Dowell and Martin

BLUEFIELD — It’s “We Believe” time at Bluefield High School.Coach Fred Simon, a four-time state championship mentor, will begin his 32nd campaign to lead Bluefield into its 100th season of football. In the annual “Battle of the Bluefields,” a contest which traditionally draws as many as 10,000 fans to Mitchell Stadium, the Beavers will seek to avenge last year’s 59-34 loss to crosstown rival Graham. Beaver holds a 66-23-2 edge in the decades-old rivalry.“Saying ‘We Believe’ means two things,” comments Simon, “ and one is that we believe in God and we work hard, believe in and trust each other. That translates into success no matter what happens on the field.”That tradition of success will be recognized before the game as the 1967 state champion Beavers are to be honored while at halftime the Albert family with four “54” players, will be saluted.Bluefield has a mix of youth and experience to open the current season in search of that success.Offensively, expect the Beavers to have Julius Gaddy at center, with Deiyantei Powell and Nathan Pettus the guards, flanked by tackles Mason Walker and Sean Martin. Drake Mullins is at tight end with either Derrick Blevins or Russ Coleman split wide. Chandler Cooper opens at quarterback with “Mookie” Collier, Jason “Truck” Edwards and either Arnold “Mad Dog” Martin or JJ Davis at running back.Defensively, Bluefield will have Mullins, Alahzjoe Dowell, Powell, and Martin as down linemen with Gaddy and Martin as linebackers. Russ Coleman and Shemar Hairston are the corners, while Collier and Blevins are the safeties. Kaulin Parris is the kicker.A smooth late-summer series of workouts and improved health is a plus for the Bluefielders, who had a rare non-playoff season last year.Simon notes, “This (Beaver-Graham) is always a big game. We are a little better off than we were last year health-wise, with Mookie (Collier) recovered from that turf toe and our overall timing is better. We went through the week before this game in 2016 without our two main running backs but that is not the... (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)

BLUEFIELD – It was a numbers game the Beavers got a real kick out of.Kaulin Parris drilled a 34-yard fourth quarter field goal which ultimately proved the difference in Bluefield’s 17-14 win over Graham Friday. Each team scored two touchdowns – one on offense and one on defense. It was the special teams scoring which capped the statistical stack.“It (field goal) was a great feeling to see it go through,” admitted Parris, a 6-3 sophomore standout who honed his skills on the soccer field before joining the BHS squad this season. Along with holder Drake Mullins and snapper Mason Walker, the trio of Cumberland Road gridders are working hard to bring a special weapon to the formidable Bluefield arsenal.In a see-saw battle that was not decided until a fumble and recovery and run-out-the-clock series in the game’s final minute, Bluefield was finally able to overcome a hard-hitting and talented band of G-Men to gain their 67th triumph in what has become known as the “Battle of the Bluefields” in the Great American Rivalry Series.In fact, Parris had another field goal just tipped off center by Graham’s Taymon Cook. He put that aside and delivered in fine fashion the next time opportunity came knocking.“Having those guys is terrific,” says Coach Fred Simon. “One of the best things is that all of them are underclassmen. Drake and Mason are both juniors. If they will just keep working –and I think they will – they should get better and better.”Actually, the coaches Simon – Fred and Fritz teamed up to get the trio together, according to the players.“Coach Fritz Simon asked me if I had ever thought about being a kicker,” says Parris. “That did make me give football a try. I was going to weightlifting and worked my way into a position on the team. It is great to be a part of this tradition.”Mullins recalls that Fred Simon came to him in practice and “asked me if I had any experience being a holder. I started working on it. My brother, Trevor, graduated a couple of years ago and had done some kicking so I tried and so far, we are... (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)