10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

Eastern Panhandle Report: Super Six

By Michael Minnich
Mineral Daily News Tribune

No. 1 Huntington (13-0) vs. No. 2 Martinsburg (12-1), Wheeling Island Stadium, Saturday, 12 p.m.

Will we see history made on Saturday afternoon?

That’s the question facing the Martinsburg Bulldogs, who can become the first team in Class AAA to win four straight state championships.

For the second year in a row, it’s an undefeated, top-seeded foe from Cabell County on the other side: MHS took care of Cabell Midland, 38-14, on the Island last year.

Martinsburg advanced to the state title game this time around with a 35-21 win over Capital, their 35th straight over in-state competition.

The Bulldogs took a 14-0 lead just 2:16 into in the first quarter on a 5-yard TD run by Malique Watkins and a 38-yard strike from Watkins to Deamonte Lindsay, then, after Capital responded with a 6-yard TD pass from Tyrhee Pratt to Bryce Goldsmith, Malik Cobb scored from two yards out on his only carry of the game to make it a 21-7 scoreline at the half.

Two more Lindsay TD runs, one in each quarter, sandwiched scoring runs from Pratt and Kashaun Haley.

Lindsay finished with 114 yards on the ground, while Watkins ran for 102 and passed for 84 more.

Watkins leads the team in rushing with 1,790 yards on 232 carries and has found the end zone with his feet 20 times.

Watkins has now completed 62 of 105 passes for 934 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Lindsay moved his rushing totals to 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Huntington, quarterfinalists last year, are in their first title game since 1966; they have never won the big prize.

The Highlanders clinched their 34-21 win over Wheeling Park in the semifinals on Stefan Gibbs’ 8-yard interception return.

It was all Huntington early: a 21-0 lead thanks to a defense that allowed just six yards in the first half and 135 yards on the ground in the first two quarters from Paden Christian, who finished with 163.

Nick Tubbs found the end zone twice on 11 carries for the Highlanders, who attempted just two passes.

Christian moved over the 1,000 yard mark for the year, boosting his total to 1,154, while Charles Crawford also hit four digits at 1,021 with 80 yards in the semifinals; Tubbs has now scored 12 touchdowns.

The two schools last met in the 2011 quarterfinals, a 46-7 Martinsburg victory.





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