Edgar Martinez was hoping to accomplish a pair of trifectas this spring.
The recent graduate of Marysville Pilchuck High School and central defender on the boys soccer team was aiming for a third straight season as an All-Wesco selection, as well as a third straight season leading the Tomahawks to a Wesco 3A championship. Unfortunately, those attempts were hijacked by the coronavirus outbreak that forced the cancellation of spring sports.
In the next edition of The Herald’s spring sports senior salutes we talked to Martinez about his hopes for his senior season, his involvement with a prestigious summer study program, and what it’s like sharing a name with an iconic Seattle sports athlete:
What were your goals for this season?
I wanted to win the league again. We won back-to-back Wesco championships, and I wanted that third time my senior year. I had a good feeling that we had the potential to get that back-to-back-to-back with the players we had, and I really wanted to go to state.
What are you going to miss most about playing soccer at Marysville Pilchuck?
I guess whenever we have big accomplishments. Last season was one of my favorite seasons of my whole soccer career. The fact that you’re representing your school, and whenever MP does anything the teachers get involved, the students get involved, you get excited to represent your school.
You also served as the kicker for the Tomahawks’ football team, making some big field goals. What’s a bigger thrill, scoring a soccer goal or kicking a big field goal?
You know, if I’m being honest, kicking a big field goal is a good feeling, man. In our school, and in the U.S. in general, football has a bigger crowd, a lot more people watch the games. To have a stadium full of people watching that one kick, it feels like a movie.
I’m told you had a program lined up to spend the summer in Washington D.C. before it was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak, but that the program had you spend time in Spain in a previous summer. What is the program all about?
It’s called the Washington World Fellows program, which was created by the Lt. Governor (Cyrus Habib). It’s a college prep program where you get to study abroad. I applied my sophomore year, right around soccer season, and was accepted. That summer we went to Spain for a month. Only 14 of the 500 students who applied were accepted, and fortunately I got in. They help with college essays, SATs.
We went to Spain my sophomore year. I was studying, going to college five days a week, then on the weekends we took trips to go explore different parts of the country. I wouldn’t have been able to have an experience like that without their help.
What’s next for you?
My plan is to obviously keep going to school. As of now my plan is to study at Everett Community College for two years, then hopefully move on to a university. And of course I plan to play at Everett CC.
Last question, and I feel a little guilty asking this, but what’s it like being named Edgar Martinez in Seattle Mariners territory?
Don’t feel bad, it’s actually a blessing. I really do enjoy it. People ask me all the time if I mind it, and I really don’t. Especially being from this area, people recognize the name, whether it’s referees, teachers, coaches, and they always ask if we’re related. By no means are we related at all, but it’s funny.
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