Hopatcong running back stays in state to play football

BY JOE HOFMANN
DAILY RECORD

Hopatcong's Joe Martinek has been a guest at Rutgers football practices this summer.

Next year, he'll become a full-fledged member of the Scarlet Knights.

The senior running back gave a verbal commitment to Rutgers Friday, ending speculation before the 2006 high school season even got underway.

Rutgers was the first school to offer Martinek a full scholarship.

Vanderbilt, Florida International and West Virginia had also offered.

But none of those schools could beat out the Big East school located in Piscataway, and in the end, Martinek decided to trade in his Hopatcong green for Rutgers' scarlet.

"I love the coaching staff," Martinek said. "I've always felt comfortable with the staff at Rutgers."

"I know he's real happy with everything at Rutgers," Hopatcong coach Paul Reduzzi said.

"Right now, with what Rutgers has done and the way they have treated him ... we're real happy with everything. As a coach, I am very satisfied. This is what Greg Schiano said he was gonna do, to make every effort to keep the kids in New Jersey. The way they recruited Joe was very professional."

"He wanted to go there in the spring,"Martinek's father, Joe, said. "He wanted to commit even then, but he didn't want to not be 100 percent sure. He didn't want to end up second-guessing himself. We looked at all of the possibilities, but as time went on, Rutgers was always the best fit, no matter who offered. That's when he became 100 percent sure."

Martinek visited West Virginia and UConn and was scheduled to visit Vanderbilt.

Martinek led the Chiefs to the Section 1, Group II championship last year at Rutgers Stadium.

He was also a unanimous first-team Associated Press All-State selection after having rushed for a New Jersey-leading 2,509 yards and scoring 28 touchdowns. For his career, Martinek has rushed for 5,520 yards.

"He is one of the better players in the state, no doubt about it," said New Jersey recruiting guru Dennis McCarthy, publisher of the annual McCarthy Report, a guide for college scouts. "No question Joe Martinek is a Division 1 running back."

Whether that means Martinek will play in the backfield is another question.

He has the speed (4.3 in the 40) and hitting ability for defensive back, but he has made it known that he would like to play running back in college.

"It is my understanding that Joe will be put into the best position to get him on the field,"Reduzzi said. "Joe was very happy and in agreement with that. Running back has not been ruled out."

Schiano and his staff have come across as coaches who were passionate and could be trusted.

"He's loved that staff from Day One," Martinek's father said. "There are a lot of similarities between the Rutgers staff and Hopatcong's staff. They are both filled with passionate coaches and players' coaches. My son needs a coach like that. He's quiet, not as quiet as he was when he was 14, but he still appreciates a coach like that."

The 6-foot, 195-pound speedster has a shot to break New Jersey's all-time career rushing record. The career leader is Keyport's Kenny Cattouse, who rushed for 6,720 yards.

Martinek started as a freshman at Hopatcong and rushed for 1,303 yards. As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,708 yards, breaking the Chiefs school single-season mark set by Bobby Smith.

Last year, he became the Sussex County Interscholastic League's all-time leading career rusher, breaking the record set by Pope John's Jason Harper (4,876) in 2004.

As great as Martinek was last year, he has looked even better during early workouts. The Chiefs kick off the 2006 season at Pope John on Sept. 9.

"He looks very good, better than last year," Reduzzi said. "He put some weight on. He is up over 195. He was 185 last year. He's taken on more of a leadership role and is more vocal. It's tough to evaluate a kid who's accomplished so much, but I expect improvement because that is what he expects of himself. The way he can help us this year is not necessarily in yardage but in leadership. We could take a little less in stats and get more leadership and it would be just as important."