Bulldogs get another easy 'W'

September 27, 2008|By MARK KELLER

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- After playing close games the first three weeks of the season, No. 2 Martinsburg has reversed a trend.

Two straight blowout wins in which JV players have seen significant playing time have lifted the Bulldogs over the .500 mark, but is it a good thing that their starters are only playing one half?

"It depends on how hard you work during the week," Martinsburg coach David Walker said after the Bulldogs' 63-0 rout of Anacostia on Friday night. "We were in a situation a couple years ago where we scored 60 a couple times and it can become an issue if you allow it to. We just have to work hard in practice, make these guys compete."

It didn't take long Friday to see that Anacostia would have trouble competing with Martinsburg. The Bulldogs needed just five plays to cover 62 yards after the opening kickoff, with quarterback Kameron Puller capping the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run just 1 minute, 39 seconds into the game.

Puller added a second rushing touchdown just four minutes later, a 17-yard jaunt that gave the Bulldogs (3-2) a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter, and the track meet was on.

Puller, a sophomore, ran four times in the first quarter for 28 yards. He also completed 5 of 10 passes for 72 yards. He threw touchdown passes to David Hammond and Derek Walker, but also threw two interceptions.

"He's been getting better and better every game," Walker said. "He made a couple of sophomore mistakes, threw a couple of picks when he got a little too much air under the ball, but he's doing all right."

Brandon Bishop returned a punt 38 yards for a touchdown as Martinsburg pulled out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter. He also scored on a 62-yard run in the fourth quarter and helped spearhead a strong defensive effort with a pair of interceptions.

The Indians (0-5) managed just 16 rushing yards in the first half and finished with 168 total yards, many of those coming against Martinsburg's JV defenders.

"It was a real team effort tonight," Walker said. "I'm really pleased that everybody got to play and they played well."

Will Manley also intercepted two passes, returning both for touchdowns. James Jordan added a rushing touchdown, while Ryan Rowland ran for 115 yards on seven carries.

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