‘We didn’t fold.’ Meridian, Mountain View light up scoreboard in 6A SIC showdown
Having played football together since the sixth grade, Zeke and Gabe Martinez are often mistaken for brothers because they share the same last name.
While they aren’t related, their skills on the gridiron make it easy to see why people often make that assumption.
The Meridian standouts kept the Warriors’ public address announcer busy Friday night, spearheading a 46-34 victory over Mountain View in 6A Southern Idaho Conference action at Meridian High School.
“We get mistaken for brothers, cousins, everything,” Gabe said. “They always think we’re related in some way.
“It’s super fun hearing his name on the announcements because it’s my name, too, so it always feels good.”
Zeke, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior quarterback, has been a starter for the Warriors (1-1) since his freshman year, while Gabe is a starting linebacker. The pair took turns making big plays against the Mavericks (1-1).
After a season-opening loss to Eagle last week, the Warriors wasted little time putting points on the board against Mountain View. Meridian took a 20-0 lead just 10 seconds into the second quarter, with Zeke scoring a pair of rushing TDs in the opening frame and then throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Holden Coy at the start of the second.
“Last week we suffered a tough one, but we got after it in practice and we were able to accelerate in everything we did, speed up every drill,” Zeke said. “We were able to improve, and it showed, so I’m just glad to be able to get a win out here with my guys.”
Zeke, who holds offers from Memphis and Nebraska-Kearney, had a hand in six of Meridian’s seven touchdowns Friday night. He completed 25-of-34 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns and also totaled 41 yards and three more scores on eight carries.
“He’s a leader. He’s played and won a lot of games for us,” Meridian coach John Zamberlin said. “He keeps his poise out there and keeps everybody on the offense poised.”
Coy, senior Carver Martin and sophomore Jaxon Ocamica each caught touchdown passes, and eight different receivers hauled in at least one pass for the Warriors. Martin totaled six grabs for a team-high 105 yards, and senior running back Juju Carrasco balanced the attack with nine carries for 115 yards and a TD.
Meridian led 34-13 at halftime, but had to withstand a second-half rally from the Mavericks.
“We know they’re coming for our throats, and they know we’re coming for theirs,” said Gabe, who led the Warriors in tackles. “It’s a huge rivalry, and we prepare hard all week. We just know that no matter what happens, we have to get the win.”
Mountain View pulled within a touchdown, at 40-34, with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter when junior receiver Kian Foy caught his fourth touchdown pass of the night from junior quarterback Hank Nelson. Foy finished with five receptions for 50 yards, and Nelson was 28-for-43 for 269 yards and five TDs.
Needing a score to quiet the Mavericks, Zeke delivered once again. He led an 11-play drive that culminated with a 19-yard TD pass to Ocamica with 3:17 to play.
“We’ve just really been focusing on our grit this year, especially after practice,” Zeke said. “Instead of just going home, we’re doing team stuff. We’re lifting. We’re conditioning. We’re doing everything as a team this year. I think it really showed out there, because we were winning by a lot and they started to come back. But we didn’t fold.
“We knew the pressure was going to come. We’re playing 11 as one. That’s what we’ve been focused on this year. Everything together.”
[Related: Picking the winner of all 29 games this week | Week 1’s top plays | Class-by-class state rankings]
This story was originally published September 7, 2024 at 12:38 AM.
