Photo credit: Joe LaRocca/Connect Bridgeport
Bridgeport’s Wes Brown, 77, celebrates his play with teammates. Brown has been selected as the 2024 Stuydahar Award recipient, presented annually by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association to the state’s top intern.
A variety of factors contributed to Brijot’s undefeated season, which ended with a 49-7 victory over Herbert Hoover in the Class AAA state championship on Dec. 14, marking the school’s 11th football title. did.
The Indians led the state in scoring regardless of weight class with 801 points (57.2 points per game) and allowed the fewest points in all of Class AAA with 112 points (8.0 points per game). Anyone around the team will tell you that success on both sides of the ball starts with the play of the players up front, and everyone will tell you that any discussion of players up front starts with Wes Brown Jr.
Today, Brown was named the 2024 Stuydahar Award recipient, presented annually by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association to the state’s top internal recruiter.
Brown defeated some of the most talented players in the state, including Fairmont Senior’s Trevor Bigelow, Frankfort’s Daniel Marley, Martinsburg’s Peyton Kaufman, Spring Mills’ Prophet Guillaume and Huntington’s Mason. He received all first place votes for this award. Ramsey and Drake Lanham of the Hurricanes.
“This is humbling and means a lot,” Brown said. “I’ve worked really hard. A lot of people have worked with me and put in a lot of time and effort. It means a lot to me, and it means a lot to the people around me and to my teammates. It makes sense.”
Brown is a 6-foot-0, 275-pound senior and a third-year starter for the Indians. He was recently named a Class AAA first-team all-state selection for the second year in a row and was also selected as a 2024 first-team offensive captain.
In addition to the 801 points they scored this year (also a school record), the Indians ran for a school-record 5,551 rushing yards and a school-record 100 rushing touchdowns, with Brown and his fellow linemen leading the way. Ta. The strength of our team is clear, but we have had to overcome adversity as a team this season.
One of the starters, Bryson Lowther, was lost for the season with an injury before the first game of the regular season. The other starter, Bea Metheny, was lost for the season after three games. Brown’s leadership was critical to steering the reorganized line in the same direction and remaining a dominant unit.
“Wes is a great leader for us on and off the field,” BHS coach Tyler Fares said. “He works hard in the weight room and in his offseason training, and it shows in everything he does.”
Brown was just as strong on defense, recording 46 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception. He was part of a defense that allowed just 43 rushing yards per game and pointed to one particular trait that makes BHS’ defense so difficult against the run.
“It was physicality that was important all season,” Brown said. “We had a lot of guys that made plays and our coaches prepared us every game and always challenged us to get better, but to run the ball against us. We always knew we had to be physically stronger than us, and no one else was.
“I think I might be better on offense, because in a single-wing offense you can come out of nowhere and hit somebody, but I think I might like defense better, playing on both sides of the ball. I tried to find a balance.”
Brown becomes the fourth Stuydahar Award recipient in school history, joining Comer Summers (2022), Garrett Stanley (2011) and Barry Myers (1972).
Mr. Brown will be presented with the Stuydahar Award at the 78th Annual Victory Awards Dinner on Sunday, May 4th at the Bridgeport Conference Center.
