Eagles

kauffman@herald-mail.com SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - With Jefferson packing in its 1-3-1 zone defense, Hedgesville shooters Dustin Gregory and Tony Powell knew exactly what to do. They took turns shooting the Cougars into oblivion. Gregory and Powell hit for six of the Eagles' seven first-half 3-pointers and Hedgesville outscored ice-cold Jefferson 17-3 in the first quarter of a 57-43 victory in the West Virginia AAA Region II Section 2 boys semifinal game at Shepherd College.

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - Keeping warm proved to be the Martinsburg boys soccer team's greatest challenge Wednesday night. Hampshire was a distant second. The Bulldogs rode a stifling defense to record a resounding 10-0 victory in the West Virginia Region II semifinals at Hedgesville. The Hedgesville girls also advanced to the finals with a 4-1 victory over previously undefeated Frankfort on the strength of Erin Breen's hat trick. So dominant was Martinsburg's defensive effort that the Trojans (7-12)

Three Martinsburg players rushed for more than 100 yards as the Bulldogs kept rival Hedgesville winless, defeating the Eagles 62-0 on Friday night. Hedgesville sputtered on offense, totaling minus-16 yards, while giving up more than 500 to Martinsburg (4-2). The Bulldogs posted their most points in a game this season despite their quarterbacks completing only 2 of 16 passes for 20 yards with three interceptions. "We probably could have scored more in the first half but we kept throwing the ball," Martinsburg coach David Walker said.

INWOOD, W.Va. -- The No. 5 Musselman girls basketball team sure didn't look like an underdog Tuesday night against No. 2 Hedgesville. The Eagles, who were coming off a 47-44 victory over No. 1 Jefferson five days before, found themselves in a 19-point hole after the Applemen played a sizzling first 14 minutes Tuesday to race to a 28-9 lead on the way to a 54-39 victory in the Apple Valley League. "We certainly knew they'd be a formidable opponent, because they created matchup problems for us with their quickness," Hedgesville coach Ben Merica said.

Hedgesville proved that a girls basketball team that starts three freshmen and two juniors can go far. The Eagles ended a highly successful regular season Tuesday by defeating St. Maria Goretti 63-41 at the Gael Center to cap a 17-4 record and a 10-0 mark in the Apple Valley League. "This is something that the girls have worked real hard to achieve," Hedgesville coach Ben Merica said. "A lot of these girls have had some good coaching prior to coming here through the summer rec league.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Martinsburg junior Jake Wines admitted he felt nervous when he made his first start of the season Tuesday night against Hedgesville. The nervousness led to a shaky first inning when Wines loaded the bases, but the jitters would soon disappear, followed by the Hedgesville bats. Wines scattered four hits and struck out six in a complete-game shutout and the Bulldogs did just enough at the plate to notch a 2-0 home victory under a steady drizzle. "I think I threw pretty good tonight and located the ball well," Wines said.

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. - Hedgesville coach Kelly Church wouldn't say that his team's five-point lead in the second quarter against Jefferson on Friday disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was more like the spasm of a diaphragm. "With 45 seconds left (in the first half), we're up five. I've had hiccups that lasted longer than 45 seconds," Church said following his team's 63-46 loss. "We're up five, then all of a sudden we're down three. " And Jefferson kept building on that lead, cruising to the win behind Ryland Newman's 18 points and 10 assists to lead four Cougars in double figures.

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. - The group of underclassmen that makes up the majority of Martinsburg's girls basketball team didn't want to hear a speech on sectional playoff history Thursday, nor did it need one. In the Region II Section 2 championship against Hedgesville, the Bulldogs were only interested in creating their own history. Sophomore Dakeea Marshall scored 24 points, and the Bulldogs overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat the Eagles 47-39 at Jefferson High School, ending Hedgesville's streaks of three consecutive sectional titles and 19 straight wins against sectional opponents.