(Photo by Sharon Powell)
It’s been an adjustment for Martinsburg heading into this season. The Bulldogs lost just three times in 2009 – the third coming in the second round of the playoffs to South Charleston. But expected to back from that team this year was would be senior quarterback Kam Puller.
But in the offseason, Puller came down with an undisclosed illness that’s left him sidelined for the Bulldogs this year. With Puller out, that meant someone else would have to step up.
And so far on the year, it’s been a trio of players that have done just that – leading the Bulldogs to an undefeated record through the season’s first six games. In week number six, Martinsburg handled rival Hedgesville 48-0 behind 212 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries by senior running back David Gladden.
“He’s been a mainstay here for us at running back all last year and so far this year,” Walker said. “He’s got to stay healthy and he’s got to continue to come up with big plays for us.”
Overall on the year, Gladden has 536 yards and seven touchdowns after missing the first game of the year with an injury.
“He’s got great speed and he’s very strong,” Walker said. “He’s got everything. He can run in between the tackles and he’s got great outside speed.”
Meanwhile, taking over the duties of quarterback this year for Martinsburg has been junior Brandon Ashenfelter. Overall on the season, he has 913 passing yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 238 rushing yards and four more touchdowns.
At wide receiver, sophomore Cedric Brown has led the way with 526 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 28 catches.
The Bulldogs come into week number seven with a number two ranking in Class AAA – Martinsburg was number one in week number six.
“I’d rather be ranked number one at the end (of the year) than in the middle,” Walker said. “But for them to be number one, it just tells them that their hard work has paid off so far and they’ve just got to continue to stay focused and try to get better each week.”
To hear the complete feature on Martinsburg and running back David Gladden, click the link at the top of the page.
2010 WVMetroNews.com Players of the Week
Week 1: Pocahontas RB Jesse Hoke – 263 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries
Week 2: Parkersburg RB Chad Collins – 229 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries
Week 3: Capital RB Keion Wright – 209 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries
Week 4: George Washington RB Felix Mollett – 240 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries
Week 5: Chapmanville RB Jake Robinson – Combined 674 yards rushing and nine touchdowns over two weeks
Week 6: Martinsburg RB David Gladden – 212 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 carries