It was just before the end of the second period. Luis Villa, the Santa Maria High School wrestling team’s 195-pound grappler, dragged his opponent, Rufino Martinez, by the feet toward the center of the mat to prevent the referee from stopping the match. The only sounds aside from the squeaks and scuffles coming from the wrestlers were the yells from the coaches on either side of the mat. Wearing his solid red singlet, Villa lifted Martinez and slammed him down onto the mat. Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Pioneer Valley eventually won the duel in a non-league match-up, but Villa won his match, defeating Martinez with a score of 8-3 and nearly pinning him. This was Villa’s fifth win in a row, marking him as undefeated since the season began and a local contender for the California Interscholastic Federation masters tournament.
Villa’s wrestling career is itself relatively young. He tried out for the varsity wrestling team two years ago at the behest of his brother and football coach to get him conditioned for the next season.
“I wasn’t planning on doing wrestling,” he said shortly after his match, still covered in sweat and breathing hard. “At first it was pretty hard, getting whooped on by the upper-classmen.”
His first year was tough. Villa didn’t start winning matches until mid-season. It seemed like he was always getting pitted against some of the toughest guys in the area. But he said it only made him stronger.
“They always put me against the toughest guys so I could hold in there and not give the other guy any points,” Villa said.
He ended up finishing undefeated in the league two years in a row and is shooting for a third year as a junior.
Villa made the CIF masters tournament last year, going 3-2 (one win was a bye) and finishing off a 30-plus-win season—an impressive feat, considering he wrestles in a state where the competition is fierce.
Villa was born in Mexico City, but moved to Santa Maria with his mother and two siblings at a very young age. Now living an all-American life, he spends most of his time engaged in study, hanging out with his family, and practicing. His mom re-married, and both of his parents work hard to give their kids a better life. His brother, Francisco, also wrestles for the same team in the 220-pound weight class. After high school, Villa wants to take classes at Allan Hancock College and eventually transfer to San Diego to complete his degree.
He’s also a bit of a barber, cutting hair in his free time. But when he’s not cutting hair, he’s rolling around on the mat.
This year may be the best for Villa. He’s looking forward to upcoming matches, particularly against Atascadero—but not taking anything for granted, he’s tackling this season one match at a time.
“This year I’m going hard,” Villa said. “God gets me here. I’m trying not to think it’s all me, but I know he helps me get there.”
This article appears in Dec 18-25, 2014.