By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – One of the top pass catchers in the state is putting up huge numbers and making big plays in an explosive West High passing attack.

If that sounds like a familiar story it should.

Oliver Martin spent four seasons burning opposing defensive backs and rewriting record books on his way to become one of the most sought-after receivers in the country.

Martin landed at Michigan leaving a four-star sized void in the West High receiving corps.

Senior Traevis Buchanan is filling the position Martin vacated as the go-to receiver in the West attack the only way he knows how – his own way.

“Oliver definitely left some big shoes to fill, I would look at it that way, but a lot of people are comparing me to Oliver,” Buchanan said. “It is what it is, people can compare me and do whatever they want but I look at myself as my own player.”

Buchanan wants to make one thing clear, he’s not Oliver Martin and he’s not trying to be.

He spent the past two years learning from and working alongside Martin who left West High the most prolific pass catcher in 4A history.  

With Martin gone and the spotlight now shining brightly on Buchanan the senior isn’t interested in being the next Martin.

“I don’t really want to be anybody else, I want to be the best player that I can be,” Buchanan said. “Oliver is better than me at a lot of things, he had the size and the strength and I don’t have those things but I can bring different things to the table. I recognize that I really worked a lot to try to become my own player and develop my own skill set.”  

Two games into his season Buchanan has demonstrated how good he can be snagging 12 passes for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Class 4A third-ranked West High (2-0).

Buchanan ranks third in Class 4A in receiving yards and is the lone 4A pass catcher to eclipse the 100-yard receiving mark in each of the first two weeks.

“He has made a lot of big plays for us,” West High senior quarterback Evan Flitz said. “He is doing a lot better with making plays with the ball after the catch. He’s a little bit bigger and stronger and I really enjoy getting the ball out to him and watching him make plays.”

Buchanan admitted he struggled early last season in his first season at the varsity level.

He caught eight passes over the first seven games of the season while adjusting to the speed and physicality of the varsity game.

An equally important adjustment for Buchanan was the transition from star of the sophomore team to a role player behind varsity standouts like Martin.

“Traevis, like a lot of juniors had to find his niche,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “We had some very talented players last year and we knew Traevis was talented in his own right it was just about him finding his niche and when teams started to make adjustments against Oliver, Traevis came to the fore front like we knew he would.”

Late in the season, Buchanan found his role as a dangerous receiver opposite Martin.

He caught seven passes for 76 yards over the final two regular seasons games before busting out in the playoffs.

Buchanan set career-highs with five grabs for 130 in an opening round win at Bettendorf and never slowed down.

“I recognized my role when it really counted,” Buchanan said. “I did my part, worked hard in practices and listened to what the coaches had to say and I just waited on my time.”

Half of his 30 receptions and 337 of the 549 receiving yards for Buchanan last season came in four playoff games.

He caught his first career touchdown pass in a quarterfinal win over Cedar Rapids Prairie and had four grabs for 109 yards in a semifinal win over Cedar Rapids Washington.

“He had the skill set the whole time for him it was just the mindset and the physicality that he had to adjust to,” Flitz said. “When he turned that light on he became a great option for us. In the dome and down the stretch we really had two great weapons out there that could really spread defenses out.”

As soon as the season ended Buchanan went to work.

He spent the winter in the weight room and is up 15 pounds to nearly 170 pounds (Buchanan also says he grew an inch from last fall and is now 5-foot-11).

Buchanan spent the summer working out with Martin when he wasn’t gathering with Flitz and the rest of the Trojan receivers to run extra routes.

“He worked hard and you are seeing the fruits of that labor,” Hartwig said. “We work with these kids in seven-on-seven all summer. I know these guys worked by themselves a lot. I know Evan got guys together on his own.

Buchanan has goals. High ones.

He wants to lead West High back to the UNI-Dome and after a runner-up finish a year ago finish with a state title. He wants to play Division I football and is hearing from college coaches.

And he wants to do it all while being his own player.

“I want to be the best me I can be,” Buchanan said. “I want to be the best player, the best leader that I can for our team. That’s what I’m trying to do and I take it seriously.”