BY ALLAN STEELE
STAFF WRITER
BANNING › Jeff Martin picked up where he left off last season. The Hemet senior, who was pushed into running back duties last year due to injuries to teammates, proved a punishing runner over the second half of the season. The former linebacker played offense with a physical prowess that made his defensive buddies proud. In the Bulldogs’ season opener at Banning on Friday, the 6-foot 230-pound Martin ran over and through the Broncos defense for five touchdowns and 207 yards to lead Hemet to a 49-0 victory. Last year, Martin may have been a surprise in his new role, but he’s now the Bulldogs’ workhorse on offense and has developed into a nightmare for opposing defenses. The five touchdowns set a school record as did his 41 carries on the night. “I’m trying to help the team and records happen when you help the team,” Martin said. Martin scored twice in the first half, both on 1-yard runs as Hemet took a 14-0 lead into the break. Banning hurt itself with penalties and turnovers early, but managed to keep the game within reach. That would change in the third quarter. Hemet took the second-half kick and put together an 80-yard, 11-play drive. Martin carried the ball eight times in the drive and capped it with a 3-yard run for a touchdown. Banning fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Bulldogs recovered. Martin scored again 5-yard out for a 28-0 lead. The Broncos fumbled the kickoff again and Hemet again capitalized. “I was ready,” Martin said. “I studied hours of film. I wanted to come out of the gate crazy and do what we do best and that’s power football.” Hemet held Banning to 32 rushing yards and 34 yards passing.