Edison’s A.J. Martinez

Mike Sciacca

It was a punt, but a punt of no ordinary means, and, as it traveled

seemingly forever through the night sky, so sailed the hopes of a team

that had continually been frustrated in this series.

And, as it finally landed and tumbled, end over end, along the damp

turf at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach, it deflated the dreams of

another.

A.J. Martinez’s 71-yard punt early in the fourth quarter of last

week’s Sunset League showdown between Edison High School and Los Alamitos

changed the complexity of a game whose outcome was still very much in

doubt.

His booming kick pinned Los Alamitos back at its own 19-yard line,

just when the Griffins had anticipated getting the ball somewhere in

Edison territory, trailing, 17-14, with nine minutes remaining. And, why

not? Hadn’t Martinez shanked a 15-yard punt that led to a Los Al score in

the first half?

“I was just anxious to kick that first punt, and it just went off the

side of my foot,” Martinez said. “In a way, I was hoping to get another

chance to make up for it.”

Martinez would get several chances at redemption, and the junior made

the most of each chance.

In fact, the fourth quarter belonged to the Independent’s Player of

the Week. In addition to his 71-yarder, Martinez’s next punt went 53

yards and rolled out of bounds at the Los Al four-yard line. A few plays

later, teammate Seth Prelesnik would return an interception 15 yards for

a key score and a 23-14 lead.

On the first play on Los Al’s ensuing possession, Martinez intercepted

the Griffins’ Mike Catalano at the Los Al 35, and two plays later, Darryl

Poston scored on a 16-yard run.

For good measure, Martinez, in his first year of handling punting

chores, booted another 53-yarder on his final attempt of the game.

Martinez wasn’t finished, though, as he thwarted one last gasp by the

Griffins with a goal-line interception in the final two minutes.

The two picks now gives Martinez seven on the season, which is tops in

the county and one shy of Edison’s single-season interception record.

“He gave an incredible performance,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “He

had a hand in just about everything, especially when the game was on the

line.”

Martinez began what was to become a memorable night for the Chargers

by preventing another possible Los Al score by blocking a second-quarter

field-goal attempt.

“This is a game I’ll always remember,” Martinez added. “We beat Los Al

for the first time in league play, and that makes it all the sweeter.”