Martin has been cornerstone for Consol girls soccer program

A&M Consolidated girls soccer coaches occasionally see an opponent threatening to slip through the defense and get a little worried. Their fears are relieved because of Blake Martin.

A rare four-year starter, Martin plays center back for the defensive-minded Lady Tigers. Consol (7-3-3 , 2-0) has registered nine shutouts going into its Crosstown Showdown match against Bryan (10-2-1, 1-0-1), which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Merrill Green Stadium.

Consol head coach Stoney Pryor has confidence with Martin as the anchor of the defense.

"Coach [Jim] Pollard and I have a saying that we have a Blake," Pryor said. "When it looks like the opponent's about to threaten and we're getting a little worried, she'll make a tackle or make a steal. She almost makes it look easy."

Martin gets scared, too, but the fear is fleeting.

"When I see that it's just going to be me and the opponent, there's the tiniest millisecond of panic," Martin said. "Then I push it away and concentrate. I just have to slow them down and wait for faster people to get back there. I want to be there so as soon as they make that bad touch I can get the ball away from them."

The Lady Tigers have posted 59 shutouts during Martin's career, including a school-record 20 last season. Defense is a comfortable fit for Martin. She started soccer as a goal keeper at about age 5, then switched to forward. She became a defender when she joined an Austin club team as an eighth-grader.

Martin is Consol's first four-year starter in three seasons and one of a dozen or so in the history of the program. Martin, who grew up in a soccer-loving family, remembers tryouts when she was a freshman as terrifying.

"Once I had my spot on the team, then it wasn't quite so nerve-wracking because I knew what to do," Martin said.

The Houston Baptist signee handles the ball well enough to move into the midfield, and she comes forward on corner kicks because she's good in the air. Martin has scored key goals against Bryan in the past, including the equalizer late in the second overtime of a 1-1 draw two years ago, but she loves her role as quarterback of the defense.

"Christina [Salas] is a very good keeper and I do have confidence that if it gets past me she will be able to make an amazing save," Martin said. "Being in my position you have to keep everyone in line in front of you. I talk so much. I make sure they know it's nothing personal during the game, but I'm going to tell them what to do. Hopefully they listen to me, and it turns out right."