BRADFORD — Winning football may once again be taking root in Bradford.
After enduring a winless season a year ago, the Railroaders earned their second consecutive victory Friday night, defeating a determined Mississinawa Valley 34–12 with a performance that combined sustained offensive drives, an increasingly effective passing game and four forced turnovers.
The victory moved Bradford to 2–1 and gave the Railroaders a winning record for the first time since 2023.
For Bradford coach Bill Trevino, the significance of the turnaround extends well beyond his own satisfaction.
“It means more to those kids than it does to me,” Trevino said. “I’m from here. I love this town. This orange and black means a lot to me. I played here.”
Bradford established the tone by taking the opening possession and methodically driving down the field. The Railroaders found early success through the air, converting key downs with timely completions before finishing the drive on the ground for a 6–0 lead.
Mississinawa Valley responded with an extended possession of its own. The Blackhawks moved primarily on the ground and eventually punched the ball across the goal line, tying the game at 6–6.
Both teams controlled the ball so effectively that each had only one possession during the opening quarter.
The photographs from the night told the same story as the action on the field: nothing came easily for either team. Nearly every yard was contested, runners were met by multiple defenders, and receivers had to fight through contact for additional yardage. Regardless of the final margin, both teams made the other work for everything it gained.
Bradford regained the lead with another long drive, this time leaning more heavily on its running game. The Railroaders strung together three consecutive runs of approximately 10 yards before a holding penalty threatened to derail the possession.
They recovered by converting third-and-11 on a quarterback keeper and later faced fourth-and-five. After initially appearing ready to attempt a field goal, Bradford called a timeout, kept its offense on the field, and converted with a pass.
The conversion set up first-and-goal from the 5-yard line, and Hurley Spurgeon finished the drive with a touchdown run. The conversion attempt failed, leaving Bradford ahead 12–6.
The final minutes of the first half brought a rapid succession of turnovers.
Mississinawa Valley fumbled on the first play of its ensuing possession, but the Blackhawks defense answered by intercepting Bradford on the following play. The Railroaders’ defense then created another opportunity by stripping the Blackhawks quarterback and recovering the fumble deep in Mississinawa Valley territory.
Bradford overcame a false start near the goal line and scored on a quarterback keeper as time expired. DeShawn Keels entered at quarterback for the conversion and ran straight up the middle, sending the Railroaders into halftime with a 20–6 advantage.
Mississinawa Valley received the second-half kickoff needing a productive drive to restore its momentum. After opening with two unsuccessful passes, the Blackhawks converted third-and-10 through the air. They later converted another fourth down on a quarterback keeper, but the drive ended with another fumble recovered by Bradford.
The Railroaders moved inside the Mississinawa Valley 10 but were stopped on fourth down.
That defensive stand gave the Blackhawks renewed life. Facing fourth-and-one deep in their own territory, junior fullback Colton Hiestand broke through the Bradford defense and raced all the way to the end zone for the game’s most explosive play.
The touchdown cut Bradford’s lead to 20–12 and brought the Blackhawks back within one possession. The Railroaders intercepted the two-point attempt, and offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were assessed following a confrontation at the end of the play.
With the game again within one possession, Bradford showed the resilience Trevino has been working to instill in the program.
“We’re never going to quit,” Trevino said. “I don’t care how big the obstacles are or who we’re playing.”
The Railroaders began moving the ball again, although penalties continued to create obstacles. On one broken pass play, the Bradford quarterback scrambled to buy time before completing a pass to a receiver who broke several tackles and reached the end zone. A holding penalty wiped away the touchdown, and Bradford carried its 20–12 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The passing game continued to answer whenever the Railroaders needed it most.
Bradford converted fourth-and-four through the air early in the final period. Later, after being dropped for a significant loss and facing fourth-and-long, the Railroaders completed another pass for just enough yardage to earn first-and-goal.
Spurgeon finished the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run, and the extra point extended Bradford’s lead to 27–12.
“Fourth down was gigantic tonight,” Trevino said. “That’s the pressure situation. That’s on the quarterback and the guys running good routes and just grinding stuff out. We rep this stuff nonstop.”
Bradford’s passing attack proved to be one of the most encouraging parts of the victory. The Railroaders did more than simply complete passes. Their receivers repeatedly fought through contact, broke tackles and gained additional yardage after the catch.
That success allowed Bradford to remain balanced and prevented Mississinawa Valley from concentrating solely on stopping the run. When the Railroaders faced their greatest pressure, they trusted their passing game and consistently delivered.
The performance was especially impressive considering Bradford was unable to conduct a full-contact practice during a week affected by heat restrictions.
“I didn’t know how the kids would respond, but they were hungry,” Trevino said. “They knew what was at stake tonight, and they buckled down.”
Bradford’s defense helped finish the job. Senior quarterback and safety Raiden Wombold intercepted a pass with 4:47 remaining, giving the Railroaders their fourth takeaway of the night.
Bradford then returned to the ground, running the ball and draining the clock. On third-and-two with just over two minutes remaining, Wombold broke free for the final touchdown. The extra point produced the 34–12 final margin.
Trevino credited Bradford’s defensive success to effort, pursuit and a determination to get multiple orange helmets to the football.
“We preach trying to turn the ball over, never giving up and gang tackling,” Trevino said. “When somebody’s still up, we’re going to get that ball out of there.”
Mississinawa Valley played better than the final score might suggest. The Blackhawks matched Bradford’s opening touchdown with a long, physical drive, created a turnover of their own, made a fourth-down stand near their goal line and pulled within eight on Hiestand’s explosive touchdown run.
Ultimately, however, the Blackhawks could not overcome four turnovers that ended promising possessions and repeatedly gave Bradford additional opportunities.
The Railroaders still have areas to address. Penalties erased several productive plays, including a touchdown, and Trevino made it clear that one victory—or even two—does not mean Bradford has arrived.
“We haven’t earned anything,” Trevino said. “We haven’t even scratched the surface on how good we can be. We’ve got a lot of things to clean up.”
Nevertheless, something is clearly changing in Bradford. The Railroaders are sustaining drives, responding to adversity and discovering offensive weapons they can trust in crucial situations.
More importantly, they are beginning to expect success.
“Winning’s addictive, but unfortunately, so is losing,” Trevino said. “We’ve been on that side for too long.”
For Trevino, rebuilding the program begins with restoring the relationships and pride that once surrounded Bradford football.
“We’re doing it for the town, we’re doing it for each other,” he said. “But most importantly, we’re doing it for the locker room—the brotherhood. It’s hard to play hard for somebody if you don’t love each other.”
