Wrestling: Gutsy performance by Martinez lifts Saints in Division IV duals

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Santa Ana Coach Scott Glabb was sure junior 135-pound wrestler Steve Martinez would be a key contributor to any success his team might have at Saturday’s Southern Section Division IV dual meet championships -- so much so that when trainers from tournament-host Segerstrom declared Martinez unfit to wrestle after being slammed to the mat in the quarterfinals, Glabb phoned a doctor to come give a second opinion.

‘It’s a good thing we did that,’ Glabb said. ‘Without [Martinez] we wouldn’t have won.’

The doctor determined Martinez had not suffered a concussion and cleared him to continue wrestling. Later that night, second-seeded Santa Ana trailed top-seeded Corona Centennial, 25-23, going into the final match of the championship meet and needed a victory by Martinez, who was facing Andres Reyes, to claim its second straight dual meet title.

Glabb said Martinez, who was dizzy and slurring his words after the quarterfinals, was sharp and aggressive from the beginning, netting a quick takedown en route to an 11-5 victory and the team championship.

‘He kind of surprised me the way he went after the guy right away,’ Glabb said of Martinez, who has only been wrestling since his freshman season. ‘He told me he didn’t want to go to school the next day and be the guy who lost the CIF championship for the team.’

-- Chuck Schilken

-- Image from www.sawrestling.com.