Sierra's dynamic duo: Dempsy James, Sentori Martino fueling Wolverines' rise

Sentori Martino had a pretty good idea what he could become when he arrived on campus at Sierra College. The coaching staff saw it, too. Now, with quarterback Dempsy James delivering the football, the sophomore wide receiver is turning that potential into production and attracting Division I attention at a rapid pace. Martino has collected five Division I offers in the last two weeks from UC Davis, Sacramento State, Prairie View A&M, UT Martin and Cal Poly. The 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore from Gresham, Oregon, ranks 10th in California community college football with 480 receiving yards and eighth with six touchdown catches through six games. His production has helped fuel a Sierra offense averaging 40.3 points and 417.3 yards per game, ranking eighth and 14th in the state, respectively. The Wolverines have won five straight games, including a 56-16 rout of Laney College on Oct. 8 to open conference play. For Martino, the recruiting attention is rewarding, but his focus remains on the team. "I'm really just trying to get better with my team," Martino said. "I feel like we worked so hard in the offseason to get to where we're at, and it's a blessing, honestly, to be in this position to help my team be good, but also for us to keep stacking these wins." Through five games, Martino had 29 receptions for 428 yards and five touchdowns, according to statistics he posted Sept. 27. He added four catches for 52 yards and a touchdown against Laney. His rise reflects the explosiveness Sierra's coaches believed they saw when Martino arrived from Sam Barlow High School in Oregon. Recruiter Vince Mahle helped establish the relationship that brought him to Rocklin, and Martino said Sierra's reputation for developing receivers also appealed to him. "Even Coach Noonan in my exit meeting last year, he told me that in the spring they're starting to see the explosiveness they saw in my high school film," Martino said, "and that's what's really translating now." Martino's emergence has coincided with a strong season from James, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore from Spanaway, Washington. James has completed 65.8% of his passes for 1,049 yards and 13 touchdowns with just one interception through six games. Against Laney, he threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score. Coach Ben Noonan credited James' ability to read defenses and lead his teammates. "He's processing really well. He's getting through his progressions, and I would just say he just has that it factor," Noonan said. "He's a great leader, and everybody loves playing hard for him because he's a good teammate too." James said Sierra's success stems from work that began in the spring and continued through the summer. "It started in the spring," James said. "It started early in the springtime, and we just carried over all the way to the summer. Guys just buying in and making it happen." That preparation showed against Laney, when James connected with Martino for a 38-yard touchdown in the first quarter as Sierra raced to a 21-0 lead. The Wolverines finished with 544 yards of total offense. Martino said their connection is built on communication and extra work together. Before the Laney game, the two discussed how to attack the Eagles' coverage. "Me and Dempsey, we were literally talking right before this game," Martino said. "I told him I was going to take a slant to the crib because of how they play." They didn't connect on that particular route, but Martino said the two were already looking ahead to another opportunity. "Next game we're going to definitely get that fade play because we were on the same page this whole time," Martino said. James praised Martino's work ethic and playmaking ability, placing him among the best receivers to come through Sierra. "Oh man, he stacks from the top," James said. "First off, he's on the top of the list, man. He's a guy that comes in and works hard. We're after practice, man, every day, and just he's electric. He's electric." Noonan echoed James' praise, saying that Martino has shown flashes of some of the most successful receivers in Sierra's history due to his work ethic. "He's a very talented individual and one of the hardest workers on the team. You could find him out in the sand pits at night in April and May, putting in the work," said Noonan. "He has the right mentality and a good head on his shoulders, and he has a chance to be another big-time guy. He showed up big right off the bat." The Wolverines have more than one way to hurt opponents. James has thrown 13 touchdown passes against one interception, while sophomore quarterback Josiah Melendez has added five touchdown passes. Chris Effiong Jr. and D'Adrien Sanders have helped lead a rushing attack averaging 187.7 yards per game. After a four-overtime victory over then state-ranked No. 1 San Mateo earlier this season, Sierra has continued winning as opponents have had more time to prepare for the Wolverines. James said the team remains focused on its own execution rather than outside expectations. "We just worry about what we got going on," James said. "We just worry about us, not too much about them. We just play our football. The football we know we can play." The state-ranked No. 7 Wolverines visit No. 16 Diablo Valley College on Saturday, with Noonan emphasizing the need to stay healthy and continue improving as conference play intensifies. Martino, however, isn't shy about what he believes Sierra can accomplish. "I think we have a shot at state this year," Martino said. "With the momentum, how everything's going, we're going to have a chance to win state." With Martino drawing Division I interest and James leading an increasingly productive offense, the duo has helped put Sierra in position to chase that championship goal.