Martinsburg overwhelms Huntington to win Class AAA state championship

Clement scored eight touchdowns — four rushing and four receiving — to shatter the previous record of five touchdowns by one individual in a state championship game in Martinsburg’s 62-21 victory over Huntington in the Class AAA state championship game at Wheeling Island Stadium.

Martinsburg has now won nine of the last 11 Class AAA state championships that have been played. State finals were not played in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Clement broke the previous record of five touchdowns in a game set by Gino Bianconi from Wheeling Central and Maddona’s Ross Comis.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” Clement said. “You don’t go into a state championship game thinking you’re going to score eight touchdowns, but when you do, it’s insane.”

By scoring 48 points, he shattered the record for most points (28) by a single player in a state championship game. He also tied the record for most rushing and receiving touchdowns in a state championship game. Defensively, he intercepted a pass.

Clement also took snaps in a wildcat formation in the red zone in addition to lining up as a wide receiver.

“Hudson’s special,” Martinsburg coach Britt Sherman said. “We joked about him and Murphy (Clement), and I said, ‘Well, if you see a girl that’s dating somebody and you really like her, you ask if she’s got a sister.’ We just put him in the backfield and he took some of those snaps where Murphy would take those snaps.”

Clement caught eight passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns and rushed seven times for 41 yards and four touchdowns.

“Every 50-50 ball is (a) 75% chance of him catching it, it seems like,” Bagent said.

In addition to the Bulldogs’ offense, their defense intercepted Huntington quarterback Gavin Lochow five times. Lochow completed 11 of 23 passes for 185 and two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs finished with 458 yards of total offense as opposed to 318 by Huntington. Martinsburg’s Eric King — the fourth-string running back — rushed 17 times for 152 yards.

Trailing 14-7, the Highlanders faced a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line. After a timeout, Huntington ran a quarterback keeper, but Lochow was stopped 1 yard short, turning the ball over downs.

From there, the Bulldogs marched 99 yards, which included Clement’s one-handed catch for a 34-yard gain. He scored on a 3-yard touchdown run three plays later.

“That was huge,” Huntington coach Billy Seals said. “We felt like even if we didn’t get it, we felt like we could stop them down there and still get the ball back in pretty good field position. They ripped off a big run and got a couple plays and got down and scored. That was a little bit of a back breaker there in the first half. I felt like the tide turned after that.”

Huntington fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Bulldogs recovered. One play later, Bagent hit Clement on a 13-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good, however, and Martinsburg led 26-7.

“Ezra was our starter most of the year, but he split time with Murphy (Clement),” Sherman said. “Murphy’s more of our dual-threat guy and Ezra’s was our pocket guy. Two great quarterbacks was a great problem to have, and then Murphy and Ezra took all the snaps.”

After a Huntington touchdown in which Lochow hit Naykin Harrell on a 38-yard touchdown pass, the Bulldogs quickly answered on their ensuing drive when Bagent hit Jacob Barrick in stride in the left side of the end zone for a touchdown.

With only 27 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Huntington took over on its own 32-yard line. On first-and-10 from the 32-yard line, Gavin Lochow’s pass was intercepted as Martinsburg’s Avion Blackwood jumped the rout and returned it to the 5-yard line.

After a false start penalty and an incomplete pass gave the Bulldogs a second-and-10 from the 10-yard line, Bagent dropped back and hit Hudson Clement, who out leaped two Huntington defenders for a 10-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good, giving the Bulldogs a 41-14 lead at the half.

Clement wasn’t done, scoring on a 5-yard run on the Bulldogs’ first possession of the third quarter.

On the Highlanders’ ensuing possession, on second-and-8 from their own 30-yard line, Barrick intercepted Lochow’s screen pass, giving the Bulldogs a first-and-10 from the 24-yard line. Two plays later, Clement caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Bagent to put the Bulldogs ahead 55-21.

Another Martinsburg interception gave the Bulldogs possession on the Huntington 43-yard line. And a few plays later, Bagent hit Clement for a 40-yard touchdown pass, giving the Bulldogs the 62-21 lead.

Huntington ends the season with an overall record of 13-1.