‘Risky play’ pays off as Meridian earns tight win over Mountain View, semifinal berth
Leading by five with 9:32 remaining in the game, the logical choice was to go for two.
And Meridian coach John Zamberlin knew just whose number to call.
Junior quarterback Zeke Martinez barreled in for the two-point conversion in what turned out to be the game-winning play in the Warriors’ 24-23 win over Mountain View in the 5A state quarterfinals Friday night at Meridian High.
“It was definitely a risky play,” Martinez said. “The coaches called it, and they called my name and I executed. But big play by our O-line for getting us that touchdown in the first place.”
Down 17-16, Martinez led an 80-yard, five-play drive on the Warriors’ first possession of the fourth quarter. Martinez’s 46-yard pass to junior wide receiver Carver Martin put the ball on the Mavericks’ 20-yard line, and two plays later Martinez was in the end zone on a 3-yard QB keeper.
But if Martinez hadn’t come through with the two-point conversion run for a 24-17 lead, it likely would have been the Mavericks celebrating a state quarterfinal victory instead.
“If we just kick the extra point, that’s not doing us any good,” Zamberlin said. “... We got an extra blocker in front of Zeke, and he’s a strong, tough kid. So it was a good call.”
Mountain View wasn’t derailed by Meridian’s go-ahead score. The Mavericks covered 73 yards in 11 plays that took more than 6 minutes off the clock. Facing fourth-and-1 from the Meridian 10-yard line, sophomore quarterback Henry Nelson found sophomore receiver Tyler Weaver in the end zone for the score.
Then the Mavericks (7-4) lined up for the potential game-tying extra point try. Usually those are automatic, but not on this foggy night.
“It’s always a four-part sequence: snap, protect, hold, kick,” Mountain View coach Brian Compton said. “We just didn’t quite get it done there.”
Meridian (7-3) got the ball back with a one-point lead and 2:57 on the clock. After gaining a first down, the Warriors took to the victory formation, ousting Mountain View from the playoffs for the third year in a row and avenging a 31-26 loss to the Mavericks on Aug. 25.
“We had a great team effort and great execution at the end,” Martinez said. “During halftime, we kind of got together and realized this could be our last shot. It could be the last half of our seniors’ lives. So we really took it to heart and ended up finishing strong.”
Martinez had a hand in all three of the Warriors’ touchdowns. The 6-foot, 200-pound junior completed 21-of-25 passes for 241 yards, including a 39-yard TD pass to Cole Jones and a 19-yard scoring toss to Griffin Deere. Martinez added 25 rushing yards and the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.
Deere was one of six Meridian receivers to catch a pass, totaling six for 67 yards, while Jones contributed 60 receiving yards on four grabs. Senior kicker Davido Okito connected on a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter to round out the scoring for the Warriors.
Meridian now turns its attention to state semifinal opponent Highland, a 28-10 winner over Owyhee. The Warriors beat the Rams 21-14 on Sept. 22 in Pocatello.
“It’s a tough trip, but we’ve done it once and we handled it well,” Zamberlin said. “It’ll be a tough game. It’ll be a dog fight. But I know this: Whoever wins that game is in the state championship.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2023 at 12:20 AM.
