Martinez Is Tartars’ Big-Play Receiver : Preps: Torrance standout has prospered in a revamped offense to become the South Bay’s leading receiver.

Torrance High receiver Ralph Martinez, who leads the South Bay with 58 catches for 1,001 yards and eight touchdowns, has drawn comparisons to some of football’s greats.

“He’s a (Fred) Biletnikoff-type receiver,” said Torrance Coach Bill Bynum, referring to the Hall of Famer who played for the Oakland Raiders.

Torrance quarterback Jason Kendall compares the senior receiver with the prolific Steve Largent, the prototype possession receiver who set an NFL record for most receptions in a career with the Seattle Seahawks.

“He has incredible hands,” Kendall said of his 5-foot-10, 165-pound teammate. “If I throw the ball anywhere near him, he’ll catch it. He runs his patterns perfectly.”

Martinez, who said he has learned a great deal about his position from watching San Francisco 49er All-Pro receiver Jerry Rice, caught 18 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns his junior year. This season, under first-year Coach Bynum, the Tartars opened up their offense, and Martinez has been one of the main beneficiaries.

Torrance (3-5-1 overall, 2-0-1 in the Pioneer League) began the season 1-5 in nonleague play, but rebounded to defeat South Torrance and Centennial in Pioneer League action. Friday the Tartars played North Torrance to a 21-21 tie. A victory Friday night against visiting West Torrance (3-6, 2-1) will give the Tartars the league title.

Although Torrance started the season slowly, Martinez felt that the team was steadily improving and would play well in its four league games.

“We made a lot of mistakes early in the season,” Martinez said. “We had a chance against Peninsula (a 28-20 loss) after we recovered a late onside kick, but we just couldn’t score. Against Mira Costa (a 32-29 loss), we went for the win instead of a tie. We knew we had to bring it together by league.”

Rock Hollis, who coaches Torrance’s receivers, defensive backs and special teams, said that when he began working with Martinez during spring football practice, he told the receiver he would catch 50 passes this season.

Hollis, coaching his first season at Torrance, believes that Martinez has all the required skills to be a successful collegiate receiver.

“He has the speed, the quickness, great concentration and wonderful hands,” Hollis said. “He has a great ability to read defenses and a knack for getting open.”

The Tartars are able to get Martinez open, Hollis said, by sending him in motion at times, lining him up tight in other situations, and always trying to isolate him on a defensive back. Torrance uses crossing patterns to confuse the coverage.

Last summer, Martinez and Kendall worked on perfecting their timing in passing-league games. Outside of school, they went to a park near Kendall’s house and ran more patterns. Kendall said he had a deal with his receiver that they couldn’t finish their workout until Martinez had run all of his routes perfectly and caught every pass. With Martinez’s hands and Kendall’s arm, the players didn’t stay at the park very long.

Kendall, who leads the South Bay in pass completions (148 of 263) and passing yardage (2,347), looks for Martinez when the Tartars need a big play.

“Even though I’ve got five excellent receivers, and they double cover Ralph, I look to him,” Kendall said. “He’s our clutch receiver, and he still gets open even when he’s doubled.”

Bynum and Hollis are impressed by Martinez’s ability to catch passes over the middle, an area that many receivers shy away from because of the punishment delivered by defensive backs and linebackers.

“He is fearless over the middle, which is unheard of,” said Hollis, who noted that Martinez “has probably lost 10 catches and four or five touchdowns because of (team) penalties.”

Martinez enjoys running pass routes over the middle, although he knows that he will probably be hit hard.

“It’s always in the back of my mind (getting hit),” he said, “but I feel that if the ball is anywhere near me, I have to catch it. That’s my job.”

Although he is double covered most of the time, Martinez can still get open, Bynum said, because he is able to find the seam in the defense.

“His best patterns seem to be curls or outs,” Bynum said. “We don’t mind when he’s (tightly) covered because it opens it up for our other receivers.” Against North, the double coverage on Martinez allowed Ryan Shannon to spring open. Kendall completed five passes to Shannon for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

Collegiate football is a possibility for Martinez, who said UC Davis and UC Berkeley have expressed interest in recruiting him. If he had his choice, Martinez would like to play at San Diego State or Arizona State.

When the season concludes, the Tartar coaching staff will produce a tape of Martinez’s exploits and send it to college recruiters. “I think he’s college-bound,” Bynum said. “With his good attitude and knowledge of the game, I think he has Division I potential.”

Football isn’t the only sport that Martinez has shown potential in. He is a pitcher for the Tartar baseball team, and last season compiled a 7-1 record. During the baseball season, quarterback Kendall becomes catcher Kendall, and it is Martinez who delivers the ball to his teammate.