Making the transition
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
By LUKE BRIETZKE - The Journal

MARTINSBURG — Scott Stump had never really focused on playing defense before this season. He always saw himself as an offensive lineman.

His experience on the line is one of his best assets as a linebacker now.

“That helped a lot. You’ve got to read the guards pulling and everything like that,” Stump said. “When you can see what they’re doing, you know what they’re doing because you’ve done it before. It makes it a lot easier to read.”

Stump said it has especially helped with plays like counters that usually give first-year linebackers trouble.

Martinsburg coach David Walker knows Stump’s old position has helped ease his transition as well.

“Depending on what angle they take at you will tell you where the ball is being run,” Walker said. “It’s just little things like that I think you can pick up on and know. You also understand what they want to do and it really helps on the reads.”

Positioning, Stump said, has been a huge part of his success.

The other part, wrapping up and tackling, is what Walker said comes so naturally to Stump.

“He’s a pretty physical player,” Walker said. “He likes to hit you. He’s worked extremely hard. He’s become a student of the game just like the other guys. They spend a lot of time watching film. He’s done a real nice job for us all year.”

While Stump formerly served as a lineman, he grew weary of watching games from the sidelines — as he did for much of 2005.

When Walker approached him at the end of last season about changing positions, Stump didn’t hesitate.

Walker originally thought Stump would be a defensive lineman. His thoughts changed when he saw how hard Stump worked in the offseason.

In fact, Walker estimated that Stump lost 45 pounds before August.

“For kids that age to be dedicated enough to lose weight, it proves they’re pretty serious about what they want to do,” Walker said. “We look at some of our kids and how hard they work in the offseason usually shows how serious they are and how committed they are to become a better player.”

Still, Stump knew he wouldn’t cut it as a linebacker unless he increased his speed.

So he, like another converted linebacker, Derek Walker, ran countless sprints during the offseason.

The results have been pleasant for Stump. Not only does he start at linebacker, he is second on the team with 81 tackles — partly because he knows how to read gaps and where to position himself to disrupt plays.

David Walker said Stump’s impact — especially as a blitzer — has been even more significant than the statistics reflect.

One particular play that illustrates the point came Saturday. Stump blitzed up the middle and forced Kyle Allard to his right. Because of the pressure, some of which was applied by Stump, Allard threw a pass into a group of players.

Xavier Peters came down with the interception.

“People have to be accountable for him because they know he could come at any time,” Walker said. “A lot of times he may not make the play when he’s blitzing, but someone’s accountable for him, which frees up someone else.”

None of the main three linebackers, Stump, Walker and Marcus Scott, played the position for the Bulldogs last season.

Yet those three have been main pieces to arguably the strongest defense in the state.

“Nobody expected us to do what we’ve done so far,” Stump said. “We were supposed to be the weakest part of the defense this year and we really stepped it up and worked hard through the whole season and it’s starting to pay off.”

Still, few could have expected the results the postseason has yielded.

Through the first three rounds, Martinsburg has surrendered just nine points — and two of those came on a safety with the offense on the field.

“It’s amazing. Nobody would have ever thought that we would hold Fairmont (Senior), South Charleston and Brooke to nine points,” Stump said. “But it’s awesome.”

As for taking the next step — playing for a state championship Saturday — Stump said it’s a dream come true.