Felipe Martinez’s (No.10 @ 145) wrestling season began with a whole bunch of drama, and it ended no differently.
A referee’s decision Saturday night to penalize Martinez for stalling with two seconds left in regulation extended the Division III 152-pound state wrestling championship match into overtime, a territory the dominant Martinez has rarely encountered.
In the past year Martinez has attended three different high schools, dealt with a number of family problems, and was forced to sit out the first half of this, his junior season.
And Saturday night he found himself in overtime, the result of a referee’s decision he didn’t agree with. Add all of that adversity together, and it’s easy to see why Martinez’s third state title means more than the others.
A tight body lock applied by Martinez across the lower back of St. Clairsville’s Dominic Prezzia resulted in a 9-5 win and a big sigh of relief for the first-year Comet grappler.
“This is definitely the best thing that’s happened to me all year,” Martinez said. “I will always remember this state title because of everything I’ve gone through.”
