Veteran Bluefield football coach Fred Simon would be the first to say the 2022 season has been a roller coaster.
Following their Class AA state semifinal appearance last season, the Beavers started this season with four straight losses.
Bluefield also lost top running back Amir Hairston due to a knee injury the same night it fell to 0-4 against Woodrow Wilson.
Close losses were a theme to start the season, with Bluefield dropping three of its first four games by a total of nine points. A 28-7 setback to Princeton was the only somewhat-lopsided affair that didn’t go the Beavers’ way early on.
However, following its rough start, Bluefield won five of six to even its regular-season record at 5-5. The Beavers, winners of four straight, are No. 16 in the WVSSAC’s Class AA playoff ratings.
“We told them all along that we had lost to some great football teams and could have easily been in a different situation if we made a play here and there,” Simon said as a guest on High School Sportsline. “It is still hard on everyone, but you need to play. With our rankings and the way our point system works in West Virginia, you never know. You put yourself up against the wall. We battled hard. I hope things work out for us.”
Following the disappointing start, the Beavers picked up their first victory in Week 5 over Richlands (Va.), 26-10. A week later, Bluefield took the field against No. 1 Independence, and suffered a 44-16 loss to the Patriots, last season’s runner-up in Class AA.
Although that left BHS 1-5, Simon never saw the team feeling sorry for itself.
“It is a unique situation,” Simon said. “I am proud of our players and coaching staff for hanging in there. We have had to work hard and endure some tough ups and downs, especially early. It has been a flip-flop. I am pleased to be where we are right now.”
While 1-5 is uncharted territory for Bluefield, Simon felt there could be early-season struggles.
“We had some inexperience and first-year players. It was not easy to put the pieces to the puzzle when we first started,” Simon noted. “A couple of those pieces came and played while we were going. However, it hurt us in the first few games. I think we have the pieces in now. We had certain pieces against Woodrow Wilson, but we lost Amir and had to find another running back as quickly as possible. You cannot replace Amir. You can only do the best you can with what you have. Gerrard Wade stepped in and did a nice job.”
Bluefield’s offense racked up impressive numbers in its five wins. The Beavers scored 40 points per game in their victories, largely due to quarterback Caleb Fuller connecting with quality targets, including junior RJ Hairston.
“They all can maneuver and are fairly quick,” Simon said. “RJ, Sencere Fields, Gerrard, Kisean Smith, and Jeff King are all young men who can help us catch the ball and do some things. They are doing a great job of blocking for one another. It is working out fine for us right now.”
The four-game win streak for Bluefield includes victories over PikeView, Tazewell (Va.), Oak Hill and what was a previously unbeaten Ridgeview (Va.) team that Bluefield handled 44-24 in its regular-season finale.
Simon gives credit to his offense’s ability to buy-in for creating the team’s spark.
“Our offensive line has come around, and they are doing a better job. We had to find what best suited us offensively compared to years past,” Simon noted. “An overall coaching effort from our offensive staff and players buying into what we are telling them and working hard at it has helped.”
This weekend will be a long waiting game for the Beavers, who need help — namely Frankfort to beat No. 18 Keyser and Winfield to defeat No. 17 Point Pleasant for a chance to qualify for the postseason. A Herbert Hoover victory against No. 14 Logan would also help matters.
“It is not easy,” Simon stated. “If we knew 100 percent that we would be in, then we could dial in a little more and get an idea of who you are playing. I think we have a good chance, but it is not guaranteed. This is the first time we have probably been through an off week and practiced and acted like we are in the playoffs. It is new territory for our staff and me, and our players are fine. We are working on fundamentals and trying to get guys to know what they are doing.”