GAMES
RANKINGS
Rudder's Jaquise Martin
THE CAN'T-MISS KID: Martin looking to leave a tremendous legacy
“I grew up playing basketball because of my Mom,” he laughed. “But my homeboys in middle school were always telling me I was better at football. I made varsity as a freshman in football and the rest is history.
“My Mom and I are really close, but I want to be the best in the family. That’s the real title I’m shooting for.”
Martin was the District Newcomer of the Year for his sophomore season, when he accounted for nearly 1,000 yards of offense and 10 scores. He improved on that number as a junior with another 1,000 yards and 12 scores.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The receiver also stars on the basketball team, where he averaged over 14 points per game in 2023 and has set a school record in the long-jump for the track and field team. He also runs sprints and relays.
“Playing varsity as a freshman really set me up,” he said. “It just gave me so much confidence in all the sports I played. I also learned from the older guys about leadership and dedication. Being around them really took my game to another level. It was key to my development.”
While he was offered by his Mom’s Alma Mater Texas Tech, Martin wanted to chart his own path. The Red Raider legacy committed to Tulsa University in the spring.
“The coaches have just built a great relationship with me,” he said. “They are always checking on me and staying in constant communication with my family. It will be an adjustment being away from home, but I’m excited for the next part of my journey.”
The future Hurricane, however, has his focus on the 2024 Rudder football season as he takes one last ride with his “homeboys”.
2024-25 Rudder Ranger FootballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“We have the experience under our belts, so we should have a great season,” he said. “We just have to continue to communicate and keep our composure when something bad happens. We have to go 100-percent all the time.”
With the resume he has built, has he earned the title for the “best athlete” in his family?
Stay tuned.
Lake Creek's Eli Morcos
REIGN CANE: Lake Creek’s Morcos commits to Tulsa ahead of senior year
However, after his most recent official visit, Morcos ultimately made his decision to commit to Tulsa on Monday.
“It felt right,” he said. “I had been praying about it for a while, and I just felt like God spoke to my heart, telling me that Tulsa was the place I needed to be. Also, I really enjoyed the coaching staff – coach (Corey) Dennis and coach (Kevin) Wilson.
They’re very intelligent, offensive-minded guys who can produce NFL quarterbacks. Regarding the city itself, I enjoyed it a lot. The environment was great, the players were great, and I just felt like that was home.”
As he approaches the final campaign in his high school career, it’s given Morcos the opportunity to reminisce about where it all began.
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
“I’ve always grown up in the sport, dating back to when I was three or four,” said Morcos. “A big part of my journey, I think, was impacted by my brother who’s four years older than me. Growing up, I would go play tackle football with him and his friends, which helped me to be built tough and it’s stuck with me up to this point.”
It would appear that this particular upbringing has paid dividends for the Lions signal-caller, who is coming off a stellar performance in 2023, in which he accumulated over 1,500 yards through the air, with 18 passing touchdowns, and 11 more on the ground.
Collectively, Lake Creek (12-1) went undefeated through the regular season, which carried over into the playoffs, before being edged out by the eventual UIL-5A-II state champs Port Neches-Groves (30-27) in the Regional Quarterfinals.
Now that he has secured his future playing career, Morcos has a one-track mind for the upcoming Fall.
“It’s time to go get it done,” he said. “Last year I was still going through the whole recruitment process, which put a little bit more pressure on my shoulders. But, now the mindset is to just go win and have fun. It’s going to be the last time I’ll be on the same field with my friends, so I’m hoping to make it count.
Obviously, I want to stay consistent and be a leader for the guys around me since I’m going to be one of the oldest of the group. So, I intend to make this season enjoyable for myself and my teammates – to be an uplifting spirit so they can take on what seniors leave when all is said and done.”
Given that the vast majority of last year’s roster will be returning for head coach Pat Kennedy, which includes the soon-to-be Tulsa Hurricane, fans should expect more of the same success in 2024, if not greater.