MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Sure there are changes in the Martinsburg football program but the atmosphere around practice and the expectations around the team are no different. After leading the Bulldogs to four consecutive state titles and eight championships in ten years, Dave Walker became the head coach at Concord back in December. Longtime assistant Britt Sherman has stepped in.
“It is kind of bittersweet,” Sherman said. “With Coach Walker being such a good friend and not working with him anymore, but I have been here a long time.”
With a team that has won 56 consecutive games, program depth is a major reason Martinsburg has been the class of Class AAA since 2016. There’s so much depth at younger levels that even established veterans are constantly competing for spots.
“We have them come in here and work like us, try to take our spot and get better everyday,” said Martinsburg senior wide receiver/linebacker Anthony Smith.
“There could be a freshman that’s up there and ready to go. Everybody is working hard and everybody is ready to go,” said Martinsburg senior running back/defensive back Naieem Kearney.
Perhaps the deepest position on the Bulldog roster is running back. Naieem Kearney has seen starters’ reps since his sophomore season. He and fellow senior Kevon Warren each rushed for over a thousand yards last fall.
“We both were talking this year and were like, let’s try to put up five hundred yards combined in rushing yards,” Kearney said. “It is about to be real fun. We are just excited to split carries together.”
Those backs will go to work behind a line that will feature several new starters.
“The linemen were real special for us last year. But every year we have so much depth,” Smith said.
At the receiver spots, MetroNews Player of the Year Jarod Bowie, Teddy Marshall and Malakai Brown have moved on. Anthony Smith leads the group of returners.
“Anthony is a big returner. Doryn Smith is a guy that played some for us last year and is a big, tall guy. We have Jairus Thurston who returned some kicks for us last year,” Sherman said.
For the first time in two years, the ‘Dogs will break in a new starting quarterback after the graduation of Elijah Banks. The competition continues and multiple signal callers could be used.
“At one point during this year you might see four of five packages with guys. That’s a good problem to have,” Sherman said.
“They don’t want to be the team that will not be as good as the teams that came before them. We work and get better everyday. That’s the way we have always done it and that’s the way we are going to try to continue to do it,” Sherman said.