‘Indescribable’ experience
Martinez’s return gives Andrean a lift — and gives her something to remember
LOGANSPORT, Ind. — A tear trickled down the right cheek of Andrean senior guard Cristina Martinez as she listened to classmates Tori Allen and Lauren Colon extol her virtues.
Martinez opted not to play basketball last season in order to focus on soccer year-round, including playing for her club team, to get a better sense if she wanted to continue that sport in college
But Martinez, a St. Mary’s recruit, returned to the 59ers this season.
“These two are my best friends in school,” Martinez said of co-captains Allen and Colon. “When I just realized I didn’t get to see them every day, I just missed it so much, and I wanted to come back so bad.
“I’m really happy I did.”
The 59ers’ season ended Saturday in a 44-32 loss to Lapel in the semifinals of the Class 2A Logansport Semistate.
“It’s actually indescribable how much I love this team and I love these two,” Martinez said. “I wouldn’t have wanted to go out any other way.”
Playing soccer for the 59ers, Martinez had 11 goals and seven assists as a sophomore and 11 goals and eight assists as a junior, helping them finish second in Class 1A in 2021. A central midfielder for her club team, she didn’t play for Andrean in the fall, when the team reached a semistate. Instead, she said she concentrated on “practice” and “little things I needed to work on.”
In addition to Martinez’s soccer aspirations, the coronavirus pandemic also factored into her decision not to play basketball as a junior, according to Andrean coach Tony Scheub.
“Sophomore year, she was quarantined like four times, and none of it was because of her,” Scheub said. “It was because (of ) where you sat or whatever.
“She’d come back and she’d go back into quarantine. It kind of hurt her experience toward basketball. It wasn’t basketball’s fault. It was just her bad luck.
“She called me this year and said, ‘Hey, I miss it. Do you mind if I come back?’ I talked to Lauren and Tori, and they were, like, ‘Heck, yeah, she can come back.’ She’s been great for us — just a great attitude, unselfish kid.”
The 5-foot-7 Martinez was averaging 1.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists entering the semistate, but her impact extended beyond the numbers for the 59ers (25-4). She was part of the typical rotation of seven players they utilized.
“I remember when Coach Scheub texted me and Tori, asking if we were OK with Cristina coming back since she left one year, and me and Tori were on the same page,” Colon said. “She’s a hardworking player, and we wanted to have her because we knew she would help us.”
Allen, the program’s career scoring leader, was overcome after time expired Saturday. She became emotional again when mentioning Martinez.
“She’s a really good kid,” Allen said. “She comes to practice every day with a good attitude. She loves to be there. She made the environment so much more fun. “I’m glad she came back.” Colon paced Andrean with 12 points Saturday.
“I’ve been playing every game like it’s my last,” Colon said. “I just wanted to give it my all.”
Scheub shed tears too when describing Colon’s play.
“That kid is so dang tough,” Scheub said. “It just makes me mad because I’ve been trying to talk to colleges about her and telling them she can play.
“She’s not very big, she’s not very tall and I think she gets overlooked, and it pisses me off. She has so much heart and so much toughness. I love that kid.”
The 59ers had last won a regional title in 1999, the only other one in program history.
“It’s a big accomplishment that we got here,” Allen said. “This team, it’s been one of the best teams I’ve played with. I’m glad we finally got to win a regional . ... This was my favorite team of all my years.”
Scheub also put in perspective the accomplishments of the 59ers, who this season won their fourth straight sectional title and third straight Northwest Crossroads Conference title.
“It’s definitely something we’re proud of,” Scheub said. “But those kids weren’t just happy to be here. They wanted to go further, and they felt like they could go further. So to come out and not play their best game, it hurts a little bit.
“You spend a lot of time with these kids and they become like your daughters. It just sucks the season’s over, and that’s it. You’re done.
“I’m not a teacher, so I don’t get to see them at school. It’s tough. It’s pretty emotional at this time of the year.”