-
Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
- Thread starter wadc45
- Start date
OSUnumber45
All-American
If he really likes what Tressel is telling him then why is ND a leader at this point?
Upvote
0
tsteele316
Mr. Such and Such
i presume the earlier info from the cinci board is where you are basing the ND is the leader. however, the fact that in this update, martin says UF was much better than tennessee starts to question the validity of what was said on the cinci board.
Upvote
0
OSUnumber45
All-American
Thanks tsteele. That's what I was basing my info on, but it doesn't look to be solid info and this has came from a few people. Anyways disregard my previous comments.
Upvote
0
Link
Picture
He's No. 2: Ben Martin, La Salle
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> Ben Martin never played football until his freshman year at La Salle. He literally cried his way onto the team, having begged his mother to let him play.
Four years later, Martin is one of the top high school players in America.
"Ben Martin is the best defensive end prospect I have ever seen in Ohio," said Duane Long, in his 10th year as a Midwest football recruiting evaluator for Scout.com.
"If there is a better defensive end in the country," Long said, "I need to see him."
Martin is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound package of raw athletic talent rarely seen in Cincinnati. Long, who also rates players for Ohio High magazine, lists Martin the No. 1 senior prospect in Ohio this season - just ahead of Colerain safety Eugene Clifford. Martin is rated the nation's No. 45 prospect overall by Rivals.com.
"He's got the long, lean body and is so athletic that it's hard for offensive linemen to get their hands on him," said Long. "He's got the high motor you want in any defensive player. He chases plays from one side of the field to the other, and he's a playmaker."
He also is a pretty good actor.
Martin, who said he'd be in the drama club if he were not playing sports, pulled every trick out of his bag four years ago when trying to convince his mother to let him play football. He was an AAU basketball player in those days, but football was not allowed.
Mona Bell, Martin's mother, was like all moms - she did not want her son to get hurt playing football. But Ben was determined to do so as he moved from Mount Airy Elementary to La Salle High School entering the 2003-04 school year.
"He cried, so I let him play," Bell said, laughing now. "I said, 'But you're going to get hurt.' And he said, 'I don't know anybody at that school, and that's how I'll make friends.' "
Mom relented, with a warning: "If you break something, don't call me."
The transition to La Salle, an all-boys' Catholic school, was not easy. After going to grade school with a sizable number of fellow minorities, Martin found himself one of relatively few African-American students at mostly white La Salle.
"I didn't have any friends, so I thought football could help me get to know people," Martin said.
You probably can guess the rest. Martin wound up having a strong season in both freshman football and in the classroom.
By his sophomore year, he was a varsity starter. As a junior, he was an Enquirer all-area player and received second-team all-state mention as he compiled 13 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and was in on 70 tackles overall. Those are hefty numbers for a defensive lineman at the Greater Catholic League South level, especially a lineman who often is double-teamed.
Martin also has excelled on the Lancers' basketball team. Last season he averaged 5.9 points and 5.0 rebounds a game, respectable numbers in the GCL. Though he was not the team's top scorer, La Salle basketball coach Dan Fleming said of Martin's physical presence:
"He's the one guy we can't afford not to have."
Martin, who carries a 3.6 grade-point average, has become the man for the Lancers' football program. His towering height and muscular build make him easy to spot on the practice field and in the huddle, as an athlete even casual bystanders realize is unique.
"He's a 6-5, 230-pound guy and runs a 4.5 in the 40, and that alone makes him pretty special," La Salle football coach Tom Grippa said.
Grippa is moving Martin to middle linebacker this season, as La Salle has a need there. Not to mention, it will curtail the double-teaming Martin would have seen at defensive end. For college, Martin expects to be a down lineman.
Martin's leading choices for college are Notre Dame and Ohio State. His parents, Mona Bell and Keith Martin, are both from Gary, Ind., just a short drive from Notre Dame's campus in South Bend, Ind. Keith Martin still lives in Gary.
"I ran track back in the day and played a little basketball, but I had to work, you know," Keith Martin said. "I knew Ben was going to be a big boy. He loves to eat. He'd eat two bowls of cereal at once, cookies, you name it.
"... He always worked hard at whatever he did, and he's going to make it."
Ben attributes his status to "a lot of luck. I just went hard, and football drills came natural to me. Then when I was a sophomore and they put me ahead of some seniors on the varsity, right into the fire, I knew I should take advantage of it. The hard-working part comes easy for me, because I like to work."
While his parents wouldn't mind seeing him up at Notre Dame, Ben said he will take his time with a college choice. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida, Tennessee and Penn State are on his list of potential visits.
"He was always a good boy," Bell said of her son. "He always did what he was supposed to do ... and he was always a little scared of his mother."
Ben laughs softly at that one.
"When it comes down to it, the (college) decision is mine," he said. "... I'll see how it plays out during the season."
E-mail [email protected]
Martin profile
Position: Defensive end/linebacker
Height: 6 feet 5
Weight: 230
Favorite music: Rap
Favorite artist: T.I.
Favorite movie: "Training Day"
Favorite TV show: "The Simpsons"
2005 stats: 13 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 70 tackles overall
2005 honors: Second-team all-state, first-team All-Southwest District and All-Greater Catholic League South
Picture
He's No. 2: Ben Martin, La Salle
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> Ben Martin never played football until his freshman year at La Salle. He literally cried his way onto the team, having begged his mother to let him play.
Four years later, Martin is one of the top high school players in America.
"Ben Martin is the best defensive end prospect I have ever seen in Ohio," said Duane Long, in his 10th year as a Midwest football recruiting evaluator for Scout.com.
"If there is a better defensive end in the country," Long said, "I need to see him."
Martin is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound package of raw athletic talent rarely seen in Cincinnati. Long, who also rates players for Ohio High magazine, lists Martin the No. 1 senior prospect in Ohio this season - just ahead of Colerain safety Eugene Clifford. Martin is rated the nation's No. 45 prospect overall by Rivals.com.
"He's got the long, lean body and is so athletic that it's hard for offensive linemen to get their hands on him," said Long. "He's got the high motor you want in any defensive player. He chases plays from one side of the field to the other, and he's a playmaker."
He also is a pretty good actor.
Martin, who said he'd be in the drama club if he were not playing sports, pulled every trick out of his bag four years ago when trying to convince his mother to let him play football. He was an AAU basketball player in those days, but football was not allowed.
Mona Bell, Martin's mother, was like all moms - she did not want her son to get hurt playing football. But Ben was determined to do so as he moved from Mount Airy Elementary to La Salle High School entering the 2003-04 school year.
"He cried, so I let him play," Bell said, laughing now. "I said, 'But you're going to get hurt.' And he said, 'I don't know anybody at that school, and that's how I'll make friends.' "
Mom relented, with a warning: "If you break something, don't call me."
The transition to La Salle, an all-boys' Catholic school, was not easy. After going to grade school with a sizable number of fellow minorities, Martin found himself one of relatively few African-American students at mostly white La Salle.
"I didn't have any friends, so I thought football could help me get to know people," Martin said.
You probably can guess the rest. Martin wound up having a strong season in both freshman football and in the classroom.
By his sophomore year, he was a varsity starter. As a junior, he was an Enquirer all-area player and received second-team all-state mention as he compiled 13 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and was in on 70 tackles overall. Those are hefty numbers for a defensive lineman at the Greater Catholic League South level, especially a lineman who often is double-teamed.
Martin also has excelled on the Lancers' basketball team. Last season he averaged 5.9 points and 5.0 rebounds a game, respectable numbers in the GCL. Though he was not the team's top scorer, La Salle basketball coach Dan Fleming said of Martin's physical presence:
"He's the one guy we can't afford not to have."
Martin, who carries a 3.6 grade-point average, has become the man for the Lancers' football program. His towering height and muscular build make him easy to spot on the practice field and in the huddle, as an athlete even casual bystanders realize is unique.
"He's a 6-5, 230-pound guy and runs a 4.5 in the 40, and that alone makes him pretty special," La Salle football coach Tom Grippa said.
Grippa is moving Martin to middle linebacker this season, as La Salle has a need there. Not to mention, it will curtail the double-teaming Martin would have seen at defensive end. For college, Martin expects to be a down lineman.
Martin's leading choices for college are Notre Dame and Ohio State. His parents, Mona Bell and Keith Martin, are both from Gary, Ind., just a short drive from Notre Dame's campus in South Bend, Ind. Keith Martin still lives in Gary.
"I ran track back in the day and played a little basketball, but I had to work, you know," Keith Martin said. "I knew Ben was going to be a big boy. He loves to eat. He'd eat two bowls of cereal at once, cookies, you name it.
"... He always worked hard at whatever he did, and he's going to make it."
Ben attributes his status to "a lot of luck. I just went hard, and football drills came natural to me. Then when I was a sophomore and they put me ahead of some seniors on the varsity, right into the fire, I knew I should take advantage of it. The hard-working part comes easy for me, because I like to work."
While his parents wouldn't mind seeing him up at Notre Dame, Ben said he will take his time with a college choice. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida, Tennessee and Penn State are on his list of potential visits.
"He was always a good boy," Bell said of her son. "He always did what he was supposed to do ... and he was always a little scared of his mother."
Ben laughs softly at that one.
"When it comes down to it, the (college) decision is mine," he said. "... I'll see how it plays out during the season."
E-mail [email protected]
Martin profile
Position: Defensive end/linebacker
Height: 6 feet 5
Weight: 230
Favorite music: Rap
Favorite artist: T.I.
Favorite movie: "Training Day"
Favorite TV show: "The Simpsons"
2005 stats: 13 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 70 tackles overall
2005 honors: Second-team all-state, first-team All-Southwest District and All-Greater Catholic League South
Upvote
0
goodguy
I loathe goodguy
While his parents wouldn't mind seeing him up at Notre Dame, Ben said he will take his time with a college choice. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida, Tennessee and Penn State are on his list of potential visits.
"He was always a good boy," Bell said of her son. "He always did what he was supposed to do ... and he was always a little scared of his mother."
Ben laughs softly at that one.
"When it comes down to it, the (college) decision is mine," he said. "... I'll see how it plays out during the season."
To me that last statement is very telling. Ben obviously likes ND, but isn't as sold as his parents are.
"He was always a good boy," Bell said of her son. "He always did what he was supposed to do ... and he was always a little scared of his mother."
Ben laughs softly at that one.
"When it comes down to it, the (college) decision is mine," he said. "... I'll see how it plays out during the season."
To me that last statement is very telling. Ben obviously likes ND, but isn't as sold as his parents are.
Upvote
0
zincfinger
Gert Frobe-approved
Determined to get hurt? Hopefully Ben's changed his goals in life.
Upvote
0
OSUBucks22
No touching!
Rivals $ (ND site)
8/18
Ben talks about his move to MLB for this year. He talks about Coach Tressel and his discussion of the move, and how it would be good for Ben's versatility.
8/18
Ben talks about his move to MLB for this year. He talks about Coach Tressel and his discussion of the move, and how it would be good for Ben's versatility.
Upvote
0
Link
Lancer defense will help lead team into postseason play
BY CHRIS YEAGER | COMMUNITY PRESS CONTRIBUTOR
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> After his La Salle's scrimmage at Princeton Aug. 12, Lancer head coach Tom Grippa asked the players who could beat them.
"No one!" the Lancers barked in reply.
Then, oddly enough, Grippa corrected them. "Only you can."
With an 8-2 record, second place in the Greater Catholic League -- but no playoff spot -- Grippa said this year's Lancers are a hungry bunch.
"We felt that we were, legitimately, the third best team in the city last year," Grippa said, giving a nod to eventual state champion St. Xavier and perennial power Colerain. "We were No. 3 in the city all year."
This year's team has that as motivation. It also has six returning players to bolster a La Salle defense that Grippa describes as "fast and big."
Ben Martin, sought by the likes of Ohio State, Notre Dame and Tennessee among other Division I college powers, will start at linebacker. Martin posted 13 sacks in 2005, with 35 solo tackles and 38 assisted tackles to his credit.
Vince Harris and Billy Parker, both first-team All-GCL last year, fill out the linebacker corps. Harris racked up 12 sacks, an interception, and posted 32 solo tackles last year. Parker had six sacks to go with 40 solo tackles.
Josh Lutts returns to man a defensive end slot. Nate Jones offers excellent coverage in the defensive backfield, according to Grippa. He calls Brian Jacobs, though, the "quarterback" of the Lancer defense.
"He's very smart," Grippa said. "He'll make sure we've got the right coverage, that we're in the right defense for the situation."
As a sophomore last year, Aaron Walter kicked the game-winning field goal in the heart-stopping win over Moeller. He returns, too, adding to special teams that Grippa calls strong. Walter will also handle punting duties in 2006.
Just how well La Salle's split-back/veer offense performs is a question heading into the season. A healthy Isaac Green at running back will be a key ingredient to offensive productivity.
With more than 600 yards rushing as a junior last season, Green was La Salle's leading ground gainer. A second-team all-league choice, Green also covered 235 yards receiving.
Next year, the University of Cincinnati gets Garrett Celek. This year the second-team all-league pick will anchor the offensive line, assisted by Ryan Bedinghaus and Dave Middendorf. A tackle last season, Grippa is counting on Middendorf to produce at tight end in 2006. Bedinghaus will also serve as tight end.
Junior Brendan Jones has made a fine pre-season impression and will team with Green in the offensive backfield.
And the 2005 season itself remains filled with lessons for the 2006 squad. "Last year's class showed the way," Grippa said. "They know now what a special effort it takes to win the GCL."
But that's just one lesson the 2006 Lancers are eager to prove they learned. Making the postseason games is certainly a goal, but "we have to take it to the next level," Grippa said.
Getting past St. Xavier this season would be an important step toward state tournament hopes. Grippa favors the Bombers for this year's title, but notes that Elder is much improved, and Moeller will certainly be motivated.
"It's going to be a battle," Grippa said. "They've learned to pay the price."
Lancer defense will help lead team into postseason play
BY CHRIS YEAGER | COMMUNITY PRESS CONTRIBUTOR
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> After his La Salle's scrimmage at Princeton Aug. 12, Lancer head coach Tom Grippa asked the players who could beat them.
"No one!" the Lancers barked in reply.
Then, oddly enough, Grippa corrected them. "Only you can."
With an 8-2 record, second place in the Greater Catholic League -- but no playoff spot -- Grippa said this year's Lancers are a hungry bunch.
"We felt that we were, legitimately, the third best team in the city last year," Grippa said, giving a nod to eventual state champion St. Xavier and perennial power Colerain. "We were No. 3 in the city all year."
This year's team has that as motivation. It also has six returning players to bolster a La Salle defense that Grippa describes as "fast and big."
Ben Martin, sought by the likes of Ohio State, Notre Dame and Tennessee among other Division I college powers, will start at linebacker. Martin posted 13 sacks in 2005, with 35 solo tackles and 38 assisted tackles to his credit.
Vince Harris and Billy Parker, both first-team All-GCL last year, fill out the linebacker corps. Harris racked up 12 sacks, an interception, and posted 32 solo tackles last year. Parker had six sacks to go with 40 solo tackles.
Josh Lutts returns to man a defensive end slot. Nate Jones offers excellent coverage in the defensive backfield, according to Grippa. He calls Brian Jacobs, though, the "quarterback" of the Lancer defense.
"He's very smart," Grippa said. "He'll make sure we've got the right coverage, that we're in the right defense for the situation."
As a sophomore last year, Aaron Walter kicked the game-winning field goal in the heart-stopping win over Moeller. He returns, too, adding to special teams that Grippa calls strong. Walter will also handle punting duties in 2006.
Just how well La Salle's split-back/veer offense performs is a question heading into the season. A healthy Isaac Green at running back will be a key ingredient to offensive productivity.
With more than 600 yards rushing as a junior last season, Green was La Salle's leading ground gainer. A second-team all-league choice, Green also covered 235 yards receiving.
Next year, the University of Cincinnati gets Garrett Celek. This year the second-team all-league pick will anchor the offensive line, assisted by Ryan Bedinghaus and Dave Middendorf. A tackle last season, Grippa is counting on Middendorf to produce at tight end in 2006. Bedinghaus will also serve as tight end.
Junior Brendan Jones has made a fine pre-season impression and will team with Green in the offensive backfield.
And the 2005 season itself remains filled with lessons for the 2006 squad. "Last year's class showed the way," Grippa said. "They know now what a special effort it takes to win the GCL."
But that's just one lesson the 2006 Lancers are eager to prove they learned. Making the postseason games is certainly a goal, but "we have to take it to the next level," Grippa said.
Getting past St. Xavier this season would be an important step toward state tournament hopes. Grippa favors the Bombers for this year's title, but notes that Elder is much improved, and Moeller will certainly be motivated.
"It's going to be a battle," Grippa said. "They've learned to pay the price."
Upvote
0
