Puller's development seems to have been the catalyst for Martinsburg's hot streak.

At the start of the season, Walker and his staff didn't hesitate to thrust a largely untested sophomore into the lineup with the returning regulars. Puller endured some rough spots early on - completing just 28-of-73 passes through eight games for an average of about 41 yards per game with five interceptions - but he's improved since then.

In the last three games, Puller has hit on 17-of-24 attempts for 253 yards and five TDs without throwing a single pick. Of course, he's been dynamic running the ball all year, turning in four games of 150 or more yards rushing. Last week's Midland game was the first all season in which he didn't run for a touchdown.

"He's a really nice athlete,'' Walker said, "a hard worker and a good kid. He's doing a real nice job for us. He's seasoned pretty well now. We don't look at him like a sophomore anymore, and that goes back to the things he's done for us. Early in the year, he made some young mistakes, but he's come on strong and has gotten better as the year went on.''

Martinsburg is used to having star players grab the headlines - the Bulldogs produced three straight Kennedy Award winners from 2002-04 - but Walker said this year's team is different.

"We don't have a lot of big names like we've had in the past,'' he Walker. "We got a bunch of guys who work hard and work together. We've got kids who are good students. I don't know if we've got an identity or not. I know we're probably a bunch of overachievers.''

Reach Rick Ryan at 348-5175 or rickr...@wvgazette.com.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Martinsburg comes to town on a roll Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs, fresh from a 7-0 road victory against Cabell Midland in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs, pay a visit to Laidley Field for a quarterfinal matchup with No. 1 South Charleston. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Martinsburg (9-2), the No. 9 seed, has strung together eight straight wins since starting out 1-2. The Bulldogs' only two losses were to Potomac Falls, Va., (39-30) and Urbana, Md., (29-28) and they are 5-0 against West Virginia opponents.

In that eight-game victory run, the Bulldogs have shut out three teams, including Midland, and have allowed only 11 touchdowns.

Combined with a powerful offense that features two backs with more than 1,200 yards rushing, Martinsburg should provide a potent test for the unbeaten Black Eagles (11-0).

Leading the Bulldogs on offense have been sophomore quarterback Kam Puller (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) and senior tailback Ryan Rowland (6-1, 190).

Puller has run for 1,287 yards and 13 touchdowns and thrown for 581 yards and 10 more scores. Rowland sports 1,245 yards rushing and 21 TDs. It was Rowland's 16-yard run that provided the only TD against Midland last week.

"Rowland was returning from last year,'' said Martinsburg coach Dave Walker, "and we had some guys back up front. They've meshed together pretty well. We're just very fortunate those guys have been able to pick up the hard yards for us.''

Puller's development seems to have been the catalyst for Martinsburg's hot streak.

At the start of the season, Walker and his staff didn't hesitate to thrust a largely untested sophomore into the lineup with the returning regulars. Puller endured some rough spots early on - completing just 28-of-73 passes through eight games for an average of about 41 yards per game with five interceptions - but he's improved since then.

In the last three games, Puller has hit on 17-of-24 attempts for 253 yards and five TDs without throwing a single pick. Of course, he's been dynamic running the ball all year, turning in four games of 150 or more yards rushing. Last week's Midland game was the first all season in which he didn't run for a touchdown.

"He's a really nice athlete,'' Walker said, "a hard worker and a good kid. He's doing a real nice job for us. He's seasoned pretty well now. We don't look at him like a sophomore anymore, and that goes back to the things he's done for us. Early in the year, he made some young mistakes, but he's come on strong and has gotten better as the year went on.''

Martinsburg is used to having star players grab the headlines - the Bulldogs produced three straight Kennedy Award winners from 2002-04 - but Walker said this year's team is different.

"We don't have a lot of big names like we've had in the past,'' he Walker. "We got a bunch of guys who work hard and work together. We've got kids who are good students. I don't know if we've got an identity or not. I know we're probably a bunch of overachievers.''

Reach Rick Ryan at 348-5175 or rickr...@wvgazette.com.