Tate Martell, Bishop Gorman look to finish on top

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See some of the top plays from the Bishop Gorman senior quarterback.

Tate Martell has been feeling a little misty this week, thinking about his last high school football game Saturday afternoon at UNLV.

The fiery Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) quarterback plays a formidable Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) squad with the hopes of finishing his prep career unbeaten — 45-0 overall and 43-0 as a starter — and possible three-time state champion. The No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard is in the middle of a 53-game win streak, second-longest in the country.

"It's going to be a little sad," said the Ohio State commit. "It's going to be a little upsetting that it's all coming to an end. At the same time it's exciting to think about the new challenges ahead. It's exciting to think we can finish up what set out to do.



"No matter what happens, I think it's going to be pretty bittersweet."

With a Gorman victory, Martell might very well go down as one of the most accomplished if not the best high school quarterbacks to play the game, which surely is a mouthful. His passing numbers aren't gaudy like Chris Leak, who threw for 15,593 yards for Independence (N.C.), or current University of Washington quarterback Jake Browning, who threw for 16,775 yards while leading Folsom (Calif.) to a 45-3 record and a state championship, or Brock Berlin, who went 45-0 record at Evangel Christian Academy (La.) and had 13,902 yards.

Martell has been more efficient, utilizing more balanced attacks while completing 386 of 644 passes for 7,383 career yards with 111 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

A burning building

Known for his fantastic feet, mobility and escapability, the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder has also rushed for 2,218 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Once tabbed "Mini Manziel" for his ability to extend plays with positive, even spectacular results, Martell has found a way to be perfectly under control even under severe duress. His TD-to-interception ratio indicates that.



"Even if it looks like he's escaping a burning building, he just makes plays," Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez said. "It's not by accident. He practices hard, he grinds it out, he's a competitor. He's someone you can count on. All the intangibles, he possesses."

An offensive tackle when he started playing the game at age 6, then a tight end for two seasons, Martell began playing quarterback before age 10 and immediately donned the number 18 after his idol Peyton Manning. Though he's never resembled the angular, drop-back look of Manning, he studies the game diligently like his idol and prides himself on pre-snap reads and changing plays.

"I guess if I could pattern myself after anyone currently it would be Russell Wilson," Martell said. "I'd like to think I can do some of the things he does. I'd sure like to."

The most obvious high school comparison in terms of numbers and stature would be Kyler Murray at Allen (Texas). Also undersized, Murray threw for more than 10,000 yards, rushed for 4,139 and accounted for 186 touchdowns while leading Allen to three straight Texas large-school titles. He was 42-0 record as a starter and graduated in 2015.

"It's just cool to be mentioned in the company of any of those guys," Martell said. "It makes me realize how much we've all accomplished."

Sanchez thinks what sets Martell apart has been ability to lead Gorman to victories over many of the national elite.



Besting the very best
Consider this impressive list that includes perennial national powers and/or state champions: St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) twice, Bingham (Utah) twice, Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) twice, St Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Cedar Hill (Texas), Bellevue (Wash.), Chandler (Ariz.), Long Beach Poly (Calif.), Cocoa (Fla.) and Kahuku (Hawaii).

"I'm not sure who can match up with that list," Sanchez said.

Martell has made countless winning plays against those foes, but it's his ability as a leader that has been equally important. He has been outspoken on social media about his team and on the field he exudes enthusiasm and confidence.

"I've put in enough time to know what I'm capable of and I know how much work our team has put in to know that with our talent and chemistry and coaching, I just don't think we can lose," he said.

Martell and the Gaels have one more chance to prove it against a Liberty team that is 12-1 and has outscored foes 508-208, including a 21-14 win at then nationally ranked Westlake (Austin, Texas).

The Gorman quarterback said he will definitely put aside the sentimentality of his career, and focus for one more game before embarking upon his college career.



"For three years we've taken it one week and one game at a time," Martell said. "And now it's one last week. It's right in front of us. We won't let it slip away."