Wrestler makes lengthy sacrifice to aid team's win

By GREG TUFARO

STAFF WRITER

Jimmy Martinez always tucks his shoulder-length hair inside a do-rag before taking the mat for the Perth Amboy High School wrestling team.

The junior told his coach he forgot to bring the head covering with him to Wednesday's dual meet against South Plainfield, the four-time defending Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament champion currently ranked eighth in the Gannett New Jersey poll.

"The referee said, "He can't wrestle like that. Either he gets a do-rag or he cuts his hair.' " Perth Amboy coach Mike Giordano said.

Martinez agreed to let Giordano, whose team was a prohibitive underdog, cut 6 inches from his locks before the match.

While doing so, Giordano, who already had told his wrestlers that the ensuing battle was tantamount to David squaring off against Goliath, relayed another biblical anecdote.

He told Martinez that Samson believed he would lose his great strength if he were ever to cut his hair.

"I told Jimmy what gave Samson his strength wasn't his hair; it was his belief in God," Giordano said. "Then as he's going out on the mat to wrestle, he hands me his do-rag. I was convinced he didn't have it. He said, "Here, coach.' He had it with him the whole time! I couldn't believe it. This was his way of showing belief in our program and what we are doing here."

Martinez went on to register the most dramatic victory of the night, recording a pin in the 135-pound bout with just four seconds left in regulation to lead Perth Amboy to a stunning 31-29 upset over South Plainfield.

The loss was two-time defending state group champion South Plainfield's first to a Middlesex County opponent since 2003. News of the upset was relayed during Thursday's morning announcements at Perth Amboy High School.

"You could almost feel the building shake when they made the announcement during homeroom," said Perth Amboy Athletics Director Gregg Ficarra, whose office is in the basement. "There's a lot of excitement going on. There's definitely a buzz in school and around town. Everybody has a sense of pride. It's a great rallying point for our community."

The victory was the biggest in school history for Perth Amboy, an inner-city program whose wrestlers face daily challenges.

Ficarra said some Perth Amboy wrestlers come from single-parent homes, have to work to help support the family and must take care of younger siblings. Giordano said some need food and clothing.

"Sometimes this environment here is a better environment for them, and that's no disrespect for our parents," Ficarra said. "They work very hard. We are just part of the rearing of our kids, or at least we feel that way."

Giordano, a demanding drill sergeant of a coach whose clean-shaven head and goatee make him an imposing figure, choked back tears as he reflected on the magnitude of the win.

"A lot of people don't understand because they are not from this environment," Giordano said. "These (trials and tribulations) are everyday occurrences around here. We're just holding it together. This is all some of these kids have. This is the family these kids know. That's why it means so much to these kids."

Giordano said the fact that Perth Amboy is so excited about the upset is a tribute to the South Plainfield program, renowned for decades as a state power.

"South Plainfield is the flagship program in the county and the state," Giordano said. "I almost feel bad with the pressure they face. I couldn't imagine what's going on over there. It was just our night."

The Panthers, already short-handed because of injuries to two standouts, including state place-winner Gabe Roman, took the mats with four sophomores. Not a single starter on Giordano's roster had ever competed at South Plainfield, whose home atmosphere can unnerve opponents.

Cheerleaders perform a routine to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" while a spotlight shines on the South Plainfield team logo on the center of the mat in a darkened gymnasium. The lights fade completely to black while the ethereal opening of Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend" plays across a loudspeaker. The song segues into Ozzie Osbourne's adrenaline-packed "Center of Eternity" as South Plainfield wrestlers run into the darkened gym, sprinting in a circle around the mat. With their dark-green warm-up hoods draped over their heads, the wrestlers resemble some sort of cult.

"It can be intimidating, but our kids ate it up," Giordano said. "We all stood there like we were going to go to war. I prepared them all week about the lights going off and everything. I've seen teams just lose it, and the match is over right there."

With all Perth Amboy wrestlers have endured over the past five years