The first verse of the song “One Moment In Time” by Whitney Houston says “Each day I live, I want to be a day to give the best of me. I’m only one, but not alone. My finest day is yet unknown.” Moments to remember are the heartbeat of sports. They are what keep us going, even when our lungs feel like they will collapse at the end of another grueling practice. Or when it feels like our legs will give out after a 5-mile offseason run. The reason athletes push themselves to the limit is to taste the sweetness in that one moment that instantly erases the pain it took to get there. Absegami senior 152-pounder Ryan Martin had one of those moments to remember in the opening round of the state playoffs against Mainland Regional on Feb. 8. Sure, it wasn’t the state championship, it was just the first round of the playoffs. The buildup was breathtaking, and Martin rose to the occasion in such dramatic fashion that he likely will be telling the story when he’s 60 years old. Mainland was leading the match, 27-24, with one bout to go — Martin vs. Nick McAllister. A win by McAllister would give the visiting Mustangs the win. Mainland was making its first state playoff appearance in 42 years. Absegami hadn’t had a playoff win during Martin’s entire high school career. If he won by decision, the match would go to criteria and the Braves would win, 28-27, based on having won eight of the 14 bouts. So there it was, all laid out. A winner-takes-all scenario. Two wrestlers, the fate of their respective teams resting on their shoulders. Martin had beaten McAllister by a major decision in a previous regular-season match less than two weeks prior, but McAllister came out with a vengeance, taking a 2-1 first-period lead. Martin rallied to take a 4-2 lead, but McAllister scored an escape and a takedown late in the second period to go ahead 5-4. Martin, in the top position to start the third period, cut McAllister loose with 53 seconds to go, knowing his only shot to win was to give up the point in hopes of tying the bout with a takedown. So there it was, McAllister leading 6-4 with less than 40 seconds to go. The Mainland faithful in a frenzy on one side of the bleachers, Absegami’s fans praying for a miracle on their side. Hearts were racing throughout the gym as a drumbeat of emotion thumped down on the two wrestlers. 
Absegami senior Ryan Martin held off a tough challenge from Mainland Regional’s Nick McAllister to help seal the Braves’ playoff win over the Mustangs. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) Martin may have been favored, but at that moment his back was up against the wall in a big way. He was forced to go on the offensive, and a physically spent McAllister knew it. If he could hold Martin off for another half minute, it would be the biggest win of his career. But Martin is a talented wrestler, and he scored a takedown with less than 20 seconds left and tilted McAllister to his back — riding him out for the final 10 seconds to give the Braves a thrilling come-from-behind victory. “I was hoping he hit that dump (move), because he hit it about three times on that kid the last time we wrestled them. And it worked, he hit it,” said Martin’s teammate, Ben Maggio, who scored a crucial 2-1 win over Mike Kennedy after bumping up from 220 pounds to heavyweight. “This is the first playoff win Absegami has had in a long time and it feels great to be a part of that my senior year.” “I just tried to stay focused and drown everything out as much as I can during the match. I’m sure they hyped him up and told him he had to get this win. I wrestled him a week or two ago and majored him, so he definitely had that extra enthusiasm and excitement to go after it. He came at me like hell, and I definitely give him credit for that. It was a tough match,” Martin said. “The whole crowd is cheering for you, and it’s the first Absegami playoff win in a while, it’s just great to be a part of that and be on the team that can accomplish that for this school. It’s great. “It was exciting. Definitely not the way I wanted it to go, but I’ll take it, absolutely, for the team. I try to stay away from what I call ‘junk moves’ as much as I can, but being there wasn’t much time on the clock and the whole school was here supporting us, there was a lot of excitement and pressure to feed off of. It’s just great, hitting that last move and riding him out as you’re watching the clock tick down.” The Whitney Houston song goes on to say “give me one moment in time, when I’m more than I thought I could be.” Martin must have felt like the king of the world after that victory, if only for a moment. And even McAllister, in defeat, has plenty to be proud of. It’s not an easy task to go up against a wrestler who beat you pretty handily just a few weeks prior. He knew it would take a monumental effort to win that bout for his team and his school, and his rose to the challenge in championship fashion. McAllister may think he let his team down by losing that bout, but in time he will feel differently. In that situation, in that atmosphere, McAllister can walk away with his head held high for the performance he turned in. It was just one moment in time on a February night in a gym in South Jersey. There was an article about it in the morning paper, but not much after that. The moment will have to live in the memories of those who were there. Most will not remember it, but for Ryan Martin, that’s a moment in time he will cherish forever as a time when came through for his team. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]
Commentary: Moments in time make sports a worthwhile pursuit
