Murphy’s Martinez has unpleasant memory
Published 12:01 am Friday, November 27, 2009
After his team edged W.F. West last week in the Class 2A state quarterfinals, Alex Martinez didn’t savor the victory for long.
His thoughts zoomed to the next challenge and subsequently bad memories from a year ago.
Martinez, a senior on the Archbishop Murphy High School football team, will help lead the Wildcats (11-1) against the Lynden Lions (11-1) today in the Class 2A state semifinals at the Tacoma Dome — the same location and round of playoffs where Lynden pulled off a 21-13 victory over Murphy in 2008.
“I remember the first play of the game they actually scored a touchdown on us and it was my fault. I was supposed to cover (Lynden receiver Blair Bomber) and it was my fault,” Martinez said.
“You remember that over and over and over,” added Martinez, a 2009 All-Cascade Conference first team pick at running back and defensive back. “I can’t wait until (Saturday) because we’re all pretty hungry and we’re all still pretty sad about last year, losing that game, because we all felt that we should have won it. But they were a very strong team and proved differently.”
Murphy beat Lynden 34-20 in a season-opening non-league game on Sept. 5. Since then, Lynden has won 11 consecutive times, outscoring foes 361-64 (an average score of 32.8-5.8) and earning five shutouts.
“They’ve just been really sound (with) their technique and fundamentals,” Martinez said. “Their timing offensively, I’ve seen, has gotten a lot better since (week one). With a spread offense like (Lynden’s), that’s what you expect.”
On film, Lynden’s defense looks much more aggressive, Murphy coach Dave Ward said: “They look like they fly around well. They get side to side. And I thought their secondary coverages have improved.”
To avoid a result like it endured in last year’s semifinals, Murphy’s pass defense must improve drastically too.
It’s intense in the Dome
The warm, noisy Tacoma Dome can be a disorienting, cramp-inducing nightmare for football players. “It’s so hot in there. You can’t practice to play in an environment like that,” Martinez said. “It’s so loud you can’t even think. Everybody’s screaming. Your season’s on the line. This is what it all comes down to.”
A helpful loss
A year ago Murphy took a perfect 11-0 record into the semifinals. But this year the Wildcats lost in week two against 3A Eastside Catholic. The defeat has been a powerful motivator, Murphy junior Tani Tupou said: “The reason why we lost (against Lynden in the semis) last year, I think, was we hadn’t had challenges. We experienced a loss this year so I think that really humbled our team. We know what that feeling is like.”
Wildcat is almost an Eagle
Tupou, a two-way all-conference first team lineman, is a longtime Boy Scout who needs just a few more merit badges to become an Eagle Scout. One of his greatest Scouting adventures was this past summer when he kayaked on the Columbia River from Beacon Rock to Longview. The previous summer he did a 300-mile week-long bike tour of the San Juan Islands, including a grueling ride to the top of Mount Constitution on Orcas Island. Said Tupou, “Going down was the best part.”
Advice for a freshman
In last week’s quarterfinal, Murphy freshman back Hans VanderWel played some key minutes. Martinez, who played varsity as a freshman, said his suggestions to his young teammate were, “Don’t play like a freshman. You can’t be timid out here. If you’re going to make a mistake, make it at full speed. If you have questions, ask them. We’re here to help.”
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.
