Martinez given reins in Leoti’s triple option attack

By Rod Haxton, editor

As point guard Gabe Martinez was weaving his way through defenders on the basketball court last winter, Gary Campas was thinking what that might mean for his football program.
“When (Martinez) was driving the ball among the big boys he seemed to find someone to get the ball to,” says the Wichita County High School football coach. “That showed me he had good peripheral vision and can make quick decisions.”
A perfect combination for the triple option that Campas is bringing to this season’s offense.
That will be a huge change from the wide open passing game that put up big statistics, but not a lot of wins over the past couple of seasons for the Indians.
“We were pass-oriented because we had a very good quarterback and some good receivers,” Campas says. “but we also learned we can’t rely so heavily on the pass.”
It’s not that the Indians haven’t been able to run the ball. They’ve even had the triple option in their offensive package, “but we felt we were missing a couple of elements to be effective with it,” says the WCHS head coach.
Martinez (5-10, 156, jr.) is adapting to his new role. He likes to run the ball and he’s learning to make good reads on the defense, says Campas, who expects to run the ball about 70 percent of the time.
The Indians will often feature a one-back set with a spread offense. Most of their offensive packages will have two wide receivers and two runningbacks in slot positions so they can be utilized as receivers or in the running game. The two primary backs will be Mario Mancillas (5-5, 150) and sophomore Blake Nickelson (6-0, 160).
“We have two or three others who are battling for varsity spots, but they lack experience,” Campas says.
Senior Drew Smith (6-1, 170) will be fullback in the spread and will be expected to handle a lot of the running duties.
“He’s really improved since last year,” says Campas. “He’s added strength in the weight room over the summer and he’s quicker.”
However, Campas says the offense won’t be limited to the spread, but will also feature the pro set and double tight ends.

Line Making Progress
The line is a work in progress as newcomers adapt to different roles.
Alec Horton, who played tight end last season, is making the transition to offensive tackle “because he knew we needed help there,” Campas says.
Senior Collin Wittig brings quickness and intelligence to his role as center.
“One of the things we’re emphasizing to our center, guards and tackles is the need to communicate so they can make adjustments to blocking schemes,” says the WCHS coach. “They need to recognize the defense and be able to adapt. Gabe is also starting to grasp this and has shown his ability to audible at the line.”
The starting guards at this point appear to be Matthew Mastel (5-8, 195) and Kelton Bangerter (6-0, 180). New offensive tackles are senior Alex Horton (6-2, 185) and sophomore Neil Fletcher (6-1, 170).
“These boys have the potential to be pretty good. But they also understand that if Drew is going to have a 100-yard game it’s because they did their job right,” Campas says.

Defensive Size
The Indians could be huge on the defensive front with 300-plus pound linemen Hector Torres and Jose Holguin, who are both juniors. Torres played last year for WCHS while Holguin is a new addition.
Playing nose tackle is junior Denton Tankersley.
“If those boys can perform like we hope, that will give our linebackers more ability to roam in a 3-5 defense,” Campas says.
Expected to step into the linebacker roles are Smith and freshman Bryce Mason (5-10, 170). One of the defensive ends is Fletcher while Martinez returns as a safety.
“Our linebackers aren’t all that big, but they are aggressive and they love to hit,” says Campas.
The Indians will open their season at home in Hi-Plains League action against Satanta on Sept. 3.