by Bob San

The good news for defensive backs in the Northwest Suburban Conference is that they will not have to face Maple Grove High School's passing combo of quarterback Mitch Brecke and Greg Martin anymore this season. The bad news is that Brecke and Martin are just juniors and will return to torment NWSC defensive backs again next fall.

For the second year in a row, Brecke and Martin have formed the most potent passing attack in the conference. Martin led the conference in receptions as a sophomore. This fall, he leads the league in yards with 1,002, touchdowns with 11 and is second in receptions with 42. Brecke tops the conference in passing, completing 82 of 156 passes for 1,642 yards and 22 touchdowns.

The two used to play against each other in youth football. Martin actually quit football in seventh and eighth grade before returning to the sport his freshman year. He earned the starting receiver spot in his sophomore year.

That same year, Brecke was named the starting quarter-back and the two played on the same team for the first time.

"We just hit it off," Brecke said.

That is an understatement. The two have been creating havoc for opposing defense the past two seasons. But their big breakout game came three weeks ago in a 46-40 loss to Blaine. Against the state's second-ranked team, Brecke completed 12 of 23 passes for 356 yards and five touchdowns, both school records. Martin caught six passes for a school record 221 yards and two touchdowns. In the next two games, the two hooked up for five more touchdowns, including three in Maple Grove's 38-13 regular season finale win over Anoka last week.

Both Brecke and Martin are not physically imposing. Brecke is 6 feet and 175 pounds while Martin is listed at 6 feet, 2 inches and 165 pounds. Martin does not have blazing speed (4.7 or 4.8) but he has great hands and catches every pass within reach.

Asked what makes them such a lethal combination, Martin and Brecke credited each other.

“Brecke is really good," Martin said. "He has a great arm and his passes have a good spiral and are pretty easy to catch. I just run good routes Greg Martin points out to head coach Craig Hanson how he got open on a long second quarter TD pass versus Anoka Wednesday, Oct. 15. and catch the ball."

"Greg is really shifty," Brecke said. "He is not the fastest guy around but he runs such good routes that he is always wide open and makes my job easy. When he runs his routes, I don't know if any corner in the state can guard him."

The two former foes are now buddies and they agree that their friendship off the field helps their uncanny connection on it.

"After playing one year together we are more comfortable with each other," Brecke said. "Me and Greg just know what each other is going to do on the field."

Maple Grove coach Craig Hansen said athletic abilities and dedication to the sport make Brecke and Martin special.

"They are both good athletes and fierce competitors," Hansen said. "They are both very intense and very focused on executing their techniques and assignments."

Brecke was not content with last year's success and attended a quarterback camp at the University of Notre Dame this summer. "The coach there worked on my techniques and footwork and that has really helped me become a better quarterback," Brecke said.

Opposing teams are paying more attention to Martin but when they do, the Crimson burn them with their other offensive weapons. Senior receiver Josh Laurent is a dangerous receiver in his own right. Against Blaine, he caught five passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns and he had six receptions for 142 yards against Anoka. The Crimson also have a strong running game led by senior back Ryan Iskierka and junior back Ryan Holland and Brecke.

Brecke also credits the fine protection from the Offensive line of Jon Brost, Mike Buckland, Drew Getchell, Dan Schoen, Scott Nowak and Bobby Usset.

"They have been doing a great job of picking up the blitzes and giving me plenty of time," Brecke said.

Brecke, Martin and company now set sight on winning their third straight section championship. The Crimson, 5-3 overall, are seeded third behind Armstrong and Wayzata, both top 10 teams. Maple Grove opened against Osseo Tuesday night. The winner plays the winner of the Wayzata-Park Center game Saturday, Oct. 25, at the highest seed.