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Offensive explosions dominate Bridgeport’s playoff win

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Dec 3, 2021

BRIDGEPORT — What it was, was points raining down on Jefferson and Bridgeport like confetti on a parade for a World Series champion, Moon Walk astronauts or aviator Charles Lindbergh.

Jefferson crammed 49 points onto the fast-blinking scoreboard at Wayne Jamison Field at Bridgeport High School. But the homestanding Indians remained unbeaten in 12 games when they literally ran up 74 points with a ground-hugging, Single Wing offense that gouged out 697 yards rushing out the 724 yards of total offense they manufactured in the West Virginia Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game played in front of a crowd whose heads swiveled from side to side as the teams played as much in the end zones as on the artificial turf field.

Bridgeport and its trio of running backs — Landyn Reppert, Cam Cole and Aiden Paulsen — somehow managed to “out-offense” Jefferson quarterback Sammy Roberts.

Reppert ran for 316 yards and three scores. Cole had 19 carries and 107 yards. And Paulsen showed 238 yards along the ground and five TDs in 17 carries. The Indians passed only twice, and one was a 27-yard TD throw from Cole to Nathan Lhotsky.

Roberts threw for 590 yards, six scores and 29 completions and was especially effective in the third quarter where he had four touchdown passes (18, 10, 5 and 60 yards) as Jefferson vainly tried to rally from a 41-14 halftime deficit.

As the two teams hurried from one end of Jamison Field to the other, the offensive show resembled a hailstorm of points as Roberts’ four touchdown throws in the third quarter meant Bridgeport still had a 61-42 lead.

Roberts didn’t have just one favorite target for his record-setting afternoon of well-aimed passes. He connected with Spencer Powell nine times for 193 yards and one TD. Keyshawn Robinson had six catches for 187 yards and two TDs. Isaiah Fritts was on the receiving end of seven Roberts’ completions for 126 yards and a score. Running back Evan Tewell grabbed two touchdown passes and ran in for Jefferson’s lone TD along the ground.

The Cougars, who finished a 10-2 season, skied to 623 yards of total offense and seven TDs. But the Indians put up 11 touchdowns and had won their way into the bracket’s semifinals in Martinsburg, where they would fall, 21-0, to the Bulldogs.

The Single Wing had prevailed over the Air Mail offense. Barely.

And the 74-49 score was not a typographical error. Anybody who blinked missed a long, completed pass or a first down producing run from Reppert, Cole or Paulsen.

Offense had its day. Records not only fell, but they were shattered.

The two “take over the game” offenses combined for 123 points and 1,347 yards of total offense.

Tired though it must have been from reaching the end zone so often, Bridgeport was still moving on down the playoff trail.