Bulldogs' Newhouse goes from broken to breakout
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
By LUKE BRIETZKE - The Journal

MARTINSBURG — While playing the state semifinal without Kennedy Award candidate Josh Twyman may seem like adversity to some, it couldn’t have felt like adversity to Zach Newhouse.

That’s because, just a few weeks earlier, Newhouse had suffered a broken leg — which could have ended his season.

For a week, Newhouse was on crutches. Then he wore a walking boot. Even when he was allowed to put weight on it, he was required to wear a brace — which he still wears now that he has been cleared to play.

“Sitting for those games was tough,” Newhouse said. “You don’t realize how much you miss it until you can’t actually play.”

Newhouse’s role was limited to spectator in the last few regular season games and the first-round playoff contest with Brooke. He made his return to the field in the next game — a 13-0 win over South Charleston.

But that was nothing compared to what came next.

After Twyman went down, Bulldogs coach David Walker decided to stick with his plan of pounding the football against Fairmont Senior.

Marcus Scott and Newhouse were left to carry the load.

“I knew I’d have to step it up and take up where Josh left off and continue to help out the team,” Newhouse said.

Newhouse, especially, did just that.

The senior, who said he is thankful Walker had faith in him so soon after the injury, ended the day with 122 rushing yards on 17 carries and also wound up with four touchdowns.

Still, Newhouse said he didn’t realize how special his game was until his final touchdown.

“It’s more of a team-based effort and the line did a great job up front so we could score,” Newhouse said.

The field isn’t the only place Newhouse shines, either. He is a 4.02 student and plans to attend one of the service academies — most likely, the Air Force Academy — where he hopes to continue his athletics.

“I’ve got to balance sports and school,” Newhouse said. “To me, school comes first. You’ve got to plan out your day and study after practice and perform well in the classroom, too.”

Well, Newhouse is performing well just about everywhere right now.

Other notable performances: Marcus Scott added 167 yards on 16 rushes and also had a 23-yard reception for Martinsburg. ... Cornerback Xavier Peters intercepted two passes in the Bulldogs’ victory. ... Shepherd running back Bryan Wright accumulated 144 yards on 14 rushes in the Rams’ 31-7 win over Merrimack. He broke a school record when he scored on a 97-yard run in the fourth quarter. ... Wright’s backfield running mate Dervon Wallace added 108 yards and a touchdown in the win. ... Dan Peters intercepted two passes for the Rams. ... Another Shepherd defender, Louis Corum, had six tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception he returned for a touchdown. ...In basketball, Shepherd’s Danley Shank scored 25 points as the Rams beat Shippensburg