The Herald’s Offensive Football Player of the Year: Leyton Martin

Published 10:25 am Friday, December 20, 2024

ARLINGTON — If you watched Arlington High School football this season, the first thing you’d say would probably be something along the lines of “How do you stop that?”

The Eagles averaged 40.6 points per game this season and found their groove both by air and on the ground. Senior running back Caleb Reed broke out to the tune of 1,358 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground while two Arlington wide receivers eclipsed 750 receiving yards in seniors Chase Deberry and Jake Willis.

But the player running the show all season was Leyton Martin. The Eagles’ senior quarterback passed for 2,537 yards and 28 touchdowns, leading Arlington to a three-way tie for first place in Wesco 4A play in their first year after reclassifying from class 3A.

These accomplishments have earned Leyton Martin the title of The Herald’s Offensive Football Player of the Year.

In a season filled with offensive talent across Snohomish County, Martin’s selection was the product of input from area coaches, statistical analysis and first-hand observations. Martin won the coaches’ poll by a slight margin over area talents like Lake Stevens’ Kolton Matson, and Monroe’s Mason Davis.

Standing at 6’0” and 170 pounds, Martin doesn’t have the prototypical QB build. But in Arlington head coach Greg Dailer’s no-huddle spread offense, all his quarterback needs is heart and confidence.

“He’s just a playmaker, he has the ability to create when nothing’s there,” said Dailer about Martin. “It was so fun — we’ll miss Leyton for sure.”

Martin started his journey as a varsity QB four games into his sophomore season when he made his first start at the position. Martin had been playing receiver for the first three games of the 2022 season but got his shot at the QB position against ranked Ferndale thanks to his throwing accuracy.

“A lot of guys made plays for me that game, so that kind of set up my whole career,” said Martin, of the Ferndale matchup. “It gave me a boost of confidence, it kind of fueled me the rest of high school.”

Martin would only play three games at QB that season before breaking his arm, but Dailer had seen enough to know Martin was the future of the team.

That vision was confirmed when a junior Martin and the Eagles took on Mount Vernon on the road.

“He just had a play where he scrambled and he was probably 10 yards deep in the pocket and dodged three or four guys and just made people look silly, and then throws a 50-yard bomb to Jacoby [Falor],” said Dailer. “It’s just like like ‘ok this is what we got for the next two years… .’ This is going to be awesome.”

There was also a great deal of mental growth that Dailer noticed from Martin in his second season as QB1.

“His sophomore year, he just mostly relied on his athleticism… I think he really progressed transitioning into his junior year, just learning his reads and being able to read coverages,” Dailer said. “Our mantra became ‘Progression first, do your Leyton Martin thing second.’”

This season saw the Eagles go 10-2 and make the state quarterfinal, eventually losing to No. 1 Camas 35-21 on the road. The 2024 Eagles were dominant overall, thanks in part 30 seniors. But similar to his personal progression, Martin believes his team’s success came from their ability to be multi-dimensional.

“Last year we relied on the pass quite a bit, but we could run the ball. This year being able to run the ball, Caleb is a monster,” said Martin. “We had three guys the [offensive] line earn honorable mention or all-league status, which is pretty special… I don’t think we really had a flaw offensively.”

But Martin’s most potent memory from his OPOY season came in the moments after the team’s first loss of the season to Glacier Peak, 10-7, on Oct. 18.

“We all came together even more… we kind of realized we’ve got to come to play each week,” said Martin. “We had a chip on our shoulders now. We knew what we had to do if we wanted to accomplish our goals.”

That wake-up call led to some signature wins for the Eagles, as they would take down the two-time defending state champions in Lake Stevens 28-14 two weeks later and won their state opener against Graham-Kapowsin 42-6.

Dailer believes Martin’s play against Lake Stevens was “near-perfect,” despite the heavy pressure around that game. Dailer credited Martin’s nonchalant personality for his ability to thrive in the face of adversity.

“He’s just cool as a cucumber,” said Dailer. “He’s super confident but he’s not cocky… he’s unassuming.”

For Martin, that confidence stems from staying busy. As a three-sport athlete (football, basketball, track-and-field), ASB vice president, and straight-A student, Martin believes in tackling each facet of his life as they come.

“When you attack things head-on, it’s easier to get it out of the way and do your best job,” said Martin.

As a quarterback, point guard and high-jumper, Martin has a sport to play each season of the academic year. Balancing those duties and training to be the best in each is a constant process.

“During football, I would get up early in the morning sometimes at like 5:00 a.m. and get extra [basketball] shots up,” said Martin. “In the spring, after track, we’d throw [for football].”

In terms of recruitment, Martin is currently fielding the most collegiate interest for his skills on the hardwood. Martin has one football offer at the moment but has multiple Division II basketball programs interested, with one full-ride scholarship being offered. Martin’s senior year of basketball will be pivotal in his recruitment going forward, as he has also been in contact with Division I basketball programs in the Big Sky Conference.

But Martin’s 2024 season on the gridiron and his career as Arlington’s quarterback won’t soon be forgotten.