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Martinsburg dominates again in Eastern Panhandle win

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Oct 28, 2022

Jefferson High School's Keyshawn Robinson pulls away from a potential tackle by a Martinsburg High School player on Friday night. David Pennock

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — It will be dependent on Jefferson High School’s bounce-back mentality, as to whether it can qualify for the state’s Class AAA football playoffs.

After absorbing a nine-touchdown avalanche of Martinsburg High School points last Friday in the Bulldogs convincing 63-13 win over Jefferson, any playoff scenario for the three-loss Cougars will now be contingent on whether they can handle injury-burdened Hedgesville High School team and a one-win Washington High School team.

Now 5-3 overall, Jefferson will qualify somewhere in the state’s top 16 teams, if it can disregard the long night against Martinsburg and beat both the Eagles and the Patriots to complete its regular season.

Martinsburg, now boasting a 7-2 record, has only an early November date on the road against Bishop Ireton (Va.) to finish its regular season.

The defending state champion, Bulldogs found numerous ways to score against Jefferson and end the Cougars’ four-game winning streak.

Jefferson High School's Nathan Meeleib and Spencer Powell combine for the tackle in the contest against Martinsburg High School on Friday night. David Pennock

Individual excellence from Jameer Hunter, Murphy Clement and Ezra Bagent confounded the Cougars from start to end.

Hunter had three touchdowns — scoring on a 29-yard pass from Ezra Bagent and returning two kickoffs for scores against the variety of much-troubled Jefferson special teams.

Bagent threw four TD passes as the confident Bulldogs sprinted out to a comfortable 35-7 halftime lead and then adding an additional four TDs and 28 points in the anticlimactic second half.

A poor snap by another Jefferson special teams gave the Bulldogs their last two points when it resulted in a safety.

Through its five-touchdown first half, Martinsburg got points on Zion Grantham’s 63-yard run, Clement’s 72-yard run, Bagent’s 28-yard pass to AJ Harrison, Clement’s 54-yard grab of a Bagent pass and Hunter’s pass reception of Bagent’s third TD pass.

Jefferson High School goalkeeper Edwardo Acmansa, from Spain, kicks off to start off Friday night's game against Martinsburg High School. David Pennock

Jefferson’s first-half points came when Dylan Harich threw to Isaiah Fritts.

When it already led, 22-0, the opportunistic Bulldogs recovered an onside kick and quickly struck again on the Bagent-to-Clement 54-yard pass.

Hunter returned a pair of second-half kickoffs for points and Buzz Dover and Koi Fagan were able to contribute points as well.

In Hedgesville this week, the Cougars will face a team with a 4-4 record and two straight losses, and in its closing game of the regular season it will see a Washington team that has managed to win only one time in the 2022 season and is currently 1-7 overall.

The West Virginia playoffs begin on the weekend of Nov. 11-12 with all 16 qualifiers playing. The top eight teams get home games in the opening round.

Jefferson can ill afford another loss to either of its two remaining opponents.