Bridgeport ambushed the previously unbeaten Liberty Mountaineers by a 44-0 count. Along the way the Tribe held LHS to only two first downs and once again bottled up Liberty’s All-World running back Erick Robey. In three career outings against the Indians, Robey has now rushed for a grand total of 32 yards. Is this a criticism of the Liberty ground game? Hardly. Coach Chris Colombo’s crew will be fine, and Robey will no doubt continue to rack up his share of yardage this year. What this does suggest is what a tough road to hoe the rest of the Big 10 looks to have down the stretch as they try to establish a running game against a Bridgeport defense that hasn’t budged on that front all season.

Clay-Battelle coach Ryan Wilson preached all preseason that he hoped for his Cee-Bees’ offense to spread its wings and find a passing game to offset their already dominant rushing attack. Mission accomplished against Valley-Wetzel Friday night as CBHS threw for nearly 200 yards in a 47-20 rout of the Lumberjacks.

Other top performances included coach John Kelley’s UHS Hawks fending off a hungry Elkins squad 26-14 and the Notre Dame offensive machine exploding once again, this time to the tune of 496 total yards in a 42-19 blowout of Gilmer County. Meanwhile, at East-West Stadium Friday night the defending state champion Morgantown Mohigans continued to demonstrate why they are still the team to beat in Class AAA. As a thick fog rolled in from nowhere, blanketing the field in a scene reminiscent of The Hound of the Baskervilles, coach John bowers’ Mohigans overcame a hostile crowd and a dangerous opponent to knock off the previously unbeaten and top-ranked East Fairmont Bees by a score of 24-6.

The biggest tip of our cap in week 4, however, goes to Coach Dave Chipps’ Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneers. After battling a rash of injuries, turnovers, penalties and every other manner of tough break conceivable en route to an 0-3 start on the season, many wondered if the Bucs could return to the level of play that resulted in back-to-back state playoff appearances in 2004 and 2005. BUHS took the first step toward answering the bell Friday night with a decisive win over NCAC rival North Marion. Coach Chipps’ squad returned to the basics and on the strength of a punishing ground game that saw no fewer than 10 different Bucs carry the football, Buckhannon-Upshur churned out 335 rushing yards en route to a convincing 35-20 victory. The win promises to be a memorable one for Chipps’ as it marked his first victory at the helm of the Bucs’ program.