San Bernardino’s Ernesto Martinez achieves through his toughness

SAN BERNARDINO >> San Bernardino High’s Ernesto Martinez defies logic and spits in the face of conventional wisdom.

Teenagers in 2020 have a stereotype of being soft – obsessed with their cell phones and video games and easily distracted. They are not supposed to shrug off hard times and defeat like some bothersome gnat. Martinez does.

It took nothing less than a global pandemic – the novel coronavirus – to stop Martinez from competing. That happened the first week of April after Martinez had won three of four running events in a track and field meet against Miller. But the same week, California schools were shut down due to the pandemic, sounding the death knell for spring sports.

“I feel bad because I wanted to compete and go for school records and get medals at Saturday meets and patches at the league finals,” said four-sport star Martinez, who has a 3.8 grade-point average (4.2 weighted).

On Thursday, Martinez realized his diligent work paid off. He learned he is the winner of the Keith Hubbs Award, an honor given by the Ken Hubbs Foundation. It goes to a student-athlete from the greater San Bernardino area who has overcome adversity, has served the community, has been persistent, inspirational and has excelled in the classroom.

Check, check, check, check and check.

“I never knew what I was doing,” Martinez, 18, said of winning the award. “I thought I was just doing the right thing. But I guess I was doing more than the right thing.”

San Bernardino High officials are delighted.

Tweeted Cardinal athletic director Patrick Mills of the honor, “This kid here is what San Bernardino High is all about. It’s more than W’s and L’s.”

The outlook was not so bright three weeks ago when spring sports abruptly ended.

“I feel sorry for our seniors,” Cardinals track coach John Hinkleman said. “Not getting to finish their senior seasons is one of the lowest moments of my career.”

Low points? Martinez has had a few. Like when his father left home when he was 6 years old.

“I was attached to him and I cried a little bit, but I dealt with it and fought through it,” said Martinez, who last spoke to his dad six years ago. “He hasn’t called back, so I guess he’s not that interested.”

Or when his older brother, Juan Martinez, cracked his head open playing street football six years ago in front of the family home on East 19th Street. An ambulance whisked him away. Family matriarch Nora Mojica is now Juan’s full-time caretaker.

“He can still walk and talk and he’s a cool person,” Martinez said.

On Tuesday, the Cardinal star trained at a local field along with girlfriend Michelle Monzon, former football teammates Daniel Phillips and Anthony Velasquez and his brother Juan. Paco, the family dog was there, too.

Lining up wide, Martinez took Velasquez deep, then came back and made a diving catch from quarterback Phillips in the end zone. He tumbled onto his back as he clutched the ball, his mop of brown hair flying.

Then he went out again. And again. Corner patterns. Slants. Posts. Double moves. Over and over.

“Ernesto’s persistent,” girlfriend Monzon said. “He never gives up. He’s generous and he cares about the people he loves. And he’s active. He doesn’t like to be lazy. He’s smart, too. He likes to get straight A’s.”

That about covers it. Besides Martinez’s academic success, he made first-team all-league in cross-country and football. Many days, he rose before 5 a.m. to run 7-10 miles with teammate and pal Luis Villanueva. Then he practiced football after school.

He was captain of the 0-10 Cardinal football team, playing running back, safety and special teams and rarely leaving the field. His 70 tackles and five touchdowns led the team, with a highlight being an 85-yard kickoff touchdown return against visiting Indian Springs.

“He was a bright spot in an otherwise dim situation,” San Bernardino’s first-year coach, Shawn Collins, said. “He came every day and worked his (rear) off. If he played anywhere else, you’d know about him.”

It was no picnic. Trailing 77-0 against host Vista del Lago, the 5-foot-6, 135-pound Martinez took a handoff and got crushed by a Ravens defender.

“He bounces up and says, ‘You’re not going to make me tap out!’” Collins said.

That was a rare outburst for Martinez, who is better known for his resilience.

Like when he separated his shoulder before winter break during wrestling season, missed six weeks but came back to finish third in league at 132 pounds and make the section tournament.

Or, when his family hit a rough patch financially two holiday seasons ago and received an eviction notice. Martinez quit school to work.

Each day he traveled with his grandfather, Juan Mojica, to fix forklifts in places like the High Desert, Big Bear, Brea, San Diego and Pomona.

That lasted about a month until his older brother, Jose Nieves, came to the rescue. Martinez went back to school. And sports.

Things are still not ideal on East 19th Street — where sneakers dangle from electrical wires and a burned-out house covered with graffiti sits next to the Martinez home.

But the family gets by. Martinez helps by working as a cashier at a nearby Baker’s restaurant.

Nora Mojica is happy her son found sports.

“It’s made him healthy and has been his salvation,” she said. “It improved his sleep and diet. And it’s made him a strong person.”

THE MARTINEZ FILE

Name: Ernesto Martinez

School: San Bernardino

Grade: Senior

Miscellany: Has five brothers, including two at home … Made all-league in football and cross-country as a junior and senior … Family friend Tony Navarro, after seeing Martinez take a pummeling in an early-season football game, bought him extra gear … His 4:34 time in the 1,600 meters last track season was the school’s fastest in that event since 1997 … Named top student-athlete in senior class … Plans to play football at Riverside City College … Is inspired by Minnesota Vikings running back and San Bernardino High grad Alex Mattison.

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