INWOOD, W.Va. — It’s not a coincidence that Musselman’s football team has won 26 of its last 32 games dating back to the start of the 2017 season.
After all, that’s when Blake Hartman began his career with the Applemen — a career that will undoubtedly go down as one of the best in program history.
“He’s just outstanding,” Musselman head coach Brian Thomas said.
Hartman was a household name before this season for what he had accomplished as a freshman and sophomore.
In 2017, Hartman rushed for 1,136 yards and 14 touchdowns while leading the Applemen to an 8-2 regular season. Although Musselman lost its first-round playoff game to Cabell Midland, Hartman earned Class AAA second-team all-state honors — a rarity for a freshman.
All Hartman did in 2018 was build off his stellar debut season. As a sophomore, Hartman carried 196 times for 1,368 yards and 20 TDs, helping to lead the Applemen to a nine-win regular season. Musselman won a pair of playoff games, before suffering its second loss of the season to Martinsburg in a state semifinal.
Still, Hartman worked his way up to first-team all-state status, helping to raise the bar even higher ahead of the 2019 campaign.
Through the first eight games of his junior season, Hartman appears well on his way to earning first-team all-state honors again. He’s also in the mix for the Curt Warner Award as the state’s top tailback and the Kennedy Award — presented annually to the state’s most outstanding player.
Hartman already has a career-high 1,493 rushing yards and 21 TDs this season. He’s also caught 20 passes for 386 yards and four scores, giving him 14 receiving touchdowns throughout high school. On defense, Hartman has registered 62 tackles to go with six sacks, one interception and the fourth defensive scorer of his career.
“I don’t know how many kids play running back, play quarterback in some of the Wildcat stuff and you can line him up at slot receiver,” Thomas said. “We didn’t do it (last Friday against Wheeling Park), but sometimes we line him out wide to isolate him and see if they’re going to double him or not. He got triple teamed (the week before against Hedgesville). I’ve never seen that.
“He plays middle linebacker, he plays safety, he returns kicks and he’s on our kickoff team. He’s in everything we do. How many kids do that?”
At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Hartman has a solid makeup to help him thrive on both sides of the ball. He can withstand hits and deliver plenty himself, but it was another aspect that caught the attention of Wheeling Park coach Chris Daugherty following Musselman’s 26-24 victory over the Patriots in Week 8.
Hartman played a key role in the outcome, rushing for 206 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries and finding teammate Kagen Teets on a 12-yard pass for the Applemen’s first TD of the contest.
“I’m blown away at his patience. He doesn’t just fly to the hole,” Daugherty said. “He kind of lets things happen. He’s very patient. He can accelerate and go from slow to fast to slow again. He does some really good things.
“You watch him on film and sometimes you think, ‘how did he get there?’ To be here live and see it, he’s very, very patient and lets things happen. He’s a great ball player.”
Hartman says patience is a valuable part of his running style.
“I’ve always kind of ran like that; that’s been my way of running,” Hartman said. “I don’t run full speed every time. I try to see the field the best I can and I feel like that opens up a lot of big plays for me.”
Following a 35-0 loss to Tuscarora (Va.) a month ago, the No. 5 Applemen (7-1) have responded with four straight wins.
Still, Hartman believes the team has plenty of room for improvement as it prepares for its last two regular season games against Washington and Martinsburg.
“I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” he said. “You can always get better. With Washington coming up next week, we have to keep getting better in practice.
“We know who we play down the road and what we’re expecting in the playoffs and we can’t let ourselves get worse.”
While Hartman is the focal point of the opposition’s game plan on a weekly basis, he has come to relish the role. Regardless of where he’s being utilized, Hartman draws a lot of attention from other defenses, which opens up opportunities for teammates.
In addition to Teets’ TD reception, Jacob Miller reached the end zone from 9 yards out for a key score with just inside of 10 minutes remaining in the win over Park. Miler’s TD followed a 25-yard reception from Hartman on a shovel pass.
“I just tell all my teammates to be ready, because you never know,” Hartman said. “They’re going to pound it to me a lot, but your shot is going to come. Plays like Jacob Miller’s touchdown and Kagen Teets’ touchdown, those are what help us win whenever they’re keying on me. They just always need to be ready for the opportunity to come.”
Hartman is perhaps even more talented in the classroom than on the gridiron. He has drawn interest from several Ivy League schools, including Princeton, Harvard and Columbia, in addition to taking a recent visit to Virginia Military Institute.
Before his recruitment picks up, however, Hartman is focused on helping Musselman close the regular season in strong fashion and make a playoff run as the program closes in on its fifth straight appearance in the postseason.
“We’re trying to take little steps at a time,” Hartman said. “The more big games we play sets us up better for the playoffs and that’s kind of our big goal for this year. We toughened up our schedule this year for that goal.”