News Holmes County coach stresses hard work to rebuild program

New Holmes County High School Coach Carlan Martin brought an old-fashioned lunch pail to Bonifay Kiwanis Club Thursday. To hear him talk, that old lunch bucket will symbolize the work ethic he wants to instill in his Blue Devil football players.

“I’m a little old fashioned, and I have a blue collar work ethic,” Martin said. “Discipline is a big part of any successful program.”

The Holmes County graduate was hired to replace Andy Howell as head coach. The Blue Devils were 1-8 in 2007, following a 1-9 2006 season.

Martin, a Westville native, is a graduate of HCHS who was a small, but tough two-way player for the Blue Devils. He was also a rodeo rider when he was young, and joked that he would have no problem playing at Memorial Field in Bonifay, also home of the Bonifay Kiwanis Club Northwest Florida Championship Rodeo.

“When I was young it was known as the greenest 100 yards in Northwest Florida,” he said. “I want to restore the pride of playing there.”

He walked on at Florida State, where he said Bobby Bowden moved him to wide receiver pretty much so he would survive playing. From there it was off to Northeast Oklahoma A&M Junior College, where he played on the 1980 national championship team. He finished his degree at Northeast Oklahoma State University.

From there it was into coaching, including stints at Crestview and Marianna. Martin was head baseball coach at Marianna for the last five years, but jumped at the chance to come home and coach football.

“Football has been my passion,” he said, and he hopes that passion rubs off on his players. So far, he and his coaching staff like what they see.

“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “They understand where we’re coming from at this stage of the game.

One thing Martin emphasizes is weight training. He was on his way back to school to prepare for a weightlifting competition that afternoon.

“We are working as hard as possible in the weight room,” Martin said. “We have been at several weightlifting meets, and they are a good place to see where we measure up to other schools. There is a direct correlation between weight training and success on the football field.

“The kids are buying into it and they are working hard.”

Martin said that strength and conditioning training would be important, because Holmes County doesn’t have many large players coming back.

“They told me that at Holmes County you need to be ready to win with 160 lb. guards,” Martin said. “We have to win with what we’ve got. We need to get the attitude back that we will hit you.”

Holmes County finishes spring practice at the spring tournament in Vernon on May 15. The Blue Devils will play a half against Graceville, and Chipley and Vernon will play the second half.

The season opens at the Walton Kickoff Classic in DeFuniak Springs on August 29. The home opener is Sept. 5 against Jay. Other home games are Freeport (Sept. 12), Northview (District, Sept. 26), Chipley (Oct. 10), Bozeman (Homecoming, Oct. 17), and Vernon (District, Nov. 7).

Away games are Graceville (Sept. 19), Marianna (Oct. 3), Baker (District, Oct. 24), and South Walton (District, Oct. 31). Kickoff for all games is 7 p.m.