Highland Springs 34, Martinsburg (WV) 3 - FINAL

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It's a BIG battle in West Virginia as the 3-0 Highland Springs Springers visit the 3-0 Martinsburg Bulldogs.

VirginiaPreps.com correspondent Byron Jones is on hand for this showdown.

Highland Springs strikes first...



A 6-play, 47-yard drive that was finished off on a 1-yard QB sneak for a TD by junior QB Khristian Martin to give them the lead. Credit sophomore LB Brennan Johnson for a huge stop on 3rd & 1 on the first offensive series by Martinsburg.

 

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Nice 22-yard punt return by Virginia Tech commit Takye Heath of Highland Springs as the Springers get another stop of Martinsburg and will take over at their own 34 with just under six minutes to go in the opening period, leading 7-0.

 

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Jameer Hunter pulls in a catch of about 55-60 yards late in the opening period to get Martinsburg down to the 6 of Highland Springs.

Brent Terwilliger can't get off the 23-yard field goal and the Springers tackle the Bulldogs at the 6-yard line with 1:20 to go in the opening frame.

A big stand for Loren Johnson's Springers.

 

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End 1stQ - Highland Springs 7, Martinsburg 0.

On to the 2nd quarter... not on to Cincinnati as Bill Belichick would suggest.

Jakyre Henley, a junior wide receiver with plenty of speed, catches a Khristian Martin pass and goes 49 yards down to the 40 of Martinsburg.

Even though Martinsburg's defensive line has done a better job after the first series, the Springers are getting some favorable matchups on the outside / edges for sure.

Noah Jenkins pulls in a catch to move the sticks down to the 16, though an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushes them back 15 yards to the 31 of the Bulldogs.

 

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And here's the video of Martin using his legs for his 2nd TD of the night...

 

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A couple of interceptions within a few plays of each other and one of them is by Hokies commit Takye Heath of Highland Springs.

Aziz Foster-Powell appears to break a long run into Martinsburg territory with under two minutes to go in the first half - 1:52 to be exact - but a holding penalty brings it back for the Springers, leading by a 14-0 count.

 

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With 47 seconds to go in the first half, it's Khrystian Martin accounting for his 3rd TD of the night, only this one comes through the air to Caron Ferguson. It's an 86-yard strike to extend the Springers lead on the host Bulldogs from Martinsburg.

 

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Half - Highland Springs 20, Martinsburg 0

Some half-time numbers from WRNR-TV...

For HSHS:
Khristian Martin - 148 pass yards, TD; 49 rush yards, 2 TD's
Caron Ferguson - 2Rec. 88 yards

For Martinsburg:
Ezra Bagent - 3-6 for 71 pass yards, INT
Murphy Clement - 10 rushes for 3 yards

 

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Martinsburg forces a 3 & out to begin the 2nd half as Highland Springs will be punting on 4th & 8 from the Bulldogs 49 early in the 3rd period.

Martinsburg tried an onside kick that was unsuccessful to start the 3rd period. The punt is down at the 12-yard line of Martinsburg, meaning the Bulldogs will need to go 88 yards at David M. Walker Stadium to find the end zone for the first time tonight.

 

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Aziz Foster-Powell finds the end zone and the Springers continue their domination of the host Bulldogs in West Virginia.

 

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Khristian Martin was sensational, completing 9 of 17 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown to go with 11 carries for 114 yards and 3 TD's.

The defense played at an extremely high level to keep Martinsburg out of the end zone the entire night.



Of course, this does not include two games that Martinsburg later had to forfeit from 2007. But a mighty fine job by a Springers defense, where sophomore linebacker Brennan Johnson had his coming out party to me on a grand stage.