Athlete of the Week: Martinez’s transfer lifts Eagles

T

he worst time to take a photo is the day after a heartbreaking loss. Just ask Andy Martinez.

He was a good sport about it Thursday. He came dressed in his Estancia High boys’ soccer gear, even in his cleats, striking whatever poses the photographer asked.

There was no match in which Martinez would play. His season was over.

It had not even been 24 hours since the season ended, yet there was Martinez at Jim Scott Stadium. He had his back turned to the field where the Eagles fell in penalty kicks to South Torrance in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.

The photographer ordered Martinez to walk from one end of the metal bleachers to the other, trying to get the perfect shot. When the photo shoot wrapped up, Martinez smiled.

Martinez was glad it was over, and then he thought about where he was a year ago. Even though the Eagles exited the postseason earlier than expected, he never played in the postseason last year.

Martinez played at Mater Dei last season, and he’s happy he transferred to Estancia in the summer. He came home, joining the program for which he was once an unofficial mascot as a 9-year-old.

That was seven years ago, when his brother, Danny, was a standout senior midfielder. The next Martinez in the family to play well has been Andy.

The younger Martinez is the one who came through for the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs against Lawndale last week. In overtime, Martinez scored the golden goal in the 85th minute, leading Estancia to a 1-0 win at Jim Scott Stadium.

The match was one of 13 in which Martinez played as a sophomore this season. He sat out the first 30 days because of section transfer rules, forcing him to miss the Eagles’ first 10 contests.

When he was eligible to play, Martinez contributed. He scored a goal in his Estancia debut on Jan. 4 in a 1-1 tie with Sunny Hills. Four days later, in an Orange Coast League opener, he scored in a 2-2 tie with Saddleback.

Producing right away for Estancia (13-6-4, 5-3-2 in league) meant a lot to Martinez.

“[My teammates] were a little shaky with me,” Martinez said. “They were still like, ‘Should we trust this guy, or should we not?’ But I think that first goal gave the team trust in me.”

Martinez said he felt a part of the team after his first goal. For the season, he had six goals and two assists, contributing to the Eagles’ runner-up finish in league and postseason berth after they failed to advance to the playoffs in 2014-15.

Martinez drew a lot of attention. At first, it was because of his size (216 pounds), and because he plays striker. You picture a striker, and you think Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, or Luis Suarez, not someone like Martinez.

“Looks can be deceiving,” said Estancia Coach Robert Castellano, adding that Martinez gave the team a different dimension because he’s a big target who can play in the air, as well as hold the ball.

Martinez said he has always been a big kid. Castellano has been aware of this for quite sometime. When Danny played for the Eagles, Castellano was an assistant coach. The team’s ballboy was Martinez.

As he grew older, Martinez became a good player. He went to TeWinkle Middle School, the feeder school to Estancia. Castellano believed Martinez would enroll at Estancia, and when he didn’t, it upset Castellano.

“His brother went to school here, so I thought, ‘Yeah, this kid would be coming here,’” Castellano said. “I didn’t get jealous, but I felt like he picked Mater Dei over us. It [was] a good opportunity for him. Not everybody could go to a private school.

“I always remind him that he should’ve been here from the beginning.”

Martinez’s career at Estancia began last summer.

It had been a couple of years since Castellano last saw Martinez up close. When Martinez showed up to work out with the team, Castellano couldn’t believe it.

First, Castellano asked him, “What are you doing here now?”

After Martinez told him, “I’m ready to play, Coach,” Castellano asked, “What happened?” As in what happened to him at Mater Dei and with his weight.

Martinez was bigger, saying he weighed 240 pounds, a bit much for someone who is 5-foot-8. The first thing Castellano needed to do was get Martinez in shape.

“The first day he couldn’t train, he couldn’t go for more than 10-15 minutes because his Achilles or his leg was bothering him,” Castellano said. “As the summer league went on, he definitely [improved].”

The conditioning program at Estancia helped Martinez shed 24 pounds. The drop in weight, he said, made him feel faster and healthier, and he began to eat better.

Another bad habit Castellano has worked with Martinez on is how to wear his sneakers properly. Martinez’s heels were not always inside his shoes, and Castellano told him there were consequences for this.

“It messes up your foot. It messes up for your Achilles,” said Castellano, who would like to see Martinez get under 200 pounds, which would bode well for Martinez, one of eight starters who plan to return next season. “I’m excited for his future for the next two years. I’m glad he came over here. I wish he would’ve been here since the beginning, but, you know, that’s how we learn.”