KINGWOOD — There are football games on the schedule of a rebuilding program in which the outcome is, if not a foregone conclusion, a daunting challenge.
Class AAA powerhouse Bridgeport, a team probably capable of beating just about any team in the state, posed to be that challenge Friday night, as the Indians knocked off Preston 55-13 at Knights Stadium.
But there is always more than one way to measure success, and the undersized and outmanned Knights never quit and, in the process, took several positive strides forward in the loss.
The Indians (6-1) ran their unbalanced Single Wing rushing offense to near perfection in the first half, scoring on their first six possessions with nary a completed pass.
By the end, Bridgeport had rushed for 390 yards and eight touchdowns.
In addition, the Indians defense stifled the Preston offense, forcing six straight three-and outs.
However, in an encouraging sign of growth and ag glimpse of the future, Preston (0-6) took advantage of the first Bridgeport mistake later in the half when it recovered a fumble deep in Indians territory at the 22-yard line.
And, unlike in the East Fairmont game two weeks ago, the Knights converted the turnover into a touchdown when ultra-quick freshman quarterback Slaton Manko connected with starting QB-turned-wide-receiver Dillon Taylor along the sideline on third down for a 25-yard scoring pass.
Later in the fourth quarter, Bridgeport looked to close out the game on a fourth-and-one play from the PHS 10, but a big hit popped the ball loose, and Taylor scooped it up and outran a pair of Indians for a spectacular 85-yard fumble return score.
After the game, PHS coach Mark Deep acknowledged that the last two weeks have been a real grind on his 34-player squad.
“Woodrow Wilson and Bridgeport are ranked for a reason — they’re both really good football teams,” he said. “We knew what we’d be facing tonight. They’re a machine, and they just grind you down. That’s a team to emulate because they are so well prepared, and they’re relentless.
“But I liked how we battled to the last whistle and the fact that we came out of this one healthy. Plus we got a chance to see what a freshman (Manko) and a sophomore (Kaden Hayes) can do at quarterback. I liked what I saw from both of them.”
With a trip to 1-5 Washington next week, Deep is cautiously optimistic.
“We need to learn to win,” he said. “We let opportunities slip away this year, and I want to see us reach up and grab this opportunity. It’s there for us, and I think we can take that next step.”
BY MARK SCHRAF
Bridgeport 28 20 0 7—55
Preston 0 7 0 6—13
SCORING SUMMARY
B—Zach Rohrig 25 run (Taylor Thomas kick)
B—Phil Reed 3 run (Thomas kick)
B—Reed 9 run (Thomas kick)
B—Charlie Brazier 6 run (Thomas kick)
B—Ryan Hall 6 run (Thomas kick)
B—Alex Moses 33 run (kick failed)
PHS—Dillon Taylor 25 pass from Slaton Manko (Cole Turner kick)
B—Josh Love 1 run (Josh Jackson kick)
PHS—Dillon Taylor 85 fumble return (kick failed)
B—Jack Spatafore 17 run (Jackson kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING: Brid.– Reed 0-3 0. Preston— Taylor 3-9 22, Manko 2-8 28 TD, Kaden Hayes 2-3 36.
RUSHING: Brid.—Rohrig 3-74 TD, Reed 4-31 2TD, Brazier 8-44 TD, Tyler Martin 2-10, Connor Arnett 4-14 TD, Hall 2-21 TD, Josh Love 3-65, Moses 2-29 TD, Sam Goodwin 2-48, Cameron Martin 5-24, Spatafore 2-21 TD, Timothy Jeffries 1-7, Dylan Hinzeman 2-2. Preston—Taylor 6-(-20), Harper 4-0, Shelden Miller 1-5, Slaton Manko 5-15.
RECEIVING: Brid.—None. Preston– Shelden Miller 3-36, Harper 3-25, Taylor 1-25 TD.
