Running backs core of Wolves offense
PEARCY — When Tommy Gilleran left Fountain Lake and took over coaching at his alma mater, Lake Hamilton switched from the Spread offense to the Wing-T. A run-based offense that relies on deception and good blocking, the Wing-T is not an offense that many coaches use due to the popularity of the Spread, but when it is run correctly, it can be devastating to a defense. With the 1-2 punch of juniors Owen Miller and Tevin Woodley joined by Kendrick Martin at the end of last season, the Wolves offense has evolved into an even stronger force. Each of the three running backs have their own role on the team. Tevin, as fullback, takes most of the punishment by going up the middle while Miller and Martin both use their speed to find a hole around the end. “They’re all just a little different,” Gilleran said. “You know, Tevin is more of a bowling ball, … and then Owen’s kind of a slasher, you know, kind of makes hits and runs and slashes. Kenny, you know, Kenny’s just all — he’s all steam ahead. He’s going downhill, no matter what. They’re all just a little bit different on that.” “I love them like my brothers,” Woodley said. “We’ve been together all summer. Owen, we’ve been together since peewee. Kendrick, we never really got to know him until he moved up to the high school. So other than that we’re all pretty close, like family.” Gilleran said that the trio of running backs have helped lift the team to new heights this season because they are unselfish. “Each one of them wants the other one to be successful,” he said. “So, when you have something like that that really makes you bond together because, you know, if one was selfish and one was worried about who’s getting more carries or who’s doing this or who’s doing that, but they’re not, they’re all worried about just helping the team be successful. So because of that, they’ve made our team better, but also, you know, they’re better people because of it.” Miller said that when he is on the field, he does not care who has the big plays or who scores as long as he does his job each play. “Mostly I try to play as unselfish as I can, and I feel like that I could get the ball less,” he said. “I don’t care if I get the ball less, … I can have like a horrible game running. But if I’m blocking right, and we win, I feel like that that game is complete and I mostly rely on my line. My offensive line is really the bread and butter — how I play, and if we if I didn’t have them, then I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere.” Woodley, Miller and Martin lead the team in scoring with 52 of the team’s 62 touchdowns. Woodley and Miller each have 21 rushing touchdowns with Miller adding three touchdown receptions, including a 69-yard reception at Hot Springs on Sept. 17. Martin has six rushing touchdowns and one 31-yard touchdown reception. Woodley said the introduction of Martin to the offense has had a big benefit. “When he stepped up, he … actually made our offense more spread out to where they don’t have to worry about just us two backs,” he said. “So like, we can run the ball either way now — more speed, more power.” Gilleran said that Martin offers that much-needed third type of running back to the offense. “He’s a very physical football player, but also he’s a good runner, and he catches the ball good, too,” he said. “So he adds a lot to our offense. I mean, we have three running backs that can all all do damage, running, you know, catching and then blocking. So we have three people like — that’s why we’re in the state finals. When you have three
guys that they all block for each other, they all run, and they all, you know, are physical kids. So, because of that they make this team more successful.”
Woodley leads the Wolves with 1,835 rushing yards ( 7.8 yards per carry) with Miller tallying 1,723 yards (7.7 ypc), and Martin has 652 rushing yards (7.8 ypc). Miller leads the receiving corps with 10 catches for 267 yards and Martin is third in receiving with 115 yards on six carries (19.2 yards per reception).
Martin, who is a sophomore, is happy that he is able to be an integral part of the team for the state final.
“It feels good,” he said. “I know as young as I am that most people my age don’t get this opportunity or to be at the spot that I’m at. So (I want) to take advantage of it.”
Miller said that last week’s semifinal win “felt almost unreal,” but he says that the team will only feel satisfied after a win.
“It just felt like there’s more to it,” he said. “And because we’ve been working so hard, and our how our team is we work and we work and work, and we feel like it’s never finished, how we play. It just it feels like it’s short.
“I feel like that there should be more, but we’re here and we don’t — we’re not going to feel accomplished until we win because there’s those teams that are just happy to be in the state championship. Well, our team is — we’re not going to be finished until it’s over. We’re not gonna be satisfied if we lose Saturday night. We feel like that this game is, it’s the biggest game of our life. Probably the biggest day of our lives, anybody on this team. And we’re just excited to get out there and play in Little Rock.”