5 big games: Bridgeport-Wheeling Park matches defending champs

CHRISTIAN TYLER RANDOLPH | Gazette-Mail

Wheeling Park quarterback Cross Wilkinson.

On just about any high school football weekend, there are a handful of big games around the state of West Virginia.

However, it’s pretty hard to top Friday’s Bridgeport at Wheeling Park tussle when you’re talking significant games:

 It matches teams with the state’s longest current winning streaks — Class AA Bridgeport comes in sporting 13 in a row and AAA Park with 11;

 It’s the first time since 2009 that defending state champions have met the following year — the last time was Grafton (AA) versus Williamstown (A), a battle of 2008 titlists;

 Also, the pairing has become one of the state’s hottest recent rivalries; since 2009, their series is tied at 3-3-1 with the largest margin of victory being four points.

Wheeling Park, the reigning AAA champ, hasn’t lost to Bridgeport since 2011, but none of the Patriots’ victories have come easily. They won 14-10 in 2014, 17-14 in 2013 and 14-13 in 2012. Bridgeport’s wins were 20-19 in 2011, 29-27 in 2010 and 28-26 in 2009.

Of course, last year’s game was short-circuited by weather concerns after a scoreless first quarter and the SSAC later ruled the game a tie.

Both teams opened on a high note last week, as Park bounced Perry Traditional 41-20 in Pittsburgh, and the Indians dusted Lewis County 44-20.

Junior quarterback Cross Wilkinson and junior tailback Rennie Clark led the Patriots — Wilkinson going 11 of 15 passing for 119 yards and three touchdowns, and Clark running for 127 yards and three more scores.

For Bridgeport, J.T. Harris rushed 14 times for 129 yards and two TDs and returned a kickoff 92 yards for a third TD, and quarterback Gordon Swiger threw for one score and ran 11 times for 97 yards and another TD.

Some other games getting top billing this week:

2. Huntington (1-0) at Spring Valley (1-0): The Timberwolves debuted in a big way last week with a 55-26 demolition of Cabell Midland, their first win over the Knights since 2011. Now they get their other neighboring rival in the Highlanders, who blanked them last year 38-0. Spring Valley hasn’t earned a sweep in the three-way series of AAA contenders since 2011.

3. Tolsia (1-0) at Mingo Central (1-0): The Miners won 10 games and reached the AA semifinals last year, but two of their three losses were administered by Tolsia (44-41 regular season, 22-0 playoffs). The Rebels dropped to Class A this year and suffered heavy graduation losses, but still pose a threat as evidenced by their opening 26-8 triumph over county rival Wayne.

4. Musselman (1-0) at Chestnut Ridge, Pa. (1-0): With Jefferson and Spring Mills both losing last week, the Applemen may pose the biggest threat to Martinsburg in the Eastern Panhandle this season. Before that Oct. 28 date, however, Musselman must deal with Chestnut Ridge, a Pennsylvania playoff veteran program that’s won 26 games the last three years.

5. Williamstown (1-0) at Magnolia (0-1): A pairing of recent state powers that have appeared in the finals a combined nine times since 2003 (six by the Yellowjackets). Each side needs a win seeing what it has left on its schedule — Magnolia with Wheeling Central, St. Marys and Moorefield and Williamstown with Central, St. Marys, Buffalo and Tolsia.