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MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Many of the state championships won by Martinsburg in their decade and a half of dominance have been taken with lopsided wins in the final games. Last December, the Bulldogs were pushed for 48 minutes by their rivals from Spring Mills, before winning 24-17. The state title was the tenth under head coach Dave Walker and the 11th for the program since 2010.
“Anytime you can finish a season off with a win, it is great,” Walker said. “Our kids in the group we had last year, they worked extremely hard. You couldn’t ask much more out of them than what they gave us.”
Unsurprisingly, the championship celebration didn’t last long for the Bulldogs. Walker says he enjoys seeing players work on their games throughout the offseason in the hopes of becoming the next Bulldog great like MetroNews Player of the Year Koi Fagan or Howley and Huff Award winner Ace Flores.
“A lot of them have really kind of transformed their body and put in a lot of time in the weight room. I am kind of eager to see how that pans out on the field.
“Probably one of the things I get excited about the most is seeing which guys develop. We lost some great players from last year and you don’t replace a Koi Fagan or an Ace Flores. But we’ve got guys that are going to step up.”
“There’s room for improvement for everything. Nobody is perfect,” said Martinsburg senior WR/DB Mason Walley. “We are constantly working towards the next goal and taking one step at a time and just focused on getting better everyday.”
The Martinsburg offense will be under new leadership this fall. Junior Brian Dick was Fagan’s primary backup last fall. He also rushed for 833 yards and a dozen touchdowns. Fellow junior Ty Ricketts is in the mix at quarterback as well.
“[Dick] has always been a quarterback. Last year, we kind of moved him to running back just to try to get our best guys on the field. With us having some injuries, we kind of did that,” Walker said. “He is doing a great job and Ty Ricketts is right there with him as well. Both of those guys have been doing a really good job in the reps that they are getting. So I am excited to see what kind of year they have.”
Junior Boston Todd is Martinsburg’s leading returning receiver. He caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the state championship game and he reeled in ten touchdown passes on the season.
“He has transformed his body and has taken the next step to being a great player,” Walker said. “And I think he is a great player.”
Linebacker Terrell Cofield is one of many key contributors back on the defensive side of the ball. Despite losing a senior class that contained seven first or second team All-State picks, the Bulldogs are confident in their depth and development throughout all levels of the program.
“Our line is good. We are good. Younger guys coming up are doing really well,” said Martinsburg senior RB/LB Michael Dillard.
“We’re still really deep. We have deep skill and a lot of bench players that can just get after it,” Walley said.
Martinsburg will be tested right out of the gate this season. The Bulldogs will host New Jersey state quarterfinalist Camden in Week 1 before traveling to face 2024 semifinalist Huntington in Week 2. The Highlanders fell by a point at MHS in December.
“Camden is coming in from New Jersey and they are a really good football team. They have a ton of athletes,” Walker said. “Obviously then going to Huntington, it doesn’t get any easier. I think our thing with what we have been doing so far is just that we are focused on ourselves. We’re making sure we are doing what we are supposed to do. Then we’ll see where the chips fall on Friday nights.”