KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN—-Relentless and passionate are words often used to describe Harlingen High senior linebacker Gabriel Martinez. The hard-hitting linebacker has taken the keys to the Cardinal defense and has been a key cog for Big Red.
Martinez is a three-year letterman and is the leading the team in tackles with 59 total and 35 solo. Martinez also has a knack for finding the quarterback, as he is second on the team in sacks with two.
Over the last few seasons, Harlingen has leaned on the sturdy play from the linebacker position. Guys like Garrison Medley, Eladio Flores and Marcos San Miguel have all provided Cardinal coach Manny Gomez with some fire power.
“He has a motor on him for sure,” Gomez said of Martinez. “He is very smart, is in the top 10 of class and has a passion for the game. He says he wears 32 for a reason. I wore the same number but I tell him, he can be better — he can be better than me. He is just a great kid that has a lot of love and passion for the game.”
Martinez attended his first Battle of the Arroyo when he was 6 years old.
“It was a great experience, being able to see all the fans,” Martinez said. “It is a great rivalry and now, we get to be a part of it. It was a lot to take in during my first Battle of the Arroyo. I remember it was hot that night, but it was supposed to be cold. It was nerve-racking; this is a much bigger rivalry that people think it is.”
The twist to it all is the Martinez family is from San Benito and Martinez is a first generation Cardinal.
“It means a lot for me to be a Cardinal,” Martinez said. “My family attended San Benito, but my parents are Cardinal fans now because of me and my dad and I talk about football all the time; that is our thing. He will ask me how practice went; he made me fall in love with the game and I thank him for that.”
Martinez’s grandparents still live in San Benito, but have converted to Cardinal red for Martinez.
“My grandparents still live there but my mom aunt and uncles are all here in Harlingen,” he said. “It is tense, but they are all Cardinal fans now, so it is all good.”