Martinsburg football welcomes new coach amid historic winning streak
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (BVM) 鈥� The Martinsburg football team doesn鈥檛 typically deal with a loss. In fact, the team has not lost a game in four calendar years. With its latest Class AAA state championship victory over Cabell Midland in Dec. 2019, the team鈥檚 fourth in as many years, the Bulldogs extended their winning streak to a whopping 56 games.
The streak, second longest in the nation behind only Caledonia High School in Minnesota (68), was the cherry on top for Martinsburg head coach David Walker. Walker made the Bulldogs a staple in the state championship game with the team appearing in 12 state finals since 2001 and winning eight of the last 10 Class AAA state championships.
Following the team鈥檚 state victory, Walker announced he would be leaving the program to become the head football coach at Concord University in Athens, W.Va. Walker leaves as the winningest high school football coach in West Virginia history with 304 wins over 32 years with records for the most playoff appearances (74) and playoff victories (53). Walker leaves the Bulldogs with a 248-46 record over his 23 years at the helm. It鈥檚 a loss unlike any the Bulldogs have faced in over two decades 鈥� the loss of their leader.
Longtime Martinsburg assistant coach Britt Sherman will take Walker鈥檚 place next season. Sherman joined the Bulldogs as a volunteer coach back in 2004 and worked his way up the coaching ranks where he held multiple positions from strength and conditioning coach to special teams coordinator to offensive coordinator. Sherman found out about the hiring prior to the Feb. 18 announcement from the school board and he was finally able to feel excited, as he had kept it toned down before hearing the official decision.
鈥淚 knew I had been recommended for the job,鈥� Sherman said. 鈥淚 still wanted to definitely wait for it to be official to really get excited about it and I鈥檓 just excited to continue what we鈥檝e got going and to put my spin on it.鈥�
Sherman, who has known Walker since he was 6 years old and played for him throughout his high school career including his senior year at Martinsburg, said he didn鈥檛 expect Walker to leave.
鈥淗e鈥檚 had a couple other chances to interview for college coaching jobs and we talked about it,鈥� Sherman said, 鈥渂ut it was kind of a perfect storm this time around.鈥�
First and foremost, Sherman was excited for his friend to be able to move on to the next step. Although it meant that for the first time in years the two won鈥檛 share the same program, they will still keep in touch as they work through their new roles, according to Sherman. That鈥檚 just something friends do.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really good friends, maybe best friends,鈥� Sherman said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e real close; we鈥檙e pretty much family at this point. We speak almost every day.鈥�
Although Walker鈥檚 legacy looms large over the program, Sherman doesn鈥檛 feel the pressure of taking over the team. The win streak doesn鈥檛 add any pressure for Sherman either. He believes strong bonds as a team is what it’s all about, not wins and losses.
鈥淎t some point, maybe sooner than later, we will lose a game and the streak will be over. Things like that will happen,鈥� Sherman said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 all about those relationships you have with the players, coaches and community. Those are the things that stick. It鈥檚 great to get rings, but bigger things in life go on and those relationships are what hold those kids together and make them better people.鈥�
Now, Martinsburg turns over to Sherman. The new coach is not going into his first season with ease as the Bulldogs will be facing one of their toughest seasons in recent years. That is by strategy, according to Sherman, who wants to help bring the team to the next level for his players to get more exposure on a state and national level.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done great things at Martinsburg for the entire time I have been there, but we鈥檙e going to try to reach out a little bit more and play some more high-profile games and get our kids some more exposure,鈥� Sherman said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to do a couple more high profile things to try to get our kids a little more exposure on a national level and just continue to build on what we have already done.鈥�
With the streak still alive, the Bulldogs will keep their blinders on. The team doesn鈥檛 talk about the streak much and the focus will be winning one game at a time, one week at a time, according to Sherman. Sherman said although the streak is special as long as the team plays as hard as it can, the team will be a success.
鈥淏eing able to play at that high of a level for that long is something really special and in West Virginia it has not been matched,鈥� Sherman said. 鈥淎s long as we play as hard as we can every game and compete, that鈥檚 what I ask for out of the team鈥�.Our goal is always to be playing in December.鈥�
With many years of experience under the tutelage of Walker, Sherman will try to bring the same lessons and teachings from his mentor into his new role as head of the program. For Martinsburg, they hope that will also bring continued success.
