Beavers look to reset the odometer on 2022 season at Beckley
Sep. 15—BLUEFIELD — The Bluefield High School football team's 0-3 start isn't the end of the world. But it isn't a place where Beaver Nation is accustomed to seeing itself.
It isn't as if the situation is unprecedented. The last time Bluefield got off to an 0-3 start was in 2016. Let's leave it at that.
Bluefield head football coach Fred Simon did not get to be a literal West Virginia Sports Legend by taking losing lightly. He obviously does not.
Nor did he get there by giving up.
"We need to do a better job of carrying out our assignments. I think that will help quite a bit. I think our kids want to win. We just have to get a break here and there and we have to do a better job of doing what we're told," said Simon, whose squad dropped a 35-33 loss to Pulaski County, Va. at Mitchell Stadium last Thursday.
"You've got to make plays. Players have just got to make plays and we just have to do a better job of that when we have a chance to make a block of make a tackle or make a pass or catch a ball or whatever. We've just got to do it," said Simon.
Two of Bluefield's losses are to unbeaten teams, one of which is among the top Class 2 football programs in the VHSL and the other of which was recently ranked 7th among Class AAA football teams in West Virginia. It will be interesting to see how the VHSL Class 3 Cougars might end up.
Two of the games were close-scoring nailbiters, which suggests that the Beavers at minimum were on the verge of being 2-1 at this point. Which of course is frustrating. But also encouraging.
"If you just keep working hard enough," noted Simon.
"Our schedule has been tough enough to where if you make a few mistakes, it's going to come back to haunt you. I think our strength of schedule has been good for us. Now we're making mistakes and learning tough lessons from it. If you've got an easy schedule ... well ... you don't," said Simon, who said his team's goal remains to get in the Class AA playoff and win it all.
"I don't think you can do that without playing a tough schdule," he said.
On Friday the Beavers travel to Beckley to face longtime rival Woodrow Wilson (2-1), which is coming off a 48-25 loss to Parkersburg South. The Flying Eagles are ranked 11th in West Virginia Class AAA football according to the recently released WVSAAC rankings. Bluefield is currently ranked 29th in the Class AA rankings. For now.
"They've got a good football team. They're physical. They run the ball well. It's another quality team that's a triple-A team and we'll have to play to win," Simon said.
Street Sarrett's Becklely squad went into camp with a lot of running backs vying for carries, but one has made quite an impression. Darmonte Mitchell rushed for 83 yards and had a 61-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Jay Moore in last week's loss to Parkersburg South. The week prior, the Eagles rushed for more than 600 in a 49-21 win over Greenbrier East. Of that total, 276 yards and five touchdowns were credited to Mitchell.
Bluefield also has some very, very talented athletes who have by no means revealed their full potential thus far this season.
Against the Cougars last week, Beavers running back Hairston had 7 carries for 126 yards, including touchdown runs of 8 and 13 yards. He also had a 42-yard scoring reception thrown to him by quarterback Caleb Fuller. Sencere Fields and RJ Hairston also came up with splashy scoring catches for Fuller, who passed for 160 yards.
If everyone can get on the same page — on both sides of the football — who knows what is possible?
"I think focus is the key to us, period. Our focus in practice and effort in practice will be the key to how we play this Friday," Simon said.
— Contact sports@bdtonline.com
