Charleston – Koi Fagan didn’t have his best game, fumbling twice and throwing an interception. But his positives far outweighed the negatives.
The senior quarterback secured Martinsburg’s 11th state championship Saturday evening, ripping an 80-yard scoring run with 1:46 to play, breaking a 17-17 tie to secure a 24-17 victory in the inaugural Class AAAA state championship game at UC Stadium at Laidley Field.
Fagan, who earned MVP honors, finished the night with 333 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He strung together a pair of decisive signature moments in the final frame, scrambling and connecting with receiver Boston Todd for a circus catch touchdown after an errant snap, adding to his closing rushing score.
“Just a phenomenal player making a phenomenal play on the game-winning touchdown,” Martinsburg head coach Dave Walker said of Fagan. “I mean, everybody who hadn’t seen him play and watched him play tonight, I mean, he’s special. He should have a great career somewhere.”
Defenses dominated the night through three quarters with the top-seeded Bulldogs leading 10-7 on the strength of a 58-yard Fagan run in the second and 25-yard Sam Collins field goal in the third quarter.
Spring Mills tied the game on a 22-yard field goal by Uth-Smith before Fagan hooked up with Boston from three yards out.
Cardinals quarterback Max Anderson had the answer for the Bulldogs most of the evening, scoring the tying touchdown from three yards out shortly after a 46-yard run.
Knotted at 17 with 1:58 to go, Fagan needed just one play to restore order for the Bulldogs, racing down the left sideline and back towards the middle of the field for the decisive score.
A sack and interception on Spring Mills’ final drive secured the victory for the state’s top team.
“It’s definitely tough on the nerves and on the heart,” Walker laughed of the close victory. “But no, I mean, just being able to just win period is special. But when those its those close ones, it builds character and I mean, last week, what we went through and a couple of games through the season, so to win a state championship like this is a special.”
Anderson, who won MVP honors for Spring Mills finished with 175 yards on 31 carries.
Box score courtesy of Rick Ryan
Martinsburg 24, Spring Mills 17
Spring Mills;0;0;7;10;–;17
Martinsburg;0;7;3;14;–;24
Second quarter
M – Fagan 58 run (Collins kick), 7:09
Third quarter
SM – M.Anderson 3 run (Uth-Smith kick), 8:06
M – FG Collins 25, 4:29
Fourth quarter
SM – FG Uth-Smith 24, 10:33
M – Todd 3 pass from Fagan (Collins kick), 6:05
SM – M.Anderson 3 run (Uth-Smith kick), 1:58
M – Fagan 80 run (Collins kick), 1:46
Team statistics
;;;SM;Mart
First downs;;16;16
Rushes-yards;;41-215;37-400
Passing yards;;121;14
Passes;;12-25-1;4-11-1
Total yards;;336;414
Fumbles-lost;;1-0;4-3
Penalties-yards;;10-91;7-85
Punts-average;;3-15.3;1-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Spring Mills: M.Anderson 31-175, Sanders 8-36, Taylor 2-4; Martinsburg: Fagan 27-333, Dick 8-63, Todd 1-5, Team 1-minus-5
PASSING – Spring Mills: M.Anderson 12-25-1-121; Martinsburg: Fagan 4-11-1-14
RECEIVING – Spring Mills: Mills 5-59, X.Anderson 4-31, Sanders 2-3; Martinsburg: Bunny 2-7, Todd 2-7
