Jesse Torres -- a life to celebrate

By Phillip Brents

Editor

Sadly, it takes a tragedy to remind us just how precious every moment is in our lives.

Earlier this week I learned of the untimely death of former Castle Park wrestler and coach Jesse Torres.

It has not been long since I learned of the death of another former wrestler whose name also graced these pages in years past: Eastlake High’s Adam Bader.

The circumstances of their deaths were vastly different but the result was the same: a void was created in the lives of the people who knew them.

Torres, whose prep wrestling career reached its peak in the early- to mid-1990s, was as charismatic as they made them. When he smiled, which was often, his lips rolled back to reveal his full allotment of shiny white teeth. It lit up the entire room.

He was a fierce competitor but also a kind winner. He attended many offseason freestyle tournaments and was always there to help his teammates — and even his future opponents — understand a move better.

He even invented some colorful names for his own specialty moves.

“He was a fire plug, a very unique kid,” said George Mancillas, a former assistant coach at Castle Park High, in remembrance.

One of the Trojans’ captains his senior year, Torres placed sixth in his 125-pound weight class at the San Diego Section Division II championship meet at Escondido High School and closed out his prep wrestling career with a sixth-place finish in his weight division at the 1994 San Diego Section Masters state qualifying tournament at Eastlake High School.

He returned to take the head coaching job at his alma mater and later served as an assistant coach at Hilltop High School.

He joined the U.S. Army and was involved in its wrestling program.

He leaves behind two young children — those whom he used to carry on his shoulders to wrestling tournaments as a coach.

A week later, many of the people whose life Torres touched were still learning of his death.

An overflow crowd attended a wake for Torres Tuesday night at Glen Abbey in Bonita. Included among the guests were wrestlers and coaches from both Castle Park and Hilltop high schools.

Burial services are scheduled Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the same site.

“It’s a great loss. He’s a good guy. Ever since I heard about it, I’ve been in a state of limbo — asking why?” Mancillas said.

Life remains a vicious curveball. We should all remember to savor the special moments in each of our lives, celebrating the good things that make us smile — just like Jesse did.