Whenever Blue Valley North quarterback Henry Martin sees a matchup he likes for one of his receivers, it usually doesn’t take him long to exploit it. The Mustangs’ signal caller has seen a lot of those advantageous matchups during Blue Valley North’s 3-0 start, as has first-year head coach Adam Pummill.
After former BV North coach Andy Sims departed for Park Hill, Martin’s eyes lit up—just as they would when Mekhi Miller, Cole Stratton or Jaxon Goldberg get single coverage with no safety help—about the possibility about Pummill taking the helm for the Mustangs. Martin was thrilled when the BV North administration made the same read by hiring Pummill as the head man. Pummill previously served as the Mustangs’ offensive coordinator.
“It’s really every quarterback’s dream to have the relationship that me and Coach Pummill have. He’s been here ever since I’ve been here,” Martin said after the Mustangs’ 42-21 win over Blue Valley West on September 10. “We’ve always been close, talking about plays and how to beat certain defenses. It was one of the biggest blessings that I’ve had in a while when Coach Pummill got that call to become the head coach. He really kept most of the offense the same and brought back Coach (Trent) Hedlund again. They’re both great. It’s awesome to be in this position.”
Pummill helped Martin pick apart defenses as the Mustangs advanced to the 2020 6A state championship game against Derby. Martin and the Mustangs are off to a blistering 3-0 start in their first season with Pummill as the head coach.
Martin has the BV North offense firing on all cylinders, as he’s completed 72.2% of his passes for 1,155 yards. He’s thrown 17 touchdown passes to just three interceptions.
The senior quarterback has spread the wealth to the Mustangs’ talented receiving corps. Miller has 18 catches for 274 yards and five touchdowns, Goldberg has 18 receptions for 359 yards and five touchdowns and Stratton has 19 catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns. What’s more, Lucas Bullock has been a major receiving threat out of the backfield by hauling in 13 receptions for 195 yards and four touchdowns.
While it’s the Mustangs’ ultimate goal to make back to the 6A title game and win their first state crown since 2017, they have quite the gauntlet to go through for the remainder of their regular season schedule. Next up is a matchup with one of the top teams in Missouri when the Mustangs play host to Lee’s Summit North (4-0) at 7 p.m. Friday. The Broncos have outscored their opponents, 133-31, in their four victories.
The Mustangs will then conclude their Eastern Kansas League slate against Blue Valley, Blue Valley Northwest, St. James and St. Thomas Aquinas. Can the Mustangs keep up their torrent pace? It certainly won’t be easy, but you can rest assured that Pummill, Hedlund and the rest of the BV North coaching staff will have Martin and the Mustangs well prepared for each contest as they move forward with the 2021 campaign.
