Arlington Martin sends statement, routs Lewisville in Class 6A area round contest
Arlington Martin sent a message to the rest of Class 6A Division 1 with an explosive first quarter Thursday night.
The Warriors needed less than a minute to dispatch the Lewisville Farmers.
Martin scored a touchdown on its first play from scrimmage and added five more TDs in the first quarter as the Warriors thrashed the Farmers, 68-0, at Birdville Fine Arts/Athletic Complex.
“We got a chance to watch Lewisville last week, very explosive offense and a talented team, but we came out here excited to play football and a quality team and it showed,” Martin coach Bob Wager said.
The Warriors extend their winning streak to 10 games (10-1) and will play Southlake Carroll, which beat Odessa Permian, in the regional round at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Globe Life Park.
Javien Toviano returned the opening kickoff 40 yards for Martin and the Warriors scored on the next play when Army bound quarterback Zach Mundell threw a short pass to Lenard Lemons, who did the rest 40 yards later.
After a successful 2-point conversion, Martin led 8-0 just 17 seconds into the match.
Only two plays into Lewisville’s drive, the Farmers (7-4) fumbled and 3-star junior linebacker Trevell Johnson picked up the loose ball and scampered 45 yards into the end zone to give the Warriors a 14-0 advantage with 11:01 showing on the first-quarter clock.
“We’re playing complimentary football right now and that’s everyone’s goal,” Wager said. “When you open the game with a long kickoff return, the offense responds. You pin your opponent deep and the defense forces a turnover. Once that starts to happen, the game can become lopsided in a hurry and that’s what happened from the start.”
Toviano scored on a 3-yard run to make it 20-0 a little more than two minutes later and 4-star junior defensive end Ernest Cooper IV sacked Lewisville QB and Boise State signee Taylen Green for a 9-yard loss on the ensuing drive.
Martin ran a fake field goal on its next possession and Mundell hit a wide-open Cal Robinson along the Warriors’ sideline for a 15-yard score. After another 2-point try, Martin’s lead was 28-0 with 4:36 left in the period.
It only took four plays from scrimmage by Martin to up its lead to 44-0.
Despite a bit of miscommunication, Mundell broke a few tackles and scored on a 27-yard TD run. On Martin’s next offensive snap, it was Zaire Barrow’s turn to score when he raced out to a 63-yard scoring run with 1:12 to play in the first quarter.
While the Martin defense continued to shut down Lewisville’s offense, the Warriors kept their foot on the gas pedal.
Barrow added his second and third TD runs from 9 yards and 1 yard, the latter giving Martin a 59-0 lead with 3:42 to go before intermission. Barrow rushed for 117 yards and three TDs by halftime.
Martin out-gained Lewisville 368-52 in total yards during the first half.
“It starts during the week with preparation and the coaches did a good job of game planning,” Johnson said. “Coming in we knew they had a good offense, but our defense just had a good mindset of starting off strong.”
Jonathon Okate picked off a Lewisville pass on the first play of the third quarter. Calum Davidson turned the turnover into points when he booted a 38-yard field goal.
Trey Cochran caught a 17-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter from Tristan Bittle.
Said Johnson, “Coaches always preach ‘don’t let up’ even if it’s 50-0, act like it’s 0-0.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 9:21 PM.
