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Bridgeport Opens At No. 1 As High School Football Season Kicks Off Across West Virginia

Staff

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Bridgeport Opens At No. 1 As High School Football Season Kicks Off Across West Virginia
Bridgeport head coach Tyler Phares leads the Indians out of the locker room. Phares enters his sixth season leading the program as Bridgeport begins 2026 ranked No. 1 in Class AAA.

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — High school football returns across Harrison County and West Virginia this week, and one local program will begin the season sitting at the top of the state rankings.

Bridgeport is ranked No. 1 in Class AAA in the first MetroNews High School Football Power Rankings of the 2026 season, receiving 188 points and 12 first-place votes from the statewide panel of radio broadcasters and sports writers.

The Indians open their season Friday night at home against Buckhannon-Upshur.

Bridgeport finished 11-1 last season and reached the Class AAA state quarterfinals. Despite finishing No. 4 in the final MetroNews rankings, the Indians enter 2026 ahead of defending state champion Princeton, which opens at No. 2. Herbert Hoover is third, followed by Fairmont Senior and Chapmanville.

Another Harrison County team is drawing statewide attention entering the season.

Robert C. Byrd is just outside the Class AAA Top 10, receiving 15 votes in the opening poll. The Flying Eagles are coming off a season in which they entered the playoffs at 5-5 before upsetting Fairmont Senior in the opening round and advancing to the state quarterfinals.

RCB opens the season Friday at Lewis County.

The rankings also show a strong north-central West Virginia presence.

Fairmont Senior begins the year ranked No. 4 in Class AAA, while North Marion is No. 6. In Class AA, Doddridge County is ranked No. 4 after a 12-1 season and state semifinal appearance, while Philip Barbour begins the season at No. 5 after reaching the semifinals last year.

Harrison County's other teams also begin their seasons Friday. Lincoln travels to Elkins, while South Harrison opens on the road at Braxton County. The two county rivals then meet Sept. 4 at Lincoln.

Across the state, defending Class AAAA champion Morgantown opens ranked No. 1 in AAAA. Frankfort, the defending Class AA champion, holds the top spot in AA, while Wheeling Central begins at No. 1 in Class A.

MetroNews' power rankings are voted on weekly by a statewide panel of broadcasters and sports writers, with the rankings updated throughout the high school football season.

The complete rankings for all four classifications, including teams receiving votes, are available through MetroNews.

View the complete MetroNews High School Football Power Rankings

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