Good article in the San Antonio paper on Xavier Martin and his thought process and style of play.
By the numbers
For Steele quarterback Xavier Martin this season:
1,869: Yards passing
21: Passing touchdowns
60.49: Completion percentage (124 of 205 attempts)
3: Interceptions
632: Yards rushing
6.7: Yards per carry on 95 attempts
8: Rushing touchdowns
Saturday: 6A D-II state semifinal — Steele vs. Katy Cinco Ranch, 6 p.m., Alamodome
Steele star Martin ready to run again
Some of the best plays Xavier Martin has made have been with his feet.
Steele’s quarterback boasts breakaway speed and is adept at making tacklers miss — one of the reasons he has four scholarship offers to play at a major college. Knights coach Scott Lehnhoff said the Texas Tech commit also uses running as a way to get locked into a game and get his competitive juices flowing.
For most of the season, though, Martin has essentially turned off that part of himself. He suffered a high ankle sprain late in Steele’s District 27-6A opener Sept. 16 at Smithson Valley and has since operated almost exclusively as a pocket passer who scrambles only when necessary.
“Running is a lot more fun than just sitting back there and throwing,” Martin said. “It’s been tough not getting as many carries as I usually do. But I’d rather win than get carries.”
Martin, who rushed for 461 yards in the first three games of the year and has 171 in the last 11, has continued to help Steele win by passing for 1,869 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing more than 60 percent. The Knights also have not needed him to run, with Brenden Brady having rushed for more than 1,500 yards in a breakout junior season.
That has allowed Martin’s ankle to gradually heal, and he said it now is “totally fine.” That’s good news for the Knights, who likely will ask the 6-foot, 185-pound senior to tap into his ground game either this week or next.
Steele (13-1) faces Katy Cinco Ranch (11-3) in a Class 6A Division II state semifinal at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome. If the Knights win, they will face either DeSoto (13-0) or Klein Collins (13-1) in the championship game Dec. 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Steele has reached the state semifinals for the third year in a row in large part because its defense has allowed just seven points in the last three games. But Lehnhoff said it is unlikely the Knights can be as stingy against their upcoming opponents, which means they might need to bolster their offense by making Martin more of a dual threat.
“Eventually, he’s going to have to make a ton of plays for us to get it done,” Lehnhoff said. “We’re going to have to score to win.”
Winning has remained the priority for Martin, even if it has come at the expense of his individual statistics and gone against his desire to play.
He had to sit out Steele’s Sept. 23 showdown with Judson. Fellow senior Cody Massey started at quarterback and helped lead the Knights to a 30-9 win. Martin left after the first series in an Oct. 14 win over New Braunfels Canyon because he aggravated the ankle injury.
Martin has come out of five other games, including the last two playoff victories, because Steele enjoyed comfortable leads and did not want to risk injury. .
“I feel like he’s dealt with it maturely,” Steele H-back Trai Armstrong said. “Most people, once they get hurt, they get down on themselves, and that can ruin somebody’s season real easily. But throughout the whole process, he thought about us and thought about the team.”
Armstrong also said Martin is having more fun on the field because he knows his time there could be fleeting. Martin has been forced to spend more hours working on his passing skills as well, which he said has made him a better quarterback.
During Saturday’s quarterfinal win against Churchill, Martin bounced around in the pocket before lofting a spiral to Onyx Smith for a 53-yard touchdown. Martin said he would not have been as patient at the beginning of the season, when he would have been inclined to scramble instead of going through his passing reads.
“I can work and move around in the pocket a lot more instead of just taking off,” he said.
Martin still has that running ability — and he still enjoys it. He might need to do more of it to make a case for being the best quarterback in Steele’s decade as a program.
Armstrong’s older brother, Tommy Armstrong, who now plays for Nebraska, quarterbacked the Knights to their only state title in 2010. Martin said he has taken tips from the elder Armstrong, who also is equally adept at running and throwing, and hopes he can wind up with the same result.
“I think all quarterbacks want to be measured by championships,” Lehnhoff said. “He wants to be the guy that gets us back to the state-title game and wins it.”
After recovering and evolving from his injury, Martin is better equipped to do that more than ever.
http://www.expressnews.com/sports/h...e-star-Martin-ready-to-run-again-10780161.php
By the numbers
For Steele quarterback Xavier Martin this season:
1,869: Yards passing
21: Passing touchdowns
60.49: Completion percentage (124 of 205 attempts)
3: Interceptions
632: Yards rushing
6.7: Yards per carry on 95 attempts
8: Rushing touchdowns
Saturday: 6A D-II state semifinal — Steele vs. Katy Cinco Ranch, 6 p.m., Alamodome
Steele star Martin ready to run again
Some of the best plays Xavier Martin has made have been with his feet.
Steele’s quarterback boasts breakaway speed and is adept at making tacklers miss — one of the reasons he has four scholarship offers to play at a major college. Knights coach Scott Lehnhoff said the Texas Tech commit also uses running as a way to get locked into a game and get his competitive juices flowing.
For most of the season, though, Martin has essentially turned off that part of himself. He suffered a high ankle sprain late in Steele’s District 27-6A opener Sept. 16 at Smithson Valley and has since operated almost exclusively as a pocket passer who scrambles only when necessary.
“Running is a lot more fun than just sitting back there and throwing,” Martin said. “It’s been tough not getting as many carries as I usually do. But I’d rather win than get carries.”
Martin, who rushed for 461 yards in the first three games of the year and has 171 in the last 11, has continued to help Steele win by passing for 1,869 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing more than 60 percent. The Knights also have not needed him to run, with Brenden Brady having rushed for more than 1,500 yards in a breakout junior season.
That has allowed Martin’s ankle to gradually heal, and he said it now is “totally fine.” That’s good news for the Knights, who likely will ask the 6-foot, 185-pound senior to tap into his ground game either this week or next.
Steele (13-1) faces Katy Cinco Ranch (11-3) in a Class 6A Division II state semifinal at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome. If the Knights win, they will face either DeSoto (13-0) or Klein Collins (13-1) in the championship game Dec. 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Steele has reached the state semifinals for the third year in a row in large part because its defense has allowed just seven points in the last three games. But Lehnhoff said it is unlikely the Knights can be as stingy against their upcoming opponents, which means they might need to bolster their offense by making Martin more of a dual threat.
“Eventually, he’s going to have to make a ton of plays for us to get it done,” Lehnhoff said. “We’re going to have to score to win.”
Winning has remained the priority for Martin, even if it has come at the expense of his individual statistics and gone against his desire to play.
He had to sit out Steele’s Sept. 23 showdown with Judson. Fellow senior Cody Massey started at quarterback and helped lead the Knights to a 30-9 win. Martin left after the first series in an Oct. 14 win over New Braunfels Canyon because he aggravated the ankle injury.
Martin has come out of five other games, including the last two playoff victories, because Steele enjoyed comfortable leads and did not want to risk injury. .
“I feel like he’s dealt with it maturely,” Steele H-back Trai Armstrong said. “Most people, once they get hurt, they get down on themselves, and that can ruin somebody’s season real easily. But throughout the whole process, he thought about us and thought about the team.”
Armstrong also said Martin is having more fun on the field because he knows his time there could be fleeting. Martin has been forced to spend more hours working on his passing skills as well, which he said has made him a better quarterback.
During Saturday’s quarterfinal win against Churchill, Martin bounced around in the pocket before lofting a spiral to Onyx Smith for a 53-yard touchdown. Martin said he would not have been as patient at the beginning of the season, when he would have been inclined to scramble instead of going through his passing reads.
“I can work and move around in the pocket a lot more instead of just taking off,” he said.
Martin still has that running ability — and he still enjoys it. He might need to do more of it to make a case for being the best quarterback in Steele’s decade as a program.
Armstrong’s older brother, Tommy Armstrong, who now plays for Nebraska, quarterbacked the Knights to their only state title in 2010. Martin said he has taken tips from the elder Armstrong, who also is equally adept at running and throwing, and hopes he can wind up with the same result.
“I think all quarterbacks want to be measured by championships,” Lehnhoff said. “He wants to be the guy that gets us back to the state-title game and wins it.”
After recovering and evolving from his injury, Martin is better equipped to do that more than ever.
http://www.expressnews.com/sports/h...e-star-Martin-ready-to-run-again-10780161.php
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