(Game radio calls by Travis Jones, Indians Radio Network)
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Carson Winkie ran for three touchdowns and the Bridgeport defense stymied a potent Keyser offense as the Indians handed the Golden Tornado their first loss of the season, 28-7 at Wayne Jamison Field.
“I am happy for our kids and I am really happy for my coaches,” said Bridgeport head coach John Cole. “These guys have been preparing hard.”
“Coach (Adam) King had a great plan for defense and you could see how that worked out. Coach (Tyler) Phares had a great plan for offense. But the bottom line is — our kids have experience too.”
Winkie racked up 118 yards on 29 carries and Trey Pancake added 63 yards on 14 totes as the Indians dominated from the opening kickoff. The Indians used a pair of long scoring drives in the first quarter to take a 14-0 lead. Pancake scored on a one-yard run and Winkie broke free from twenty yards away.
In the second quarter, Pancake forced a fumble on a kickoff return. Winkie would cap a 33-yard drive with a one-yard scoring run to give the Indians a 21-0 halftime lead.
Bridgeport’s defense forced a three-and-out on Keyser’s opening possession in the third quarter. A 10-play, 76-yard drive followed as Winkie scored his third touchdown of the contest, making the score 28-0.
The Indians finished the game with 226 rushing yards. “We had a few weeks to prepare and give them some false reads,” said Bridgeport offensive coordinator Tyler Phares. “We did that early, and then went to the bread and butter to close things out.”
A Zion Powell 77 yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining spoiled the shutout. Keyser had 169 yards of total offense.
“The defense was outsanding,” Cole said. “Our defense put us in the position we were in.”
“Keyser gets in multiple formations out of their double wing,” said Bridgeport defensive coordinator Adam King. “And our kids were able to line up correctly. And when they are in the right spot, with some of those one-on-one matchups, that gives us an advantage.”
Now at 8-1, Bridgeport enters a bye week before closing out the regular season against Philip Barbour. The Indians will likely climb to the No. 2 spot in this week’s SSAC ratings.
“If we could be home throughout (the playoffs), it would be a huge advantage,” Cole said.
“I couldn’t be happier for them,” Cole said. “Our kids earned every ounce of this tonight.”
Keyser (7-1) will close the regular season with matchups against Mountain Ridge, Md. and rival Frankfort.