Martinsburg mauls Polar Bears
Sunday, November 26, 2006
By RICK KOZLOWSKI - The Journal

MARTINSBURG — Martinsburg doesn’t need a bus.

The Bulldogs can just run to the Island.

Martinsburg ran to the Island on Saturday in turning back its final ounce of resistance to qualify for its fourth state Class AAA championship game in six seasons.

Martinsburg simply ran over Fairmont offensively and coupled what has been a thoroughly devastating defensive performance throughout the playoffs for a 40-0 runaway victory at Cobourn Field.

Martinsburg bulldogged its way to 440 yards rushing on 47 carries, and the Bulldogs defense called into question the Kennedy Award candidacy of Polar Bears quarterback Kyle Allard.

Marcus Scott and Zach Newhouse led the way as Josh Twyman played sparingly as a result of a twisted ankle suffered last week. Scott rushed 16 times for 167 yards and Newhouse added 17 carries for 122 yards and four touchdowns.

“Those other guys were running pretty well,” Martinsburg coach David Walker said. “Josh, Marcus, Zach, those guys are all seniors and know what it takes to get it done.”

After extending its winning streak to 10 games and ending the Polar Bears’ at nine, No. 2 Martinsburg (12-1) will face top-ranked and unbeaten Parkersburg in Wheeling Island Stadium at noon Saturday in the state title game.

“The line stepped up and executed,” Newhouse said. “I thought I had to step it up and pick up the slack because Josh was hurt.”

Credit flowed as freely as the Gatorade did on Walker’s head late in the game.

“What won this game was defense,” Martinsburg quarterback Dustin Peters said. “They just killed (Allard).

“That Kennedy guy comes in; I can tell he doesn’t look like a Kennedy guy to me.”

Allard completed 7 of 23 passes for 115 yards with two interceptions. He managed 22 yards rushing as the Bulldogs continually harassed him as he sought receivers.

“I couldn’t be happier to shut these guys down,” Walker said. “They’ve averaged 30 points a game, and our offense scores 40 points. You got to be pretty pleased.”

Newhouse, who played sparingly last week after missing an extended period of time with his own ankle injury, scored a pair of first-half touchdowns on consecutive carries, then added a pair more in the second half on consecutive carries —the last a 44-yarder on a buck sweep where he stumbled in the backfield before outracing the Fairmont defense to the end zone to cap the triumph.

Newhouse is not sure he ever scored four touchdowns in a game of pickup in the backyard. He’s now the team playoff record-holder for most rushing touchdowns.

He scored from 4 and 6 yards in the first half and then 4 and 44 in the second.

“We showed we have a lot of heart left,” Newhouse said.

And demonstrated there’s more to Martinsburg’s rushing game than just Twyman, a Kennedy candidate himself. Scott moved to within four yards of a 1,000-yard season while keeping up his 10-plus yards per carry average. Newhouse provided an extra alternative.

“The running game, we got so many guys coming at you,” Scott said. “Zach Newhouse, he was stepping up, and (Jonathan) Seeley was running and Dustin Peters is out there going.

“You can’t predict who runs the ball. We’ve got too many backs.”

Peters, in fact, scored Martinsburg’s first touchdown on a 5-yard run to finish the game’s opening series, a 68-yard drive.

Peters turned out left, made a couple of small cuts around defenders, then lowered his shoulder and blasted through a safety at the goal line.

The junior quarterback finished with 63 yards rushing —same as Twyman.

Twyman’s day was done after five carries, the final one that went 46 yards to the Fairmont 14, however.

While he could’ve continued to play, it was apparent he didn’t have his normal speed as defenders caught up to him on the run as he looked like a car, low on fuel, trying for the tiniest bit of gas to reach the pumps.

Cameron Shelton missed a 27-yard field goal on that drive, but Martinsburg scored on its next two drives, series of 80 and 84 yards.

Newhouse got into the scoring column the first time after Peters hooked up with Shelton a 19-yard pass play to the Fairmont 4, then Newhouse scored immediately after Scott’s 78-yard jitterbugging scamper to the Polar Bears’ 6.

“It’s a little redemption for the offensive line from last week,” lineman Tyler Dopson said. “We did what we do best —run the ball and win the game.”

Martinsburg produced its next touchdown through the air, however.

Peters threw 22 yards to Shelton for the score on the first drive of the second half.

After Martinsburg failed on fourth down deep in Fairmont territory the next drive on an incomplete pass, it was Newhouse’s turn again as he scored on his runs of 4 and44 yards.

“Those five guys up front make the run game work,” Peters said. “Without those guys, none of us can do things. They get yelled at so much by the coaches during the week, but they just make a push.

“The running game was outstanding today, but I can’t stress how well they played.”

Fairmont, held to 226 yards of total offense, though most of it in the first half, had a field goal blocked, then was turned back on four downs inside Martinsburg’s 10 at the end of the first half.

“Martinsburg’s got a good ball team; they got a good stable of backs,” said Fairmont coach J. L. Abbott, saying nothing else as he ran off to the team bus.

The way Martinsburg’s running, the Bulldogs don’t need a bus.