MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Martinsburg’s four-year dominance over Class AAA football in West Virginia came to an end in 2014 as the Bulldogs fell in the semifinals to eventual state champion Capital 35-7.
It was Martinsburg’s first instate loss since 2009, ending a 43-game winning streak against Mountain State opponents and a streak of 18 straight playoff wins that brought the Bulldogs four consecutive state championships.
“We had a good team last year, we just ran into a better team,” said Martinsburg coach Dave Walker. “That happens. We still feel very blessed to be where we’re at.”
Martinsburg in 2015 will be looking to several new names offensively after losing running backs Deamonte Lindsay, Trey Boyd and Eric Brown.
“Those are three really good players,” Walker said. “Running back is a big question mark, but I do think that we have some young guys who will end up being pretty good players. It’s just a matter of getting them some experience and seeing how it falls into place.”
Along with the losses at running back, Martinsburg also must replace receivers Eric Mitchell and Dylan Brewer.
“We lost some really good players and we’re going to be really young this year,” Walker said. “I feel good about those young guys, because they aren’t your typical young guys. I think if we can mature quick enough, we can be pretty decent – but you never know when you’re dealing with youth.”
6-foot-3, 215 pound quarterback Carter Walburn, however, returns for his senior campaign.
“That’s huge for us,” Walker said. “He’s not only a good leader, but he’s a good defensive player too and he’s definitely one of our top players. We’re excited about having him back and we’ll just see what happens.”
Rising sophomore Isaac Brown will have a bigger role offensively at receiver, while a young group of linemen also step into more critical roles as the Bulldogs look to eventually be right back in the mix of state championship contenders.
“You always want to get there and win it,” Walker said. “But you have to understand what your purpose is and the bigger picture is. Our goal is just to get better everyday and try to play well every week. I’m excited about this young group of guys, because I think they’re great young kids who could have really good futures. If they work hard, they could make a big impact on our program.”
The Bulldogs entered June with just a nine game regular season schedule, but have still been looking to add a potential 10th game.
“We’re talking to a couple out of state teams,” Walker said. “Early on, we play some really good teams and a lot of it is going to be how fast that we can grow up and how coachable our guys are in getting ready for the season.”
A long trip to Princeton is set for September 11th, after opening the year with out-of-state opponents H.D. Woodson (D.C.) and Sherando (Va.).
MARTINSBURG 2015 Football Schedule |
||||||||
1 | 08/28/15 | 7:00PM | H – | H.D. Woodson, DC | – | |||
2 | 09/04/15 | 7:00PM | A – | SHERANDO, VA. | – | |||
3 | 09/11/15 | 7:30PM | A – | PRINCETON SENIOR | – | |||
4 | 09/18/15 | 7:00PM | H – | OPEN | – | |||
5 | 09/25/15 | 7:00PM | H – | MORGANTOWN | – | |||
6 | 10/02/15 | 7:00PM | H – | WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL | – | |||
7 | 10/09/15 | 7:00PM | H – | SPRING MILLS HIGH SCHOOL | – | |||
8 | 10/16/15 | 7:00PM | A – | HEDGESVILLE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | – | |||
9 | 10/23/15 | 7:00PM | H – | JEFFERSON | – | |||
10 | 10/30/15 | 7:00PM | A – | MUSSELMAN | – | |||
11 | 11/06/15 | 7:00PM | H – | OPEN | – | |||
wins: 0 lost: 0 ties: 0 |
Follow MetroNews High School Sports on Twitter and on Facebook.