Martinez brings home wrestling gold
Photo provided by Hayesville High School Hayesville's first wrestling State Champion Rayland Martinez greets supporters who gathered along Yellow Jacket Drive to celebrate his gold medal in the 285 pound class.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Wrestlers who discovered the sport in grade school may find it hard to believe that Hayesville’s first state wrestling champion Rayland Martinez didn’t step onto a mat until he was in high school.
“I didn’t start wrestling until four years ago,” Martinez said Monday. “My freshman year, I just decided, ‘I’m going to play sports.’ I didn’t do anything before that.”
Even Martinez found it hard to believe for a while.
“Today, it hit me,” Martinez said. “Saturday, I didn’t feel it. Yesterday, I didn’t feel it. Today, Monday, it sunk in.”
Martinez became state champ by prevailing in an ultimate overtime match in the 285 pound weight division in Class 1A/2A at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships in Greensboro this past weekend.
It’ was the thrill of a referee raising his arm after he vanquished a wrestler many thought would be crowned state champ, hearing supporters shouting “Rayland! Rayland!,” his coach hugging him tight and ascending to the top of the podium amid the loudest cheers Martinez ever heard.
Martinez couldn’t picture himself in the spotlight of that joyous scenario a year ago.
“I didn’t think about going to state until this year,” Martinez said. “It was because I won the conference.”
The possibility that he could stand atop of the podium and have the gold draped around his neck became more real when he emerged as the No. 1 ranked 285-pounder by beating two of the top wrestlers in his class and winning the Battle of the Belt. Being crowned regional champ brought the dream even closer.
The championship match tussle between Martinez, 43-6, and Rosewood’s Josh Lemke, 38-9, lacked breakdowns, takedowns and duck-unders, but was an overtime thriller nevertheless.
“He won in ultimate overtime, technically triple overtime, if you want to talk in other sports terms,” Hayesville Wrestling Coach Colby White said.
The grapplers were tied entering that final overtime after Martinez scored a point in the second period and Lemke answered with a point in the third.
“The scoreboard read 1-1. The first overtime they circled mostly,” White recalled. “He didn’t let the moment get too big. He stuck to the game plan.”
What was the game plan? White responded, “It was score the first point. In heavyweight wrestling there’s not a lot of take down, so if you can score the first point then in the ultimate overtime you get choice of either top or bottom.”
In the ultimate overtime, Martinez chose bottom because it’s far easier to stand up than it is to hold somebody down according to White.
It didn’t take Martinez long to stand up and earn the victory.
“I knew I had to get off bottom,” Martinez said.
The mat drama played out as if Hayesville’s second-year coach had scripted it.
“The young man who made the finals from Rosewood has wrestled many matches that way this year, so that was his game plan and we had to make sure we beat him at this own game,” White said.
There wasn’t a more deserving champion in the coliseum.
“He wrestled good. He’s done what he’s done all year,” White stated. “He’s one of the most high-character kids I’ve ever coached. He treats everyone well, he treats everyone respectful and he’s coachable.”
Now, Martinez is a legend.
“The end result is that as of now he is the most successful wrestler in Hayesville history,” White said.
The coach would be remiss if he didn’t add the words ‘as of now.’ Freshman Evan Burks is already making a name for himself. The tough-as-nails 144-pounder who finished third in the regional a week ago, took fourth place in Greensboro.
“Evan found his way onto the podium as a freshman, which is very impressive,” White said. “Usually you see that in the lower weight classes, which tends to be where smaller bodies tend to live, when you’re in those middle/upper ranges you’ve done something.”
Hayden Hunt also did something. The Hayesville senior who took fourth in the 150 pound class in the regional held his own against the best of the best at state.
“Evan and Hayden wrestled well. Neither one let the moment get too big for them,” White said. “Hayden went out swinging with the last match of his career. He had nothing to be ashamed of.”
Martinez agreed. “I felt like they did really good. I was there to support them.”
No doubt about it, Hayesville served noticed that there’s a wrestling program to keep an eye on in Clay County.
“What a great accomplishment and great example of hard work and determination,” Hayesville Athletic Director Mike Cottrell said. “I’m very proud of Rayland and the whole team. Coach Colby White has done an outstanding job.”