Parkersburg High School Big Reds Football

Nov. 23 Martinsburg playoff game

Defending Champ Martinsburg Makes Statement With Big Win Over PHS

MARTINSBURG – Host Martinsburg showed why it is ranked number one in Class AAAA football in the state of West Virginia and has not lost a game on the field since Nov. 26, 2022, as the Bulldogs opened the 2024 playoffs with a 77-7 victory over Parkersburg here on a chilly Saturday afternoon before a sparse crowd.

The Bulldogs of coach Dave Walker, seeking to defend their state championship of a year ago, scored 11 touchdowns by five different means in handing the Big Reds their seventh loss against four wins in a delayed playoff opener. The home team scored five times in the first quarter and three more times in the second quarter in putting up the most points that has ever been scored against a Big Red team in the history of PHS football.

The winners will now play Parkersburg South in the second round of the playoffs at home on either Nov. 29 or 30.

Martinsburg scored on a blocked punt, an interception return and a punt return as well as producing touchdowns on eight of the 26 offensive plays run by Bulldogs. Despite the few number of plays, the Bulldogs piled up 448 yards in total offense, 209 yards rushing on just 15 attempts and 239 yards passing as they completed nine of 11 passes. Quarterback Koi Fagan ran for two touchdowns and threw for three more in three quarters of action in a game shortened by using a running clock in the second half. Only two of Martinsburg’s 11 touchdowns were on plays of 18 yards or more.

The Big Reds managed 216 yards on 61 plays with Ethan Jones rushing for 44 yards on 17 carries after leading rusher Jakel Shelton left the game late in the first quarter with an injury. Quarterback Cooper Cancade completed 13 of 25 passes for 83 yards with one interception and was sacked twice.

Martinsburg scored on its first possession, going 63 yards on seven plays with Fagan covering the final five yards himself. That offensive series was the longest of the game for the hosts, who had one four-play drive and four scoring drives of three plays or less.

The second TD for the winners came on a 49 yard pass for Kylee Bunny on the first play after a punt while the third score came on a five yard blocked punt return by Brian Dick. Touchdown number four was a 62 yard pass to Kevin Myers while the final score of the first quarter came on a 10 yard pass to Brayden Miller for a 35-0 lead.

The onslaught continued in the second quarter when Dick intercepted a pass and returned it 48 yards to the end zone and that was followed by another three-play scoring possession which culminated on Boston Todd’s 18 yard run after a 36 yard pass to the same player.

The Big Reds suffered a sack on their own 25 yard line with 1:39 left in the first half and it took just two plays for Fagan to run around end and force several missed tackles to run the score to 56-0.

In the first half PHS had just four first downs and 73 total yards and reached the Martinsburg side of the field just four plays.

In the third quarter Dick scored his third touchdown of the game on a 42 yard run and the Bulldogs added a 44 yard punt return before PHS reached the end zone on a one yard run by Cancade with 4:20 remaining to cap a scoring drive which took 15 plays and covered 80 yards. The big play was a 17 yard pass to Braxton Kupfner.

PHS freshman Alex Greer had a 34 yard run and a 16 yard pass to junior Tytan Parsons which took the ball to the Martinsburg 22 as the game ended. Kupfner caught six passes in the game for 36 yards while Parsons caught four for 43.