When George Washington squares off at 1:30 p.m. today with Bridgeport in the Class AAA playoff quarterfinals, the Patriots know what's coming - 48 minutes of physically demanding football. Bridgeport would have it no other way.

The third-seeded and unbeaten Indians (11-0) will line up in their traditional stick-I offense with three players behind the quarterback and keep launching running backs at the GW defense.

Until the Patriots prove they can stop the salvos, they'll keep coming.

"It's the same stuff we ran in the '70s,'' said Bridgeport coach Bruce Carey. "We feel like we have the quarterback and the skill guys who can run and pass. In some of our games, we spread it out and start throwing some. But if we had our choice, we'd rather line up and run at you and play old-fashioned football.''

The Indians average nearly 50 rushing attempts per game and just over 341 yards. Their top three runners - Alex Sutton, Corey Wagner and Wes Tonkery - have combined for 44 touchdowns on the ground.

"They get you going,'' said GW coach Steve Edwards Jr., "and just keep pounding you and pounding you. Then they slip something in there, maybe a play-action pass or the quarterback [Jeff Hill] keeps himself on a little rollout.

"What impresses me the most with their offense is they're breaking off big runs, and when they get to the secondary, they're usually racing somebody to the finish line - and that's the goal line.''

The physical toll of today's game could catch up with the No. 6 Patriots (9-2), who are unsure if one of their top tacklers, senior linebacker Eric Davidson, will be able to play, or how effective he'll be, following a leg injury in last week's opening-round win against Capital. Top receiver Shaquille Williams has already been lost with a knee injury three weeks ago.

"It's not just going to be physically tough,'' Edwards said. "It's going to be mentally tough. Those kids play a physical-type game, and you have to be prepared mentally for that type of game. Our conference is more of a finesse conference - more teams spread you out. You don't find that pound, pound, pound all the time, like seeing 11 weeks of Bridgeport play on film.

When George Washington squares off at 1:30 p.m. today with Bridgeport in the Class AAA playoff quarterfinals, the Patriots know what's coming - 48 minutes of physically demanding football. Bridgeport would have it no other way.

The third-seeded and unbeaten Indians (11-0) will line up in their traditional stick-I offense with three players behind the quarterback and keep launching running backs at the GW defense.

Until the Patriots prove they can stop the salvos, they'll keep coming.

"It's the same stuff we ran in the '70s,'' said Bridgeport coach Bruce Carey. "We feel like we have the quarterback and the skill guys who can run and pass. In some of our games, we spread it out and start throwing some. But if we had our choice, we'd rather line up and run at you and play old-fashioned football.''

The Indians average nearly 50 rushing attempts per game and just over 341 yards. Their top three runners - Alex Sutton, Corey Wagner and Wes Tonkery - have combined for 44 touchdowns on the ground.

"They get you going,'' said GW coach Steve Edwards Jr., "and just keep pounding you and pounding you. Then they slip something in there, maybe a play-action pass or the quarterback [Jeff Hill] keeps himself on a little rollout.

"What impresses me the most with their offense is they're breaking off big runs, and when they get to the secondary, they're usually racing somebody to the finish line - and that's the goal line.''

The physical toll of today's game could catch up with the No. 6 Patriots (9-2), who are unsure if one of their top tacklers, senior linebacker Eric Davidson, will be able to play, or how effective he'll be, following a leg injury in last week's opening-round win against Capital. Top receiver Shaquille Williams has already been lost with a knee injury three weeks ago.

"It's not just going to be physically tough,'' Edwards said. "It's going to be mentally tough. Those kids play a physical-type game, and you have to be prepared mentally for that type of game. Our conference is more of a finesse conference - more teams spread you out. You don't find that pound, pound, pound all the time, like seeing 11 weeks of Bridgeport play on film.

"You have to face all different types of opponents [in the playoffs] from different parts of the state that you're not used to. We've been mentally preaching to our kids about that. Some of the experienced kids realize that, having been in the ballgame against them last year. They remember them being physical.''

GW downed Bridgeport 29-14 in last year's quarterfinals at Laidley Field, a game in which the first downs were even (14 apiece) and the rushing yards nearly were (GW led 234-230). The differences were three Indians turnovers to none for GW and 124 passing yards for the Patriots to none for Bridgeport.

"They're great athletes, and they've got a bunch of them,'' Carey said of the Patriots. "Their skill kids are pretty tough and pretty confident. You just look at them back there playing defense, tipping balls. Their quarterback [Nick Britton] looks real good. He does a good job getting them the ball and not staring at one receiver. He looks pretty polished.''

GW brings perhaps the most balanced offense Bridgeport has seen all season. Britton has thrown for 1,469 yards and Felix Mollett has run for 1,304. Mollett had a team-high 71 yards and one TD on 16 carries last year against the Indians.

Carey pointed to teams on his schedule like Fairmont Senior, Robert C. Byrd, East Fairmont and North Marion that put the ball in the air a good bit like GW, but none of them have the running game the Patriots sport.

"GW runs the ball pretty good, too,'' Carey said. "We don't see a lot of teams who do both well, and that makes it difficult.''

Reach Rick Ryan at 304-348-5175 or rickr...@wvgazette.com.

No. 6 George Washington (9-2) at No. 3 Bridgeport (11-0)