If you made your way to Greenway Ave Stadium and watched the Bridgeport vs Fort Hill football game Friday night it will be a hard one to forget. Two evenly matched teams laying every ounce of effort on the field in a desperate attempt to come out on top.
 
It was two proud football traditions, with 22 state championships between them, pushing themselves to the limit. If you think of the current state of competition for Bridgeport's program, the historic rivalries have dried up. The Indians have been victorious over RCB 21 straight times and beaten Fairmont Senior 7 straight. Maybe the Sentinels can be the new rival, the game our players circle when the schedule comes out? They are two similar teams and traditions all the way down to the red both teams wear.
 
What we did to them last year no one does: a 49-14 beatdown that will sting for years to come and probably made their team's 43-42 victory last night that much sweeter.
 
If you are a passionate Bridgeport football fan, the loss stings, the coffee isn't quite as good this morning, and the sun didn't come up quite as bright. But as you replay last night's game in your head, you have nothing but thanks and admiration for the effort our kids displayed and for their commitment to victory as they played for each other.
 
You can learn from tough losses. How that occurs is that you don't quit, you honestly evaluate your performance and get better, and as a team, you come together closer as the leaders bring everyone in. Losing is life, but the only way it becomes final is by quitting.
 
This team has the ability to do something no Bridgeport football team has ever done in its long history: win a state championship as a two-loss team. What a badge of honor that would be, and how loud that would speak to the character of this team. Spring Valley will be coming to Wayne Jamison Field on Friday to enact their own form of revenge for what we did to them at their place last year. Do we meet the challenge that starts now?





DOUG MARQUETTE IS A GUEST BLOGGER AND MEMBER OF THE ALL SPORTS BOOTERS