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Martinsburg’s Koi Fagan claims MetroNews Player of the Year

Time and time again, Martinsburg quarterback Koi Fagan came through when the Bulldogs needed him to.

The final carry of Fagan’s storied high school career, however, stands above the rest.

With Spring Mills having just tied Martinsburg at 17 and 1:58 remaining on the fourth-quarter clock in last Saturday’s inaugural Class AAAA title game, Fagan, as he usually did, took a shotgun snap. The Bulldog signal-caller avoided a tackle near the line of scrimmage, made a slight move to his left, got into the open field and cut it back inside on the way to an 80-yard touchdown run, displaying his blazing speed on a play that produced the winning score in the Bulldogs’ 24-17 victory.

“The hole was huge. The receivers blocked great on that play,” said Fagan, quick to credit teammates for his success. “I saw green and I had to make a move and get into the end zone.”

It was a fitting way for the senior to cap his career, and after leading the Bulldogs to a second straight state championship and accounting for 61 touchdowns in the process, Fagan is the 2024 MetroNews Football Player of the Year.

“It comes down to players making plays,” Martinsburg head coach Dave Walker said. “Everybody that hadn’t seen Koi Fagan play got to see him [Saturday] and he’s special.”

The award is voted on by statewide media, and Fagan claimed this year’s version in resounding fashion with 18 of 20 first-place votes. Herbert Hoover quarterback Dane Hatfield finished second and garnered one first-place vote. The remaining first-place vote went to Spring Mills quarterback Max Anderson, who finished in a two-way tie for third with Wahama’s Connor Lambert.

“Koi Fagan is an unbelievable player,” Anderson said. “We know he’s going to run the ball and he’s still running the ball 80 yards. He’s a great player and battled his butt off.” 

Hurricane quarterback Noah Vellaithambi was fifth, while a trio of Bridgeport players — two-way lineman Wes Brown, Alex Moses and Josh Love — also factored into voting.

Fagan, however, stood above the rest by rushing for 1,836 yards and 28 touchdowns and passing for 2,264 yards and 33 TDs. 

In the season finale, facing a defense that had nine shutouts and 37 points allowed over 13 games, Fagan rushed 27 times for 333 yards and two scores. 

“The whole game, the blocking was amazing,” Fagan said.

His rushing TDs totaled 138 yards, and Fagan made the most of four completions, with one going to Boston Todd for a pivotal 3-yard touchdown that broke a 10-all tie.

That passing score began with Fagan scooping up a snap well beyond the line of scrimmage that he was originally unable to handle, before the dual threat extended the play and gave Todd a 1-on-1 opportunity.

Martinsburg’s Koi Fagan throws a pass. Photo by Teran Malone

The week before leading the Bulldogs to their 11th state championship, Fagan was key in a narrow 35-34 semifinal win against Huntington. He rushed for 97 yards, passed for 160 and was in on a stop on the Highlanders’ two-point attempt in the final minute that would’ve given them a late lead.

For a Martinsburg team that regularly defeats opponents by a wide enough margin to often sit starters for large stretches of the second half, it was two straight one-possession wins to wrap up the 2024 season with the ultimate goal attained, which Fagan credited the Bulldogs’ head coach for.

“He puts us through adversity every day so that we know how to deal with it like [Saturday] and last week,” Fagan said.

Fagan also played a pivotal role as a defensive back in addition to guiding an offense that produced 618 points over 13 wins for an average of 47.5. In 11 victories excluding the two wins over Spring Mills, the Bulldogs averaged 52.5 points.

“I’m so proud of him and the things that he has brought to us and our program,” Walker said. “He has made us better.”

Fagan, who earlier was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year, becomes the third Martinsburg player to garner the MetroNews Player of the Year, joining former receivers Jarod Bowie (2019) and Hudson Clement (2021).

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound speedster has yet to settle on his next home on the gridiron, but Walker believes Fagan’s skill set is such that he can provide plenty to a college program.

“He should have a great career somewhere,” Walker said. “He really should.”

 

MetroNews Football Player of the Year History

2024 — Koi Fagan, Martinsburg

2023 — Dom Collins, Princeton

2022 — Judah Price, Independence

2021 — Hudson Clement, Martinsburg

2020 — Blake Hartman, Musselman

2019 — Jarod Bowie, Martinsburg

2018 — Connor Neal, Fairmont Senior

2017 — Mookie Collier, Bluefield

2016 — Jeremy Dillon, Mingo Central

2015 — Cody Mitchell, Point Pleasant

2014 — Kentre Grier, South Charleston

2013 — Ross Comis, Madonna





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