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photo by: Joe LaRocca/Connect-Bridgeport

BridgeportÀÏ˾»úÖ±²¥™s Wes Brown (77) celebrates a play with his teammates. Brown was named the 2024 Stydahar Award winner, given annually to the stateÀÏ˾»úÖ±²¥™s top interior lineman, by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

A variety of factors went into Bridgeort’s undefeated and record-setting season that ended with a 49-7 victory against Herbert Hoover in the Class AAA state championship on Dec. 14, marking the school’s 11th football title.

The Indians led the state in points scored, regardless of classification, with 801 (57.2 per game) and allowed the fewest points in all of Class AAA at 112 (8.0 per game). Everybody associated with the team will tell you the success on both sides of the ball starts with the play of the guys up front and everyone says any discussion about the guys up front starts with Wes Brown Jr.

Today, Brown has been named the 2024 Stydahar Award winner, given annually to the state’s top interior lineman, by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

Brown received every first-place vote for the award on the way to beating out a talented group of players throughout the state that included the likes of Fairmont Senior’s Trevor Bigelow, Frankfort’s Daniel Marley, Martinsburg’s Peyton Kaufman, Spring Mills’ Prophet Guillaume, Huntington’s Mason Ramsey and Hurricane’s Drake Lanham.

“It’s humbling and it means a lot,” Brown said. “I’ve worked really hard. A lot of people have put in a lot of time and effort working with me. It means a lot to me, means a lot to people around me and means a lot to my teammates.”

Brown, a 6-foot-0, 275-pound senior has been a three-year starter for the Indians. He was recently named a Class AAA first-team all-state selection for the second consecutive year and was also chosen as the first-team offensive captain for 2024.

In addition to the 801 points scored this year, which was 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 paving the way. An obvious team strength, the line as a unit had to overcome some adversity this season.

One starter, Bryson Lowther, was lost for the season with an injury, before the first game of the regular season. Another starter, Bear Metheney was lost for the season after three games. Brown’s leadership was crucial in getting the reshuffled line on the same page and remaining a dominant unit.

“Wes is such a leader on the field and off the field for us,” BHS coach Tyler Phares said. “He’s put in the work in the weight room, his offseason workouts and it shows out there with everything he does.”

Brown was just as much a force on defense where he had 46 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception. He was part of a defense that gave up just 43 rushing yards per game and he points out one specific trait about the BHS defense that made it so tough to run against.

“Physicality was the key all season long,” Brown said. “We had a bunch of guys out there making plays and the coaches had us ready every game and were always challenging us to get better. But we knew all along that if you were going to be able to run the ball against us, you were going to have to be more physical than us. And nobody was.

“I think I may be better on offense, because in the single wing offense I can kind of come out of nowhere and hit somebody but I think I might like defense better. I tried to be balanced with how I played on both sides of the ball.”

Brown is the fourth Stydahar Award winner in school history, joining Kamar Summers (2022), Garrett Stanley (2011) and Barry Myers (1972).

Brown will be presented with the Stydahar Award at the 78th annual Victory Awards Dinner which will take place on Sunday, May 4 at the Bridgeport Conference Center.