Coach Rocky Martin hoping Putnam City West builds on win

Rocky Martin’s coaching era at Putnam City West got off to a winning start last Thursday, 30-7 over Western Heights, behind a solid defensive performance.

“The boys are excited to get a win, and they did what we asked them to do,” Martin said. “The defense played well, and that was important for us.”

The Patriots also got a lift from running back Keontre Bryant, who helped fill the void of injured senior running back/safety Joseph Wilcots. Bryant rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries Thursday.

“He’s a physical runner and a hard-working player,” Martin said.

The win was the Patriots’ first since October 2010. But Martin knows the 1-0 record won’t mean much if the team doesn’t keep improving.

“We played well overall, but we’ve got a lot of areas to get better,” he said. “We’ve got a long ways to go, but for the first game, it was a good start.”

The Pats take on rival Putnam City in Week 2.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK