BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Bluefield’s longest winning streak since 2019 allowed the Beavers to play in the Class AA state championship game for the first time in six years last fall. After a 3-2 start, Bluefield won eight games in a row to secure a December trip to Charleston. The Beavers fell to Frankfort, 49-42. But after the disappointment of that last-second loss faded, Bluefield welcomed back a roster filled with key contributors and returning starters.
“It has taken a lot of work. The coaches that we have added to our coaching staff have helped a lot,” said Bluefield junior lineman Ethan Thompson. “It has helped our mentality going into it. I feel like we are going to go back there and perform even better than what we did.”
“That’s what you work your butt off for. And we had,” said Bluefield head coach Fred Simon. “I am just proud of what our staff and our players did to get us to that point.”
As the state’s most-tenured head coach Fred Simon enters his 41st season leading Bluefield football, he will go to work with five returners that earned first or second team All-State honors as sophomores. The group includes tackle Ethan Thompson, who is installed as one of the key leaders on the Bluefield offensive line.
“We have an offensive line where really all of them are back,” Simon said. “We’ve got a couple of other young men that have moved up in there that we’ve got really seven linemen that can probably start for a lot of teams.”
Division I prospect Max Simpson enters his third season leading the Bluefield offense. As a sophomore, Simpson tossed 40 touchdown passes and he threw for just under 3,500 yards.
“Sometimes my footwork was being a little slow and I was missing throws that I should have made,” Simpson said. “Being confident in running. Last year, I was kind of forcing stuff and I should have just ran and took the extra yards. I just have to be confident with my feet this year.”
“It is great to see your family basically improve and see how good he has gotten,” Thompson said. “He is just going to get even better over these next two years.”
“We’ll probably give him a few more options on his decision making with the RPOs and things like that,” Simon said. “He works hard and he’ll be better this year.”
Many of Simpson’s top targets on the outside return, including first team All-State picks Pax Calhoun and Jaleel Jones.
“Pax and Jaleel have come a long way,” Simpson said. “Pax is just starting to be the alpha, making big strides and making him the number one. Jaleel is coming along. Jamarius [Smith] is having a great offseason. Jurrien Tabb is going to be a name for you to hear. And Tylee [Simon], always.”
Jeremiah Jones returns to the Bluefield backfield. He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark last fall while finding the end zone 17 times. Senior Willis Wilson has worked his back from an injury that cost him over half of the 2025 season and he will return as a running back and linebacker.
“I got back to a hundred percent recently. Rehab was hard but it was great,” Wilson said. “To go out there with my brothers, it feels great, like a blessing all over again.”
“Willis Wilson coming back and having Jeremiah also back, you’ve got a 1-2 punch in the backfield running the ball,” Simon said.
After falling just short of their first title since 2017 last December, Simon and the Beavers have a 12th state championship squarely in their sights.
“It is going to take a lot of blood, sweat and tears and a whole lot of grinding,” Wilson said. “God is going to take us there.”