DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Because of Mission Veterans Memorial’s preference for the pass, high-yardage running backs are hard to come by.
But the Patriots may have one this season in Johnny Martinez. The small, shifty back burnt Laredo Martin last week for 125 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. It was a redemptive outing for the senior, who dislocated his elbow during the 2015 season opener against Mission High and missed the rest of the season.
Martinez became the first Patriots running back to rush for 100 yards in a game since John Garcia did it Oct. 30, 2014.
“It’s revenge,” Martinez said. “That’s what I have in my mind, coming back from a dislocated elbow. I was hungry every day and really worked on my legs. Now I’m just focused on keeping moving. My only goal was to finish this season, and push and push and push.”
The Patriots (2-1, 1-0 District 31-5A), winners of two straight games, need that mentality, particularly when going up against preseason 31-5A favorite Roma (2-1, 0-1) in The Monitor’s Game of the Week on Friday at Tom Landry Stadium in Mission. With both teams desiring a need to keep the ball out of the other’s hands, the run game could have a stronger influence than usual for Mission Veterans Memorial.
“Going into every game, we want to establish the run,” Mission Vets coach David Gilpin said. “I’m upfront about not being 50-50 and I’ve got a tremendous belief in the passing game. In order to make a deep run in the playoffs, our belief is we have to throw the ball. We know we’re not going to be a balanced offense, but we do want to try and run. We’re not going to throw 99 percent of the time.
“Johnny is showing teams we can run the football. It’s definitely something we want to build on.”
If anything, a successful run game for the Patriots isn’t to control the clock and play a possession game. It is used to open the offense and take pressure off a dominant passing attack anchored by quarterback Diego Hernandez, who has thrown for 898 yards and 12 touchdowns. That will be the idea Friday against Roma.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” Martinez said. “But like they say, big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. This is going to be a big game for me, so I’m just going to have to shock the world.”
Martinez said he is a faster and smarter player than last year. He said he did not have a good mentality before.
“I was scared before,” Martinez said. “I was green. That was my problem. Now I fixed that and look now, I’m getting 100 yards in a game. I learned to be physical and tough when it comes to the mindset.”
Martinez refers to himself as an “east-west runner who is north-bound when I see that open hole.” He’s not a natural receiver, Gilpin said, but he hasn’t dropped a pass this season and is a legitimate threat with his speed in the Patriots’ screen packages.
In three games, Martinez has rushed 25 times for 27 yards and a score. He’s also caught nine passes for 63 yards and another score.
More essential, Martinez has emerged as another cog in one of the Valley’s top offenses.
“He gives us a different style of back,” Gilpin said. “He’s got some quickness to him, good burst. He’s got good vision. He’s strong off the line of scrimmage.
“Exactly what we saw against Laredo Martin is what we expected. He’s a good running back with a great work ethic.”