×
×
homepage logo

Cougars look to start new winning streak

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Oct 29, 2021

Lee Forshee carries the Jefferson banner onto Cobourn Field. David Pennock

MARTINSBURG — Many in the large, wait-and-see crowd were at Cobourn Field in Martinsburg to see if the Bulldogs had lost a half-step, or maybe Jefferson was moving back into contention for area honors.

The high-powered Bulldogs lost only one game in six seasons. Jefferson hadn’t experienced a winning season in about that same time period.

Jefferson came to the late-season headliner with a 7-0 record and the No. 3 WVSSAC rating in the big-school ranks. Martinsburg crackled on to its home field with an 8-0 record and the state’s No. 1 rating in the WVSSAC poll.

The Bulldogs, in a search for viable opponents, had found juggernauts in Salem (Virginia), Highland Springs (Virginia) and Riverside (Ohio) and beaten all three teams.

Jefferson played its usual schedule of Millbrook, Sherando, Musselman and Spring Mills and supplemented it with North Hagerstown, South Hagerstown and James Wood from Winchester, Va.

Jefferson High School’s Caysen Lanza, Spencer Powell and Jared Willburger gang up to tackle the Martinsburg High School ball carrier on Cobourn Field. David Pennock

The Cougars were 7-0 and had a bye week just in front of the Martinsburg game.

None of the Martinsburg vs. Jefferson games for the last five years had been close. Martinsburg had won them all by expanded margins.

Last Friday’s game wasn’t close either.

Martinsburg posted a 42-3 win, blocking a punt and later blocking a field goal that was returned 87 yards for the final points in the Bulldog victory.

It was a 22-3 Bulldog lead by halftime; Oren Humphreys’ 29-yard field goal became Jefferson’s only points of the weather-perfect night.

Jefferson High School’s Spencer Powell is tackled after a pass reception on Cobourn Field. David Pennock

Murphy Clement and Ezra Bagent — Martinsburg’s equally potent and exchangeable quarterback duo — had roles in dealing the Cougars the season’s first loss.

Murphy Clement set up the night’s first TD when he ran 42 yards to near the Jefferson end zone. He scored on a two-yard run.

After Humphreys’ field goal made it a 7-3 Bulldog lead, Martinsburg methodically marched 98 yards for a TD, scoring on Bagent’s 35-yard pass to Jacob Barrick. A two-point conversion made it 15-3.

A blocked Jefferson punt promoted a 13-play, 45-yard move that ended when Murphy Clement scored from the one.

Leading, 22-3, the Bulldogs used a 13-play drive to go 68 yards, taking a 28-3 lead on Murphy Clement’s 10-yard pass to brother Hudson Clement.

Joey Slaughter bears down on the quarterback on Cobourn Field. David Pennock

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Murphy Clement rolled into the end zone again, boosting the Bulldog lead to 35-3.

Another Martinsburg block, this time of a Humphreys’ field goal attempt, saw Kam Shallis run back the loose ball on an 87-yard TD return to end the night’s scoring at 42-3.

Murphy Clement ran 22 times for 113 yards and Bagent completed 12-of-19 passes for 162 yards.

Jefferson was limited to 11 rushing yards.

The 7-1 Cougars face Hedgesville tonight in Shenandoah Junction in an attempt to still host a first-round playoff game. In its final regular season game, the Cougars will be at home to face a somewhat rejuvenated

Washington team that now holds a 4-4 overall record.

West Virginia playoffs begin on Nov. 19-20 with 16 teams qualifying in each of the three levels of play — Class AAA, Class AA and Class A.