MARTINSBURG, W.Va – What do you do when someone you knew only as a legend walks into the room?
That’s the question that Martinsburg football players had to answer a year ago when nine-time state champion head coach Dave Walker returned to the Eastern Panhandle after a successful collegiate coaching stint at Concord. Now, armed with his tenth state championship ring, Walker is leading another group of Bulldogs with the goal of ending 2024 the same way it did 2023..
“When I came back last year, the senior group knew of me but they didn’t really know me so I spent a good bit of the time building those relationships and then the winter, I spent a lot of time with these guys. It’s a really good group of kids and I enjoy being around them,” Walker said.
Perhaps the most important transition made on the field this season for Martinsburg will come in the backfield. Senior Koi Fagan split carries at running back with Nick Busky last year but with starting quarterback Murphy Clement graduating, the duty falls to Fagan to move back to the position he initially manned to begin his high school career.
“He’s done really well,” Walker said, “He’s extremely smart and very athletic so he’s done a great job for us so far.”
Busky returns at tailback with a number of young options to earn carries but new faces are needed up front with the Bulldogs graduating a trio of offensive lineman now on college rosters in Rashad Reid (Elon), Wes Hancock (West Virginia), and EJ Hendrix (Shepherd). Brady Breeden returns for his senior season at left guard while Peyton Kaufman makes the move from center to protecting Fagan’s blind side at left tackle.
“They’re going to be our leaders up front and they have a lot of experience so they know what’s going on and they’re helping the other guys transition as well so I’ve been pleased with what they’ve done,” Walker said.
Several of the key offensive lineman will be expected to step into significant roles on defense as well and they will be supported by what may be one of the deepest groups of linebackers in the state. Busky returns after an all-state season and the young players moving into important roles are among the most anticipated on the roster.
“Nick and Ace (Flores) in the middle are doing a good job and then Terrell Cofield,” Walker said, “Ty Ricketts is a young player that’s looking really good at outside linebacker and Brian Dick. We feel like we’re pretty deep there.”
With the luxury of so many talented linebackers, Fagan shifts to the secondary at safety this season alongside Musselman transfer Brayden Miller and a stable of young cornerbacks poised to break into the lineup.
By now Martinsburg is used to being the hunted, even with a Week 2 matchup against Huntington looming as a potential state championship preview. Walker says they’ll discuss the future when it gets here.
“We do a pretty good job of keeping them focused. I don’t think anybody’s even mentioned it to us . Right now, I think they’re just focused on (Week 1 opponent) Ballou which they better be because Ballou’s pretty good,” Walker said.
Martinsburg opens the season against Ballou (DC) on August 30.
