The Warriors by 2 TD's. This is not he M'burg of old. The perception is that they are going thru some growing pains.
Game Of The Week — Warriors Face Test Against Martinsburg
Posted: September 4, 2015
By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI
The Winchester Star
Sherando quarterback Pat Minteer threw for 135 yards and a touchdown in the Warriors’ 35-7 win over Louisa County last Friday night. The Warriors host Martinsburg (W.Va.) in their home opener tonight. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)
Sherando junior Dylan Rivers had three catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Warriors’ 35-7 win over Louisa County last Friday. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)
WINCHESTER — This year’s Martinsburg (W.Va.) football team isn’t as big as Sherando’s seen in the past, and they’re definitely not as experienced.
But the Warriors know full well they’re going to have to be even better than they were in last week’s impressive 35-7 win over Louisa County when the Bulldogs come to Arrowhead Stadium tonight for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Martinsburg — which won four consecutive Class AAA state championships from 2010-13 — has defeated Sherando all four times the two schools have played since 2011. The Bulldogs have shut out the Warriors three times in that span, including 26-0 last year in Martinsburg.
“They have a great tradition [at Martinsburg],” Sherando coach Bill Hall said. “That coupled with the fact that they suffered a tough loss last week, you’re really going to see their true character this week. We’re going to get their best shot, without a doubt.
“That’s the mark of a champion, and we expect that from them. That’s the way we need to measure ourselves, against the best.”
Martinsburg (0-1) lost 26-24 to H.D. Woodson (D.C.) last week for just its fifth defeat in the last five years. Woodson — which routinely features Division I prospects — scored the game-winning touchdown with 7:24 left on a 59-yard pass.
The Bulldogs lost 25 seniors from last year’s team, and Martinsburg coach Dave Walker said he returns only four starters on offense and two on defense. Though only a couple play on both sides of the ball, Walker said he’s starting seven sophomores and one freshman.
And the Bulldogs might not have the services of senior quarterback/linebacker Carter Walburn tonight, who was removed from the first half of the Woodson game last week because he’s still dealing with the effects of an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder that he suffered in a preseason scrimmage.
Sophomore backup Tyson Bagent isn’t the dual passing/running threat that Walburn is, but Walker felt he played solidly last week in completing 14 of 28 passes for 132 yards and two TDs, including one for 25 yards. Even if Walburn (game-time decision) is healthy, Bagent will still receive playing time.
Based on recent history, Sherando (1-0) will need to hold Martinsburg’s offense down to give itself a chance to win. And based on last week, the Warriors are more than capable.
Against a Louisa County team that returned eight starters from last year’s playoff team — including everyone from an offensive line that had three players who weighed at least 285 pounds — Sherando surrendered a mere 122 yards. The only points the Warriors allowed came with 3:19 left in the game with Sherando up 35-0.
“I think what stood out the most is that we took it to them from the opening whistle,” Sherando senior defensive end and offensive tackle Kyle Warren said. “We didn’t hold anything back, and everybody was doing their job. Because we did that, [Louisa] didn’t have an answer for our defense.”
Hall agreed that the Warriors did a great job of executing their assignments against Louisa’s single wing. Facing Martinsburg’s spread offense will be a lot different, but the basic approach won’t change.
“No matter [which quarterback] is in the game and what they’re doing, we just have to do our job and run to the football,” Sherando two-way lineman Ben Avery said. “We cover up so many mistakes when we run to the football.”
The Bulldogs lost their top three running backs from last year, but they still have a deep group to turn to. Walker said Dylan Dove and Dakota Coleman will likely get most of the carries tonight.
Though Martinsburg uses multiple defenses, one includes a 3-3 odd stack, a formation that the Warriors also saw last week with Louisa.
“The fact that we’ve seen it and practiced against it before allowed us to focus on some other things they may do defensively,” Hall said.
Sherando didn’t feel it played as well on offense as it did on defense last week against Louisa, but Warren said that’s not altogether surprising.
“Defense is more, ‘Get your keys and go,’” Warren said. “Offense, you have to learn what to do on different plays, study different looks ... it’s more mental offensively than it is defensively. But we’ve been working on getting better this week offensively, and I think we’re going to come out better up front [on the line].”
Sherando did receive a breakout rushing performance from senior D.J. Myers, who rushed 14 times for 139 yards and three TDs against Louisa.
Though the rest of the Warriors’ running backs combined for just six carries (that total does not include the five by Dylan Rivers, who also plays tight and wide receiver), Hall said Myers won’t necessarily carry the ball the vast majority of the time every game even though he felt Myers played well. For example, junior Cordell Peterson did not carry the ball last week because of his defensive responsibilities as a safety, but he’s still in the mix as a running back.
Walker said turnovers, untimely penalties and big plays played a big role in his young team’s defeat last week. The Bulldogs gave up three touchdown passes of 40-plus yards, so Walker said Martinsburg needs to make sure they’re always aware of Dylan Rivers (three catches for 120 yards and a TD), and can’t let strong-armed quarterback Pat Minteer get comfortable.
Walker said he expects Martinsburg to play better this week after stressing the importance of minimizing mistakes. The Warriors would be fine with that, because while they’ve had their problems with the Bulldogs in the past, they want to be tested.
“I don’t like playing easy games,” Warren said. “I like playing good competition and having someone who’s pushing me to make me better.”
