THE M&Ms TAKE IT | Kilgore’s Martinez, White Oak’s McClanahan wrap up the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!

That's a man walking like he means business. That's Chris Martinez (1), Kilgore goalkeeper, and he and White Oak softball star Addison McClanahan (below, inset) are the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week for the week of April 1-6! (Top photo by ALEX NABOR; bottom photo courtesy of WHITE OAK SOFTBALL FACEBOOK) — That’s a man walking like he means business. That’s Chris Martinez (1), Kilgore goalkeeper, and he and White Oak softball star Addison McClanahan (below, inset) are the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week for the week of April 1-6! (Top photo by ALEX NABOR; bottom photo courtesy of WHITE OAK SOFTBALL FACEBOOK)

For the bulk of the 2024 soccer season, Chris Martinez has flirted with winning this award.

Last week, he earned it. And then some.

Martinez, the goalkeeper for the Kilgore High School boys soccer team, probably earned it solely with his performance in the Bulldogs’ 1-0 third-round playoff win over Jacksonville in Henderson – any Kilgore soccer fan that was in attendance for the game, or saw the game’s streaming broadcast, could tell you that Martinez had save after save after save in the game, to the point that it appeared he would give out, sheer exhaustion.

But Martinez’s teammates had his back, and although he was the only one actually with the title of “keeper,” they all became defenders, especially near the end of the game when Jacksonville kept making push after push, only to be thwarted by Martinez – his leaping, his good hands, catching one shot attempt after another, deflecting one after another.

White Oak's Addison McClanahan — **White Oak’s Addison McClanahan**

And he had similar performances in wins at the University Interscholastic League Class 4A Region II Tournament at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium last weekend in a 2-0 semifinal win over Wilmer-Hutchins, and then a 2-0 win in the RII championship over Panther Creek.

For his efforts in three playoff games, helping lead Kilgore’s defense and pitch three straight playoff shutouts, Chris Martinez is the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Boys Player of the Week for the week of April 1-6.

Now, the girls honoree wasn’t performing in the playoffs. It appears that’s on its way.

But for now, White Oak’s Addison McClanahan is going to have to be satisfied with doing crazy-unbelievable things in the regular season.

For NOW.

The Ladynecks are 21-5 overall this season, 13-4 at home, 3-0 in neutral-site games, 5-1 in true road games, and here’s the big one: they’re 7-0 in district play.

And McClanahan is one of the reasons why.

White Oak won its ninth and 10^th straight games last week, beating Sabine, 6-1, on Tuesday, then topping New Diana, 12-6, on Friday.

In the win over Sabine, McClanahan had a good night, getting a single with 2 RBI and watching teammate Larkin Daniels surpass 1,000 career strikeouts – on a night where she struck out 18 batters, a great achievement.

And then McClanahan won the player of the week award on Friday, in White Oak’s 12-6 win at New Diana.

She had been close already twice this season to winning the award, then cemented it on Friday with two home runs, a triple and 3 RBI in the Ladynecks’ victory.

So for her performances last week, Addison McClanahan is the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Girls Player of the Week for the week of April 1-6.

Here are the rest of the players of the week award-winners so far:

The ETBlitz.com crew is headed to Georgetown on Wednesday for the UIL State Soccer Tournament, and on the way – and probably on the way back! – we’ll stop at Whataburger for a bite to eat.

Or a bunch of bites, if you get my drift.

The best thing about Whataburger is the food. The SECOND-best thing is that they’re open 24-7 (they’d be open 24-8 if they could!), and that they serve all three meals.

And if you want to look at the menu before you pull up to the drive-thru, here it is: Whataburger | Order Online with Curbside and Delivery.

They’ve got a new burger, for a limited time, called the Bacon Steakhouse Double. It’s just about enough to share (unless you just don’t want to): two patties, aged cheddar, crispy fried onions, bacon, of course, and a tangy steak sauce that will have you demanding this limited-time stuff be thrown out the window.

And the jalapeno cheddar biscuit is back for a limited time, too. That thing should be illegal.

Hit Whataburger up when you’re hungry, anytime. And every Tuesday, check out our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week.

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