- November 5, 2024
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Two weeks ago at the Flagler Duals, Matanzas wrestler Pedro Nieves sat on the wood floor of the gym, leaning up against the wall. He had just won his second match of the day, improving on his then-undefeated record, and was en route to a 5-0 performance on the day before Thanksgiving.
But he looked defeated. He looked tired.
“I got the pin, but I felt like I didn’t wrestle how I should have,” Nieves recalled Saturday, about a week after the Flagler Duals and moments before he would take the mat in his first match of the St. Johns River Athletic Conference meet, at Matanzas. “I made some mistakes, and that kid shouldn’t have lasted more than 30 seconds.”
That kid did last more than 30 seconds before losing, though. And before the match was over, Nieves broke his nose. He went on to win three more matches.
Long after the tournament was over, and the mats were all rolled up, Nieves, a senior this year, wasn’t satisfied. Before he called it a day, he went to the gym to squeeze in a workout.
“Yeah, I went 5-0, but I’m training to win a state title, not the Flagler Duals,” Nieves said.
At 92 career wins, Nieves is looking to become the fourth wrestler in Matanzas’ history to reach 100 career wins. (Matanzas wrestled against Atlantic on Wednesday, but those results were too late for print.)
And so, with that in mind, his search for greatness is a relentless pursuit.
Looking to get on the podium
Growing up playing football, Nieves dropped all other sports in order to wrestle when he got to Matanzas. He was following in his brother and father's footsteps.
“I started to realize the potential for scholarships when I started receiving letters for wrestling,” Nieves said.
As a sophomore, he reached the state tournament. Things didn’t go quite as well last year as a junior, when he was eliminated in regionals — just one win away from qualifying for states again.
“Last year was a unique situation,” Matanzas coach John White said. “He was in the toughest weight in the region.”
Nieves admits that he worked harder as a sophomore than as a junior. “I let the high school life get to me, and I wasn’t really dedicated,” he said.
But he’s recommitted himself. Over the summer, he attended a wrestling camp at Appalachian State University. He went to the gym often — sometimes two or three times a day.
White can attest to Nieves’ work ethic.
“Pedro works hard in the practice room, and he also works hard on the mat,” White said. “His pace is very high. It’s that work ethic in the practice room and on the mat that has helped him get to the level that he’s at.”
The man behind the mask
Nieves stepped on the mat Saturday morning to face Luis Machada, of Nease, in the 145-pound class.
If Machado — or anyone inside the Matanzas gym that morning — was a fan of Batman, they might have thought Bane was on the mat, not Nieves.
Because of the broken nose, Nieves wrestled with a mask that made him look like the fictional supervillain.
But there was nothing fictional about Nieves’ performance: He made quick work of Machado, pinning him in the first period.
Nieves finished 2-1 and in second place in the conference, losing a decision to Fleming Island’s John Martorano in the championship.
Nieves is now 15-1 this season, but he will continue to work hard to get back to states and contend for a state title.
“I just have to stay focused and keep working hard,” Nieves said. “I need to keep a positive mind.”
His coach thinks the same thing: “Pedro will make it back to states this year, but that’s not his goal. He wants to be on the award stand. To do that, he has to stay focused and keep improving every day.”
And with Nieves’ work ethic, that shouldn’t be a problem.
