defeated No. 3 Bridgeport 37-14 in a semifinal matchup.
“He played a fantastic game,” said Bluefield coach Fred Simon of Collier. “He ran hard, blocked hard and played great defense. But, man, did he run.
“We thought we could move the ball some, but not to the level we did tonight,” he continued. “I’m just proud of the preparation of our coaching staff and our players. We executed well and the result was just unbelievable.”
Collier, who entered the game averaging 18 yards per carry in the playoffs and 15 yards per carry overall, eclipsed the 2,000 yard rushing mark on the season with 293 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries.
Those scoring runs came from 67 yards, 55 yards, 45 yards and 25 yards out.
His effort Friday and overall season numbers have him right in the thick of Kennedy Award consideration and MetroNews Player of the Year discussion.
“We just fought hard tonight,” Collier said. “Bridgeport has such an amazing team and we knew what they were capable of doing. We executed well tonight and God blessed us with a win.
“It all starts up front and our offensive line did an amazing job tonight, along with our receivers,” he continued. “If it wasn’t for any of them, I wouldn’t be able to do the things that I do.”
Truck Edwards also added 112 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Beavers (13-0) who finished with over 400 yards on the ground in the win.
Bridgeport ends the year with an 11-2 record.
It’s the first trip to the Super Six for Bluefield since it defeated Wayne 27-7 for the AA title in 2009. The Beavers will face either Mingo Central or Fairmont Senior in the title game on Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m. from Wheeling Island Stadium.
MetroNews will have a full HD video broadcast, streaming live at the MetroNews Channel of WVMetroNews.com for all three Super Six title games.
Click here for the full MetroNews high school football scoreboard.