Sussex County Sports Blog

By Dan Cleary

8/11/2008 - Martinek Gives Me Knight Fever

I was sitting at my desk at the local paper one fall evening in 2003 getting the sports section together and waiting for the results of that night’s football clash between Hopatcong and Lenape Valley under the lights at Patriots Field at Lenape Valley Regional High School.

My then colleague Bill Rawson strolled into the newsroom after covering the game and he told me that Lenape Valley won, 49-28, so I figured no surprise there, Don Smolyn’s Pats were always one of the top teams in the Sussex County Interscholastic League and Hopatcong was young.

But Bill said the game was far from a blowout, and with apologies to Jon Landau who praised a young Bruce Springsteen in a review in the mid 1970s, Bill said he saw the future of SCIL running backs and its name was Joe Martinek.

The incredible freshman rushed for an amazing 350 yards out of the single-wing and single-handedly kept the Chiefs in the game with one amazing scoring jaunt after another. He finished his incredible freshman campaign with 1,309 yards at the tender age of 14. That’s right. A 14-year-old had set the league on fire.

I had heard about Martinek prior to the start of the season and all the rumors that all the major parochial schools were gunning for him and tried to pry him away from Hopatcong.

But I have never been one to get on a player’s bandwagon before they have even played a single high school game. I have seen too many youth level heroes flame out or not get any better during their high school days to get too caught up in the hype surrounding an eighth-grader.

But Martinek was the real deal and capped his magnificent four-year run with the Chiefs by rewriting the SCIL and state record books. He graduated as the state’s all-time leading rusher with 7,589 yards to go along with 80 TDs.

Martinek, also an All-State performer in track, could run past you, through you or over you as Sparta found out in the Chiefs’ thrilling 20-14 overtime win in the North 1, Group 2 final in 2005 when Martinek made his famous leap into the end zone.

But for as many accolades Martinek garnered, there were critics outside of the SCIL who doubted his ability and said he was the product of a weak league. So when Rutgers coach Greg Schiano offered him a full ride the first day scholarships could be offered, some people raised an eyebrow.

Yes, Martinek was a great athlete and had incredible numbers, but could he compete at a Big East school that was on the rise? Sure, the SCIL has had plenty of talented running backs in the past, but none had played for a top-25 caliber school like Rutgers had become.

Those whispers got a little louder in 2007 when Martinek played mostly on the defensive scout team in practice and did not see any game time as Ray Rice shattered all of the Scarlet Knights’ running records.

But something happened between the end of last year and the start of spring practice in 2008 that people outside of the Rutgers program were not privy to knowing. Martinek had made a tremendous impression on the Scarlet Knights’ coaching staff with his tireless work ethic and performance as running back during practice that he was in the mix for replacing Ray Rice at tailback.

After setting the high school world on fire, Martinek had to prove himself all over again and apparently he has done that. During the spring game, the 6-foot, 215-pounder rushed for 70 yards on 13 carries, including an impressive 49-yard gain, putting him smack dab in the middle of the fight for Rice’ job.

This came as a surprise to some, but not to anyone who watched Martinek play in high school. They knew what he was capable of doing when given the chance to carry the football.

Now that the Knights have started fall practice, it looks like Kordell Young, the outstanding running back from South Jersey who is coming back from major knee surgery, is the leading candidate to replace Rice, if he stays healthy. But that is a big if.

Right now, according to Schiano, Young, Mason Robinson, Jourdan Brooks and Martinek are all still in the hunt. Said Schiano at Media Day Saturday, “…Ray’s a phenomenal player and a great teammate to have and we’re going to miss him. Having said that, Kordell, Mason, Jourdan and Joe have really looked impressive so far.”

The fact that Martinek through his hard work and God-given talent has worked his way into the conversation is amazing and such a feather in the hat of the SCIL, the so-called little Group 2 school that doesn’t produce big-time running backs.

Yes, I know it is still early and a lot can happen between now and Sept. 1 when the Scarlet Knights kick off the season hosting Fresno State on Labor Day before an ESPN audience. But wouldn’t it be great to see Martinek, now wearing No. 38 instead of his old No. 14, running out of the tunnel and actually getting some quality snaps? And then helping the Knights win their third straight bowl game and finish in the top 25?

I, for one, would be ecstatic, and I know I wouldn’t be the only one feeling that way in these parts.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, there is a lot at stake for Rutgers this year with questions surrounding the funding of the school’s $102 million stadium expansion and Schiano’s contract, especially what details were in the fine print.

Yes, I will follow those issues because they not only concern me as a sports fan, but as a taxpayer as well. But the No. 1 attraction and story about Rutgers football for me this season will be No. 38 and what he does.

I’m hoping Martinek can silence some of the critics who doubted his credentials. Also, it is very easy to root for Martinek. He is definitely one of the good guys and from a great family. He showed his character at an early age when he was in eighth-grade and shunned the big parochial schools to play with his childhood buddies.

Now it looks like Martinek has made the right choice of schools again and Rutgers is a better place for it.

That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.

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Sussex County Sports Blog

By Dan Cleary

8/11/2008 - Martinek Gives Me Knight Fever