MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Martinsburg’s Naieem Kearney and Musselman’s Blake Hartman are collecting college scholarship offers on almost a weekly basis. And these offers have come from some of the best academic schools in the nation.
In addition to Georgetown, Kearney has been offered by half of the Ivy League schools — Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn and Princeton. His recruiting picked up steam after helping Martinsburg to another state title in December.
“The coach at Penn said I was a good choice so he pulled the trigger on me,” Kearney said. “It just let me know that this was a time things started to change.”
Kearney is a two-time second team all-state selection and was the captain of that roster in 2019. As a sophomore, he burst into the starting lineup and has been a fixture in the Bulldog offense ever since.
“Later on towards my sophomore year in the playoffs, everything just felt regular. It was like playing up on varsity just felt regular.”
Carrying a 4.0 GPA, Kearney says the balance between making the grades on and off the field is a manageable problem.
“Anybody can get a 4.0 and still play football and do whatever they want you to do. You just have to put your schooling first.”
Kearney intends become a criminal defense lawyer and if an Ivy League school or Georgetown are in his future, he will be well setup beyond the game of football.
“You go there for four years and you will be set up for life after football for forty years.”
About ten miles away from Martinsburg in Inwood, Blake Hartman is a major reason Musselman has won 28 games in the last three seasons. He is a three-time all-stater, twice making the first team. Hartman’s FCS offers include Monmouth and Fordham and four Ivy League schools — Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn and an offer from Brown came on Thursday.
“(Brown’s) football facilities at just as good as their education,” Hartman said. “It is amazing.”
Carrying a 4.2 GPA, Hartman says one of the best ways to attack schoolwork and football is to stick to a schedule, especially in season.
“One thing I have done pretty well throughout high school is to stay on top with school first always. That is always what it has been for me,” Hartman said.
Hartman plans to pursue opportunities in the field of sports medicine when his football career is complete.
“I have always wanted to go to the best school possible because you never know when you could have that one knee injury that happens. You can have a good living even if you can’t play ball after,” Hartman said.
Kearney and Hartman have grown up together in the eastern panhandle and Hartman says the high school rivalry gets put aside when each is collecting college offers.
“We were on the same basketball team when I was in fourth and fifth grade,” Hartman said. “His mom is a great lady and I have known her my whole life. And I am proud of him.”