An old postseason rivalry is renewed under the lights at East-West Stadium as Bluefield visits Fairmont Senior for the MetroNews Television Week 8 Game of the Week, sponsored by GoMart.
Bluefield enters at 5-2 and has emerged as one of the hottest teams in Class AA. The Beavers opened the season with a pair of one-score losses to Graham and Princeton, but they have responded with five consecutive victories while averaging more than 48 points per game during the streak. That run includes a 22-13 victory over fellow Class AA championship contender Independence.
The Beavers are looking to finish what they started a season ago. Bluefield advanced to the 2025 Class AA state championship before suffering a heartbreaking 49-42 loss to Frankfort, with the deciding score coming on a trick play with three seconds remaining. Much of that runner-up roster returned for 2026, including the dangerous combination of quarterback Max Simpson and receiver Pax Calhoun. Now Bluefield heads to Fairmont looking for a sixth straight victory and another step toward a potential championship run.
Fairmont Senior enters at 2-4, but the Polar Bears' record tells only part of the story. Two of their losses — against Robert C. Byrd and North Marion — were decided in the final minute, while their other defeats came against high-powered Herbert Hoover and University teams.
With Elkins and Bridgeport still remaining on the schedule, the stakes are significant for a Fairmont Senior program trying to extend two impressive runs: 13 consecutive playoff appearances and 18 straight winning seasons.
The Polar Bears enter Week 8 with renewed momentum after an explosive 65-30 victory over Buckhannon-Upshur — a performance that produced two new school records.
Transfer receiver Elijah Holmes erupted for 318 receiving yards, establishing Fairmont Senior's single-game receiving record. Three-star quarterback Anthony Smith returned from injury after missing the University game and delivered a record-setting performance of his own, throwing for 470 yards to establish the school's single-game passing mark.
Now the Polar Bears bring that suddenly explosive offense back to East-West Stadium for homecoming, needing a signature victory against one of Class AA's hottest teams.
The matchup also renews one of the defining postseason rivalries of the late 2010s. Bluefield and Fairmont Senior met in the playoffs four consecutive seasons from 2017 through 2020, with three of those meetings deciding a state championship. Bluefield came out on top in 2017 and 2019, while Fairmont Senior captured championship victories in 2018 and 2020.
Friday night marks the first meeting between the programs since that 2020 state championship game.
Bluefield arrives riding a five-game winning streak with championship expectations. Fairmont Senior enters with its postseason hopes becoming increasingly important and an offense coming off a record-breaking performance. With two explosive attacks and years of championship history between the programs, another memorable chapter could be waiting at East-West Stadium.
Watch Bluefield at Fairmont Senior live from East-West Stadium in Fairmont on Friday, October 16. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on MetroNews Television, YouTube and Facebook, with Eli Brady and Coach Nick Bartic on the call.
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Game produced by: MetroNews Television
Watch Bluefield at Fairmont Senior live Friday, October 16 at 7 p.m. on MetroNews Television, with Eli Brady and Coach Bartic on the call.
Game produced by: MetroNews Television