Sensational sophomore quarterback the engine powering St. Martin’s 3-0 start
It’s safe to say the quarterback position has suited Seth Crockett well.
The sophomore scored all three of St. Martin’s touchdowns in a grinding 21-3 win over Stone and its stalwart defensive line Friday, pushing the Yellow Jackets’ record to 3-0 for the first time since the 2019 team began its year with four straight wins.
Crockett transitioned to his new position from running back over the offseason, and the result has been 13 touchdowns scored in 12 quarters of football. The first 10 came in blowout wins, the most recent three came hard-earned in the first big test for the St. Martin offense.
“The last couple of weeks we’ve played teams that have been physical, (Stone) brought a little bit extra to it,” First-year St. Martin head coach Woody Cagnolatti said after the game. “They have really good speed. They’re very well coached. It was a war back and forth, especially in the trenches, and that’s real football.”
The Yellow Jackets poured 98 points over their first two opponents, including a school-record 64 against Vancleave, but were limited to just one score by halftime against a Tomcats defense that features 6-foot-3, 245-pound Tariq Noel and 6-foot-2, 260-pound Colton Ladner on its front line.
It gave St. Martin and offensive coordinator Tim Lala a chance to test the depth and durability of its revamped run game.
“We just executed and exhausted the defense with every play,” Crockett said. “We played with 100 percent speed and got the job done.”
The Jackets’ first score came on a QB sweep to the far side late in the second quarter where Crocker won the edge for the first time. St. Martin continued to pound coming out of the break.
Gifted a 6-yard punt, Crocker led the Yellow Jackets’ offense again through zone keepers and backfield improvisation to their second score: a 3-yard plunge by Crocker through the teeth of the defense.
“The offensive line did a great job of getting Seth enough space to do what he needed to do,” Cagnolatti said.
St. Martin is up to 119 points scored through its first three contests. Just a year ago the Jackets managed only 128 points for the entire 10-game schedule.
Cagnolatti credits the turnaround to Lala and his expanded offense now that Crocker is taking the snaps. The change allowed last year’s quarterback Kevin Marshall to take on a multi-positional role in the backfield, split wide and on defense.
The duo of Crocker and Marshall has successfully kept defenses honest. Crocker knifes between the hashes, and Marshall pushes the perimeter through jet sweeps and screens.
“We’re a spread offense and we try to get everybody the ball,” Crocker said. “We got a lot of great players on our team. (Quarterback) puts me in the right position to make my teammates be great and help myself be great, as well.”
All three of St. Martin’s wins have come on the road. Its long-awaited home-opener against Hancock precedes a cage match with the powerful West Harrison Hurricanes to open district play.
History hasn’t been on the Yellow Jackets’ side as a longtime resident of the Coast’s top classification. St. Martin has lost 22 region games in a row dating back to 2021.
But these Jackets have their sights set on their own path.
“We’re just trying to go out there and be the best version of ourselves,” Crocker said. “We’re not looking at the past.”
Stone falls to 1-2, but gets a bye next week before a trip to George County Sept. 26.
