Martinsburg Dominates Fairmont Senior 40-0
Bulldog's Dominate Fairmont Senior 40-0
The semifinal game between #2 ranked Martinsburg and #6 ranked Fairmont Senior was supposed to be a showdown of high scoring offenses. On Saturday at Coburn Field Martinsburg's defense shut out the Polar Bears 40-0 in route to advancing the Bulldogs into the class AAA State Title game versus #1 Parkersburg.
Fairmont Senior entered Saturday's contest with an 8-3 record and a very productive offense. There highly touted sophomore quarterback Kyle Allard had thrown for 2600 yards and 33 TD's with only 6 interceptions. But today the Fairmont Senior Polar Bears ran into a Buzz saw named the Bulldog defense.
Martinsburg came out of the gates fast and scored on there first possession on a Dustin Peters touchdown plunge. The first drive for the Bulldogs was a statement sent to the Fairmont team. The Bulldogs lined up and ran the ball right at the Polar Bears. This smash mouth style of football sparked the Bulldog defense and the rest of the afternoon was no different.
When the final whistle blew the scoreboard and the stats were dominated by the Bulldog football team. On the afternoon the Bulldog offense rushed for 440 yards on 57 carries. With star running back Josh Twyman sidelined with an injury the Bulldogs depth at the running back position took over. Marcus Scott continued to be a big time player, the senior ran 16 times for 167 yards. Senior Zach Newhouse stepped up to the plate and was huge for the Bulldogs. Newhouse carried the ball 17 times for 121 yards and scored 4 touchdowns (3,6,9,42). Dustin Peters is proving to be the leader of the Bulldog football team. Peters physical running style and his cannon for an arm are a dangerous combination for opposing teams to plan for. Receivers Isaiah Alford and Cameron Shelton are major threats who both made big plays on the afternoon. Shelton scored on a 26 yard TD reception which was his second 20 plus yard touchdown in two weeks.
The Bulldog defense continued to shine on the day as well. The Bulldog defense recorded 6 sacks and forced 1 fumble. The durable Martinsburg secondary also came up big on the day. Cornerback Xavier Peters continued to dominate opposing wide outs, Peters had 2 interceptions on the day which brought his season total to 12. Taylor Wasson also shined on the day by producing numerous pass breakups. Sophomore safety Laouali Posely is a game changing player who loves contact. Posely stopped QB Kyle Allard on a 4th and goal play which gave the Bulldogs a huge stop before halftime. On the day Fairmont quarterback Kyle Allard was held to 123 yards and completed 9 of his 25 throws.
The entire Bulldog football team and coaching staff are to be commended for there preparation and effort.
Second Season Breakdown
The 2006 Martinsburg football team was known for there high scoring spread offensive attack. But in the second season also known as the playoffs it is the defense that are making waves around the state. In three games in the playoffs the Bulldogs are outscoring there opponents 102-9. The Bulldog defense has given up two scores in 144 minutes of play. In round one the Bulldogs defense gave up a halfback pass for a TD with the game already decided and in the quarterfinals there was a blocked punt for a safety. The Bulldog defense has been simply dominant.
Offensively the Bulldogs are scoring in bunches. The offensive line for the Bulldogs are a very skillful group of players. The Martinsburg line has been wearing down opponents and opening up huge holes for there talented backfield. The three game scoring total of 102-9 is also a credit to the Bulldog offense.
