We knew it wasn’t going to take long this season for both Tony Martello of Colfax and Darren Bennett of Tulare to join the exclusive club of California prep football coaches with 200 career wins. Congrats to both.
Martello did it in the Falcons’ opening game, which was a 35-0 triumph over Golden Sierra of Garden Valley. The put his record at 200-63-1 and he became the 13th football coach in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section history to hit 200 and the fifth who’s posted all of those wins at one school. Martello began coaching at the top of the Colfax program in 1995.
In the win against Golden Sierra, Alex Weir led the way for the Falcons with four touchdown passes.
Bennett joined the big-time club and became the 10th coach in Central Section history (according to section historian Bob Barnett) to reach 200 wins in 29 years when Tulare beat Redwood of Visalia last weekend 67-20. Bennett, who had a 13-1 team last season led by Kazmeir Allen’s national record 72 touchdowns, started his career with four seasons at Central Valley Christian of Visalia (1991-94) and then from 1995 to the present at Tulare.
Senior quarterback Nathan Lamb had a fine night against Redwood by passing for 391 yards on 18 of 23 attempts and five touchdowns with another TD rushing. Darius Baker also had five receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown.
There were five coaches in 2017 that won their 200th games: Jon Mack of Oxnard, Terry Stark from Inderkum of Sacramento, Kelly King of Milpitas, Kevin Pearson from Cathedral of Los Angeles and Dave Humphers from River Valley of Yuba City (previously Nevada Union of Grass Valley).
We know all of the coaches on the all-time state list, which can be seen on this site with a Gold Club membership, are humbled to be on it, especially since the leader of the list is Bob Ladouceur of Concord De La Salle at 399-24-3 from 1979 to 2012.
