New Jersey Mat Chat

💜 Legends Never Die: The Chee Santone Story.

National Prep champion, NJ state placewinner, and an unforgettable personality in South Jersey wrestling. Chee Santone left a legacy that went far beyond the mat.

In this special New Jersey Mat Chat tribute, Chee's family, friends, teammates, and former rivals share the stories that made him one of a kind.

🤼 His wrestling journey from Peddie to Lenape

🏆 Rivalries, friendships, and unforgettable memories

⌚ The remarkable story of a watch and a state championship bracket

❤️ His courageous battle with cancer

💜 The family and wrestling community carrying his legacy forward

Legends Never Die.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

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00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Introduction

01:39 Remembering Chee Santone

01:55 A Husband, Father and Fighter

06:31 Childhood Friends and Wrestling Memories

08:34 Orlando Caceres and the Watch Story

10:00 Peddie, Lenape and Wrestling Success

12:00 Rivalry With Eric Childs

15:09 A Letter That Started a Friendship

18:18 The Stories Everyone Remembers

21:18 Purple Shoes and Chee's Signature Style

23:45 Where Did the Name Chee Come From?

26:00 A Lifelong Love of Wrestling

27:34 The Santone Family Opens Their Home

30:23 His Greatest Loves

31:03 The Championship Bracket Comes Home

32:00 A Promise to His Son

35:04 One Last Wrestling Match

36:36 What Would You Say to Chee?

39:31 A Legacy That Lives On

42:06 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

🤼 Brady Little is just getting started.

After winning a district championship, reaching the regional finals, and qualifying for Atlantic City as a freshman, the Howell sophomore is setting his sights even higher.

🏆 Brady joins New Jersey Mat Chat to talk about Howell wrestling, Coach Gags, growing up at Shore Thing, and what it takes to compete against New Jersey's best.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

🔥 Growing up at Shore Thing Wrestling Club

🏟️ Wrestling under the lights at Howell

🐯 Coach Gags and the famous Eye of the Tiger entrance

🤼 Howell's tough loss to Southern

🥇 Winning districts and reaching Atlantic City

🧠 Handling nerves at the state tournament

💪 Preparing for his sophomore season

🏆 Howell's move to Group 4

😂 Team stories, girlfriends, and Taylor Swift

🎯 Brady's goals: 30 wins, a regional title, and a deeper run at states

💬 Can Howell make a run at the Group 4 championship this season?

🔔 Subscribe for more interviews with the wrestlers, coaches, and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Brady Little

01:20 Growing Up at Shore Thing

04:49 Joining Howell Wrestling

05:29 Beast of the East as a Freshman

07:05 Adjusting to High School Wrestling

09:15 Howell's Home-Mat Atmosphere

09:56 Coach Gags and Eye of the Tiger

11:29 The Southern Loss

13:34 Brady's First State Tournament

15:07 Dealing With Nerves in Atlantic City

15:48 Nutrition and Making Weight

18:49 Knee Surgery and Offseason Training

19:32 Why He Loves Freestyle

20:07 Howell's Team Workouts

20:58 The Captain's Practice Story

22:57 Howell Moves to Group 4

24:09 A Tough Divisional Schedule

25:10 Facing NJ's Best Teams

26:22 Coach Gags Stories

27:28 Wrestling Rules Brady Would Change

29:19 Taylor Swift Before a Match?

30:07 Sophomore Season Goals

32:29 Aiming for a State Title

32:59 Escape the Rock or Shore Conference?

33:37 Who Has the Best Car?

34:08 Outro

🏆 From wrestling beginner to NJ State Champion in just three seasons.

Eric Childs didn't discover wrestling until high school. By 1988, he had become Rancocas Valley's first state wrestling champion.

🤼 In this New Jersey Mat Chat Legends episode, Eric shares his unlikely journey from a sophomore who barely knew the rules to defeating some of New Jersey's toughest competitors.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

🥇 Winning the 1988 NJ State Championship

🔥 His rivalry with Chi Santone

💪 The work ethic that transformed his wrestling career

🏟️ The unforgettable state finals at Princeton

❤️ Why his mother saw him wrestle for the first time in the state finals

🎓 Wrestling at Rider University and qualifying twice for the NCAA Championships

🫁 Surviving pulmonary fibrosis and receiving a double-lung transplant

🙏 The importance of organ donation and appreciating life

An incredible wrestling story — and an even greater story about perseverance and second chances.

💬 Could a wrestler today start in high school and win an NJ state championship just three seasons later?

🔔 Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches, and legends who built NJ wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet 1988 State Champion Eric Childs

01:38 Discovering Wrestling as a Sophomore

05:25 His First District Tournament

06:22 Realizing He Could Become a Champion

07:56 Beating Chi Santone

08:08 Eric's Wrestling Philosophy

09:46 Learning at Wrestling Camp

10:26 His First Region Championship

13:04 Training Harder Than Ever

15:12 Natural Athleticism and Coordination

16:26 Rivalries With Chi Santone and Johnny Duran

17:32 Two Early Senior-Year Losses

18:08 The Undefeated Run Begins

19:10 Finally Beating Chi at Districts

19:33 Mapping Out His Championship Goals

21:47 The 1988 State Tournament

22:01 Reaching the Semifinals

23:42 Beating DeJoseph to Reach the Finals

24:03 Winning the Semifinal

25:26 His Parents Finally Watch Him Wrestle

26:59 His Mother's First Match Was the State Final

28:09 Winning the 1988 State Championship

29:30 Choosing Rider University

30:50 The Shock of Division I Wrestling

32:48 Qualifying for the NCAA Championships

33:40 Learning About Freestyle Wrestling

35:06 Becoming Rancocas Valley's First State Champion

36:06 Moving to California

36:43 Diagnosed With Pulmonary Fibrosis

37:31 Receiving a Life-Saving Double-Lung Transplant

38:04 The Day His New Lungs Arrived

40:06 A New Appreciation for Life

40:51 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

🏆 ONE GOAL. ONE FINAL SEASON. AN NJ STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Gavin Young has one goal for his senior wrestling season: Become a New Jersey State Champion.

🤼 The Old Bridge wrestler was practically born into the sport. His father coached at South River, his family has a history of wrestling success, and Gavin started competing through the Old Bridge Mat Rats as a young kid.

But his high school career hasn't gone exactly as planned.

🚑 Freshman Year: A serious concussion just days before regions ended his postseason.

🔥 Sophomore Year: Gavin returned, placed at regions, and accomplished his childhood dream of wrestling at the NJ State Championships in Atlantic City.

🥇 Junior Year: After winning his first district championship, Gavin suffered a devastating loss in the regional quarterfinals. The disappointment carried into the wrestlebacks, and he admits he wasn't mentally prepared to keep competing.

🎯 Senior Year: He's determined to make sure that doesn't happen again.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Gavin opens up about the setbacks, lessons, and motivation driving his final high school season.

---

💬 “There's only one thing on my mind. It's just being a state champ.”

Gavin knows what it's like to have a season end before he's ready.

He knows what it's like to lose when everything is on the line.

And he knows that the only person who can change the outcome is himself.

Now he's entering his final season at Old Bridge with something to prove.

One more season. One more opportunity. One very clear goal. 🏆

---

🎙️ Guest: Gavin Young

🏫 School: Old Bridge High School

🤼 Series: New Jersey Mat Chat

🎬 Episode: 89

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to New Jersey Mat Chat for interviews with the wrestlers, coaches, and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

💬 COMMENT BELOW: What's harder in wrestling — preparing to win or bouncing back after a devastating loss?

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Gavin Young of Old Bridge

04:43 The Concussion That Ended His Freshman Season

05:15 Bouncing Back and Reaching Atlantic City

06:49 Managing Weight and Ignoring Opponents

08:51 Learning From a Devastating Regional Loss

11:06 One Goal: Become a State Champion

12:33 Why Gavin Added Football

14:27 Taking Responsibility on the Wrestling Mat

15:20 Training at Ryze and Old Bridge

16:26 Coach Post and the Old Bridge Wrestling Culture

17:53 College, Careers and Coaching Ambitions

19:04 How Nutrition Changed His Wrestling

20:05 College Decisions and Future Plans

20:40 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

22:09 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

🤼 What does it take to build a championship wrestling program — and help change the sport itself?

Legendary Brick Memorial and Point Pleasant Beach coach Dan O'Cone joins New Jersey Mat Chat's Coach's Corner to discuss his coaching career, the powerhouse Shore Conference, and his role in developing NJ wrestling's prestige-point seeding system.

🏆 From winning back-to-back Group 4 championships at Brick Memorial to helping make tournament seeding fairer, O'Cone has seen New Jersey wrestling from nearly every angle.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

🏆 Building championship teams at Brick Memorial

🤼 Learning from legendary Trenton State coach Dave Icenhower

🔥 The rivalries that made the Shore Conference a powerhouse

📊 How prestige points changed NJ wrestling seeding

🐐 The Damion Hahn problem that exposed flaws in the old system

⚖️ District realignment: fairness vs. tradition

🏟️ The forgotten controversy of Super Regions

🤝 Why coaches must respect wrestling officials

👧 Coaching his daughter Cecilia and growing girls wrestling

💪 Why the future of NJ wrestling is brighter than ever

💬 Do you think NJ wrestling's current district and seeding systems are fair, or should we bring back the old rivalries?

🔔 Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches, and legends who built New Jersey wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Coach Dan O'Cone

18:32 Shore Conference Rivalries & Coaching Philosophy

33:41 Debating Prestige Points and Tournament Seeding

34:58 District Realignment: Fairness vs. Tradition

37:17 What's Best for Wrestlers vs. Fans?

38:05 Could NJ Bring Back Traditional Districts?

41:18 The Wrestlers Who Missed Atlantic City

41:47 The Super Regions Controversy

45:12 A Lesson in Respecting Officials

47:42 Why Coaches Shouldn't Blame Referees

49:23 The Future of Wrestling and the Growth of Girls Wrestling

51:32 Coaching His Daughter and Staying in the Sport

53:23 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

🏆 WHO ARE NEW JERSEY'S 50 GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLERS OF ALL TIME?

After releasing our Top 50 rankings, Pete and Doug sit down to explain how the list was created, why certain wrestlers made the cut, and what it takes to compare greatness across generations.

🤼 From the legends of the 1970s and 1980s to modern-day champions, ranking NJ wrestling history is anything but simple.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

📊 How our panel developed the Top 50 rankings

🏆 State titles vs. strength of competition

⏳ Comparing wrestlers across different eras

🥇 Why Damion Hahn earned the #1 spot

🔥 The toughest decisions and biggest omissions

🤼 Why one head-to-head result doesn't tell the whole story

📚 Preserving NJ wrestling history for future generations

👀 Current wrestlers who could eventually crack the list

💬 Do you agree with our rankings? Who belongs in the Top 50, and who would you put at #1?

This list is about more than rankings. It's about recognizing the wrestlers who built New Jersey's incredible wrestling tradition.

🔔 Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for interviews, wrestling history, and conversations with NJ's greatest athletes and coaches.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Why We Created NJ's Top 50

02:43 How the Rankings Were Calculated

04:09 Comparing Wrestling Legends Across Generations

06:58 National Tournaments and Different Eras

07:55 Keeping Wrestling History Alive

08:51 Why One Match Doesn't Determine Greatness

09:23 Learning From the Wrestling Community

12:49 How Wrestling Rules Have Changed

13:16 Current Wrestlers Who Could Make the List

14:16 The Oldest Wrestler on the List

15:33 Why Damion Hahn Is #1

17:19 The Original NJ Wrestling Superstars

18:00 Honorable Mentions and Near Misses

19:40 Jimmy Conroy, Mike Gray and Strength of Competition

21:58 Three-Time vs. Four-Time State Champions

22:56 The Hardest Part of Making the Rankings

23:43 Why We Wish We'd Ranked 100

26:50 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

What defines a great wrestling coach?

Championships? Career wins? State titles?

For legendary Raritan wrestling coach Rob Nucci, the answer goes much deeper.

Nucci became a high school head coach at just 22 years old, taking over Pinelands before eventually building Raritan into one of the Shore Conference's most respected small-school wrestling programs.

Over his coaching career at Raritan, he helped deliver five sectional championships, created one of New Jersey's most intimidating home wrestling environments — The Launch Pad — and built a culture that turned local wrestlers into hometown heroes.

But in this Coach's Corner episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Nucci opens up about something far more important than his wrestling record.

He discusses losing seven former wrestlers to overdoses, the dozens more he says are in recovery, and how those experiences changed his understanding of coaching, mental health, and the responsibility coaches carry long after athletes graduate.

One of the most memorable moments comes when Nucci is asked whether he'd still be considered a great coach without his hundreds of career victories.

His answer changes the entire conversation.

He talks about seven former wrestlers he lost — and the many others whose lives continue beyond the wrestling room.

Because a coach's impact isn't always measured on a scoreboard.

Sometimes it's measured in the lives they help change.

Guest: Rob Nucci

Programs: Pinelands Regional / Raritan High School

Series: Coach's Corner — New Jersey Mat Chat

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat as we document the wrestlers, coaches, and legends who shaped New Jersey wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Coach Rob Nucci

03:29 Growing Up in Toms River Wrestling

05:13 From Trenton State to Coaching at 22

06:19 How He Got the Pinelands Job

07:50 The Legendary Coaches Who Shaped Him

09:24 Coaching Was Always His Calling

11:02 Leaving Pinelands for Raritan

12:35 Rich Dunnels: A Coach Who Never Quit

14:05 Why Youth Wrestling Programs Matter

16:00 The Commitment to Keeping Kids at Raritan

17:52 The Personal Cost of Coaching

18:00 The Former Wrestler Who Said You Saved My Life

20:34 Why Parents Must Focus on Effort, Not Wins

21:06 Seven Losses That Still Haunt Him

23:57 How Mental Health Changed His Coaching

26:03 The Launch Pad: Raritan's Legendary Gym

28:00 The DelVal Rivalry and Five Sectional Titles

30:25 The Home-Mat Advantage

32:20 Why NJ Needs More Dual Meets

36:23 Creating Hometown Wrestling Heroes

37:21 Team Championships vs. Individual Success

41:27 How Nucci Developed State-Level Wrestlers

42:40 Is NJ Too Quick to Call Top Stalling?

46:00 Should Coaches Learn to Officiate?

55:00 The Crisis Facing Public School Wrestling

58:26 Why Schools Are Losing Coaches

01:01:00 The Greatest NJ Wrestling Legends

01:03:13 The Coaches Who Built the Shore Conference

01:05:32 The Challenges Facing Small Schools

01:06:40 Nucci's Greatest NJ Wrestler Ever

01:08:09 Final Thoughts and the Value of Small Programs

01:09:15 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Three high schools.

Three very different experiences.

And Sonny DiMatteo says he wouldn't change the path.

The Point Pleasant Borough senior has already experienced more change during his high school wrestling career than most athletes ever will.

He started at Brick Memorial — the program he had dreamed about wrestling for since elementary school.

As a freshman, he reached the blood round in Atlantic City.

As a sophomore, he placed 4th in New Jersey.

Then he made a major decision.

He transferred to CBA.

One year later, he made another one.

He left CBA and transferred to Point Pleasant Borough for his senior season.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Sonny gives an honest look at what went into those decisions and what he's learned along the way.

One of the most interesting things about Sonny's story is that he doesn't pretend every decision worked exactly the way he expected.

CBA wasn't ultimately the right fit.

His wrestling career hasn't followed a straight line.

There were losses.

There were moments he questioned wrestling.

There were transfers.

But when we asked Sonny what he would change if he could do it all again, his answer was basically:

Nothing.

Brick Memorial.

CBA.

Point Pleasant Borough.

That's the path that got him here.

And as Sonny says in this episode:

“Everything happens for a reason.”

Now there's one chapter left.

🤼 Sonny DiMatteo

🏫 Point Pleasant Borough

🥉 NJ State 4th Place

🎟️ 3X NJ State Tournament Competitor

🔥 Shore Thing Wrestling

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Sonny DiMatteo

01:41 Growing Up at Shore Thing Wrestling

03:03 Why Sonny Took a Holdback Year

05:33 Why He Always Wanted to Wrestle at Brick Memorial

07:55 Creating His Own Wrestling Season

09:52 Why Sonny Never Bounced Between Wrestling Clubs

13:04 His Freshman & Sophomore Years at Brick Memorial

13:34 Why Sonny Left Brick Memorial for CBA

16:57 Adjusting to Life at CBA

20:12 A Rocky Start to His Junior Wrestling Season

21:23 The Time Sonny Almost Quit Wrestling

22:18 Why March Matters More Than Your Record

23:25 Looking Back at His First Season at CBA

25:23 Why Sonny Left CBA for Point Pleasant Borough

26:31 Choosing to Wrestle With His Brother

28:07 Starting Over at a Third High School

29:17 Becoming a Leader at Point Borough

30:33 Point Borough’s Team Goals

32:14 Sonny’s College Wrestling Recruitment

35:04 His Goals for His Senior Season

36:08 Why Sonny Signed Up for a Marathon

37:54 Advice to His 7-Year-Old Self

38:37 Public vs. Non-Public: What Sonny Learned

40:56 Why He Loves the Small-Town Feel

41:48 Would He Change His High School Path?

42:21 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

42:59 Why Wrestling History Matters

44:15 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Orlando Cáceres didn't grow up expecting to become an Olympian.

Born in Puerto Rico to an Air Force family, Orlando eventually landed in Pemberton, New Jersey and started wrestling in seventh grade.

He considers himself an average young wrestler.

Then he got tired of losing.

What followed became one of the great — and often overlooked — stories in New Jersey wrestling history.

Orlando became:

🏆 2X New Jersey State Champion

🐝 Pemberton wrestling legend

🎓 Trenton State wrestler

🇵🇷 Puerto Rican National Team member

🔥 1984 Olympian

🥉 Two points away from an Olympic bronze medal

In this New Jersey Mat Chat Legends episode, Orlando takes us back to a completely different era of wrestling.

🤼 Orlando Cáceres

🏫 Pemberton High School

🏆 2X NJ State Champion

🎓 Trenton State

🇵🇷 1984 Puerto Rican Olympic Team

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat as we document the wrestlers, coaches and legends who built New Jersey wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet NJ Legend Orlando Cáceres

01:52 From Puerto Rico to Pemberton

02:48 How Orlando Started Wrestling

03:06 Why His Parents Wouldn’t Let Him Wrestle Varsity

04:35 Going From Average to Obsessed

05:17 Running Two Miles Before Practice

06:08 Wrestling in the 1970s

06:21 “Go Wrestle Every Bearded Man You See”

07:05 The Pemberton Wrestling Powerhouse

07:42 Becoming a Dark Horse NJ State Champion

08:32 State Final vs. Dale Mills

09:59 The Jump From Junior to Senior Year

10:14 Wrestling Grown Men in Open Tournaments

10:37 Training at Fort Dix With NJ Champions

11:13 Darryl Burley’s Influence

11:39 The 1980 State Final vs. Joe Duca

12:46 The Weight Cutting Mistake

13:09 Getting Recruited by Wrestling Powers

15:14 Becoming Pemberton’s First 2X State Champion

15:51 Why He Backed Out of Iowa

17:09 Choosing Arizona

17:30 Arizona Drops Its Wrestling Program

17:42 Coming Home to Trenton State

18:42 Struggling at Arizona

19:46 Why He Hated Collegiate Wrestling

20:18 Falling in Love With Freestyle

21:25 Coach Milt Schisler’s “Computer Match”

22:44 Why Wrestling Kept Him in College

23:04 Chasing Team USA & Puerto Rico

23:33 Missing the Plane to the USA Trials

24:23 Going Toe-to-Toe With Barry Davis

25:05 Wrestling in the 1984 Olympics

25:48 Orlando’s Olympic Run

26:34 Facing a World Champion From Japan

26:52 Two Points From an Olympic Bronze Medal

27:53 Life After the Olympics

28:36 The NJ Legends Orlando Helped Develop

29:09 Coaching Pat Lynch

29:46 Coaching at Peddie

31:39 Walking Away From Wrestling

32:28 Does an Olympian Have an Obligation to Give Back?

33:03 Gary Remembers Wrestling Orlando

34:07 Why Orlando Stepped Away From Coaching

35:20 Would He Have Made His Son Wrestle?

36:21 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

37:38 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

At just 26 years old, Chris Bolletino is taking over the wrestling program he once competed for.

The Haddonfield alum is the new head wrestling coach at Haddonfield High School — making him one of the youngest head coaches in New Jersey wrestling.

But Bolletino isn't walking into the job without experience.

He grew up wrestling in South Jersey, trained under coaches including Johnny Johnson and Mark Grey, became a three-time NJ State qualifier at Haddonfield, wrestled Division I at Franklin & Marshall, and spent last season coaching at Ramapo.

Now he's coming home.

🤼 Guest: Chris Bolletino

🏫 Haddonfield Memorial High School

🎓 Haddonfield Alum

🤼 Franklin & Marshall Wrestling

📣 Head Wrestling Coach — Haddonfield

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA' available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S?ref_=atv_dp_share_cu_r

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Haddonfield’s New Head Coach Chris Bolletino

01:53 Becoming a Head Coach at 26

03:04 Building His Coaching Staff

04:21 Choosing Wrestling Over Football

05:02 His Haddonfield Wrestling Career

05:27 Wrestling at Franklin & Marshall

05:40 Learning From Mark Grey & Johnny Johnson

06:08 His Vision for Haddonfield Wrestling

07:18 Building Mental Toughness

08:03 Wrestling Tougher Competition

09:14 Training vs. Competing

10:11 Why the Number of Weigh-Ins Matters

11:40 The Shortened NJ Wrestling Season

13:00 Haddonfield’s Legendary Wrestling Gyms

14:59 Coaching at Ramapo

16:51 Can a 26-Year-Old Connect Better With Wrestlers?

18:02 What Older Coaches Can Still Teach Young Coaches

19:02 The Biggest Challenge of Coaching at 26

20:52 Why Multi-Sport Athletes Still Matter

21:36 Building Haddonfield Wrestling From the Youth Level

22:26 Is Haddonfield a Wrestling Town?

22:56 Understanding NJ Wrestling Power Points

23:35 What Happened to the Old District Rivalries?

25:21 Why Coaches Need to Understand the Rulebook

27:26 Wrestling’s Most Confusing Rules

28:17 Should Head Coaches Have to Pass a Referee Test?

30:14 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

30:59 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Are we developing better wrestlers — or just creating more opportunities to win matches?

Johnny “J-Rock” Johnson has spent more than three decades thinking about that question.

A Moorestown graduate, 3X NCAA All-American at Trenton State and founder of RAW 241, Johnson has coached generations of wrestlers and developed a philosophy built around takedowns, conditioning, international wrestling and preparing athletes for the highest levels of the sport.

And he has some strong opinions about where NJ wrestling is today.

🤼 Guest: Johnny “J-Rock” Johnson

🏫 Moorestown

🎓 Trenton State / TCNJ

🥇 3X NCAA All-American

🔥 Founder: RAW 241

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends who built — and continue to build — New Jersey wrestling.

'The Godfather of MMA'.

Now on Amazon Prime.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detai...

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Johnny “J-Rock” Johnson

02:19 Growing Up in Baltimore & Moving to Moorestown

03:34 How Basketball Accidentally Led Him to Wrestling

04:29 Winning His First-Ever Wrestling Match

05:34 Becoming One of NJ’s Best Wrestlers

06:43 Why He Chose Trenton State

08:19 Getting a D1 Experience at a D3 Program

10:09 Wrestling Training in the Offseason

11:05 Learning Directly From John Smith

12:49 The Iowa State Opportunity

14:22 What Would J-Rock Change About His Career?

15:29 “If You’re That Guy, You’re That Guy”

16:40 Becoming a 3X NCAA All-American

17:02 Discovering Freestyle Wrestling

19:03 How Starting Late Made Him a Better Coach

19:49 The Birth of RAW 241

20:09 Brett Matter: J-Rock’s First Student

22:40 How RAW 241 Got Its Name

24:32 The Philosophy Behind “Two For One”

25:03 Building the Human Takedown Machine

26:21 The Wrestler Who Validated His Style

28:22 Why Conditioning Is Everything

29:20 The Early NJ Wrestling Club Scene

31:12 How RAW 241 Exploded

32:55 What Happened to South Jersey Wrestling?

33:56 Have South Jersey’s Standards Dropped?

34:45 Why 100 Career Wins Means Nothing

36:12 What Actually Matters in Atlantic City

37:04 Can You Still Play Three Sports?

37:39 Wrestling 365 Days — But Are You Improving?

39:19 Are Wrestling Clubs Actually Developing Kids?

40:06 Why Some NJ State Champs Struggle in College

41:13 Why Wrestlers Need to Learn How to Lose

43:25 What College Coaches Should Really Recruit

44:15 J-Rock Defines Wrestling Greatness

46:53 Who Is America’s Freestyle GOAT?

47:45 John Smith vs. Jordan Burroughs

50:53 How to Build a Successful Wrestling Club

51:54 Every Wrestling Club Needs an Identity

52:30 Development vs. Making Money

54:14 J-Rock’s Biggest Problem With NJ Wrestling

56:32 King for a Day: How He’d Fix Wrestling

57:56 Is It Time to Get Rid of Stalling?

59:22 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

01:00:00 Andrew Campolattano’s Incredible Career

01:01:07 The Case for Damien Hahn

01:05:17 Final Thoughts

01:05:21 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Liam Suydam didn't wrestle a single match his freshman year.

Before his first high school season even got started, the Moorestown wrestler suffered an injury that put him in a metal cast and ended his entire season.

At the time, it was a huge setback.

Looking back?

It may have changed the direction of his wrestling career.

Unable to compete, Liam started watching wrestling.

A LOT of wrestling.

College matches.

Technique videos.

Wrestling clips online.

He'd study moves and even shadow wrestle them in his basement.

More importantly, sitting on the sidelines made him realize how badly he actually wanted to wrestle.

By his sophomore year, Liam was a District placer.

As a junior, he made another jump:

🏆 District Champion

🥉 4th at Regions

🎟️ First trip to the NJ State Championships in Atlantic City

Now he's entering his senior season believing there's another big jump coming.

🤼 Guest: Liam Suydam

🏫 Moorestown High School

🏆 District Champion

🎟️ NJ State Qualifier

🎯 Class of 2027

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

#LiamSuydam #NJWrestling #NewJerseyMatChat #MoorestownWrestling #NJHighSchoolWrestling #HighSchoolWrestling

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'.

Now on Amazon Prime.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detai...

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Moorestown’s Liam Suydam

01:35 Missing His Entire Freshman Season

02:17 From Injury to Districts & Atlantic City

03:09 How Liam Got Into Wrestling

04:11 Why He Chose Wrestling Over Other Sports

05:01 How the Injury Changed His Wrestling Career

05:47 Fixing His Training & Weight Cut

06:21 Training at Different NJ Wrestling Clubs

07:03 The Partners Who Helped Him Improve

07:24 Liam’s “Unexpected” Wrestling Style

07:48 Competing at the NJ Wrestling Showcase

08:34 Inside Moorestown Wrestling

09:40 Why Club Training Became So Important

10:15 How Nutrition Changed His Wrestling

11:55 Wrestling Friends in Big Matches

13:00 Wrestling Owen Boyle

13:36 College Wrestling Plans

14:04 Liam Wants to Become a Pilot

15:57 Preparing for His Senior Season

16:30 Neutral vs. Top Wrestling

17:02 Expectations for Moorestown

17:32 Coaching the Next Generation

18:25 Advice for Young Wrestlers

19:35 The Wrestlers Liam Studies

20:25 The Positive Side of Missing a Season

21:18 The People Behind His Success

21:52 What Weight Will He Wrestle?

22:04 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Eric Morley didn't grow up as a wrestling phenom.

In fact, he didn't start wrestling until high school.

His freshman record?

0-8.

Today, he's the head wrestling coach at Middletown North and has helped build a program producing state champions, state qualifiers and wrestlers who have gone on to succeed at the Division I level.

But Morley's definition of successful coaching goes well beyond wins.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat: Coach's Corner, Morley gets into the realities of building a high school wrestling program in one of the toughest wrestling areas in the country.

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:07 Meet Middletown North Coach Eric Morley

01:20 How He Became Middletown North’s Head Coach

02:18 Going 0-8 in His First Year Wrestling

03:28 Coaching Soccer AND Wrestling

04:07 Why Wrestling Never Really Turns Off

05:12 Coaching Soccer Players vs. Wrestlers

06:05 Why Wrestling Builds Something Bigger

07:05 The Middletown North Wrestling Culture

08:12 Coach Morley’s Wrestling Philosophy

09:18 Breaking Opponents Mentally

09:50 Are High School Wrestlers Competing Too Much?

11:02 Why Kids Need More Time in the Wrestling Room

12:26 What Makes the Shore Conference Different

13:21 Building an Atmosphere at Middletown North

14:14 Why Teams Avoid Wrestling Each Other

14:37 Taking Middletown North to Beast of the East

15:14 The Brotherhood Between Wrestling Coaches

16:03 When Should Coaches Start Thinking About Weight?

17:38 Team Season vs. Individual Season

18:24 Developing State Champions — and Everyone Else

19:42 Wrestling Has Very Little to Do With Wrestling

20:42 Tyler Klinsky’s Journey to NCAA All-American

23:20 The Problems With NJ Wrestling’s Constant Changes

25:00 Scheduling Around Districts & Regions

26:32 Why Coaches Avoid Tough Competition

26:41 Are 100 Career Wins What They Used to Be?

27:02 Why Middletown North Schedules Tough

28:31 Sometimes You Need to Get Your Butt Kicked

29:17 Coaching Two Sports With a Growing Family

31:12 The Best Wrestling Gyms in New Jersey

32:15 How Many Weight Classes Should Wrestling Have?

33:52 Stop Avoiding the Big Matchups

34:36 Why Losing Before States Can Make You Better

36:44 Finding Tough Matches Within Dual Meets

38:13 Why Eric Morley Wouldn’t Let Jackson Fearon Quit

40:18 The Victories Nobody Sees

42:07 Could Eric Morley Become a Wrestling Official?

44:05 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

45:03 What Actually Makes a Wrestler Great?

46:33 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Jackson Fearon almost quit wrestling.

As a sophomore at Middletown North, he was trying to maintain 120 pounds.

His routine?

Wake up at 4 AM.

Run.

Sauna.

School.

Practice.

Go home.

Nap.

Then go to another practice.

Eventually, he'd had enough.

Jackson stopped showing up to practice.

Coach Morley wasn't having it.

He sent Jackson's brother and teammates to his HOUSE to get him and bring him back to the wrestling room.

Jackson stayed.

He moved up in weight.

And everything changed.

As a junior, Jackson exploded to a 43-7 season, won Districts, won Region 5 and made his first trip to the NJ State Championships in Atlantic City.

Now he's entering his senior year with one goal:

🏆 Become an NJ State Champion.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Jackson talks about:

🤼 Nearly walking away from wrestling

⚖️ The brutal weight cut that almost ended his career

🚗 His teammates showing up at his house to bring him to practice

📈 His breakout 43-7 junior season

🏆 Winning Districts and Region 5

🥋 Growing up around MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

👊 His father's background as a professional MMA fighter

🤼 Growing up in the Middletown North wrestling system

🔥 The mentality inside the Middletown North room

🏟️ His first experience wrestling in Atlantic City

💔 The heartbreaking match that ended his state tournament

🎯 Why that loss changed his goals for senior year

💪 Improving his diet, conditioning and training

🔄 Changing his wrestling arsenal during the offseason

🤼 Training with different wrestlers and clubs around New Jersey

🎓 His thoughts on wrestling in college

🏈 Walking away from football to focus on wrestling

At the end, we asked Jackson a simple question:

When your Middletown North career is over, what do you want people to say about Jackson Fearon?

His answer:

“I did it.”

That's it.

State Champion.

One season left to make it happen.

🤼 Guest: Jackson Fearon

🏫 Middletown North

🏆 District Champion

🏆 Region 5 Champion

📈 43-7 Junior Season

🎯 Goal: NJ State Champion

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

••Premier Sports Nutrition - Champion Athletes - https://champion-athletes.com

00:00 Intro / Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:26 Meet Middletown North’s Jackson Fearon

01:36 The Jump to a 43-7 Junior Season

02:31 The Weight Cut That Made Him Want to Quit

03:55 Growing Up Around MMA & Jiu-Jitsu

05:40 His Rough Start in Wrestling

06:45 When Jackson Realized He Was Good

07:03 Why He Almost Left Middletown North

07:43 Inside the Middletown North Wrestling Room

09:01 His First Trip to Atlantic City

10:12 The Match He Wants Back

11:30 Senior Year Goal: NJ State Champion

11:48 Will He Wrestle in College?

12:12 Building a Better Version for Senior Year

12:42 Changing His Wrestling Style

13:18 Training at Different NJ Wrestling Clubs

14:12 Middletown North’s 2027 Team

14:22 Walking Away From Football

14:56 “I Did It.”

15:09 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Pat Glory knows what it feels like to come up one match short.

Before becoming an NCAA National Champion at Princeton, Glory lost three youth state finals.

Then he reached the New Jersey high school state final as a freshman — and lost.

He came back as a sophomore.

Made the final again.

And lost again.

But those losses became part of the reason Pat Glory eventually reached the top of college wrestling.

In this episode of the New Jersey Mat Chat Legends Series, Pat takes us through the entire journey — from a 50-pound youth wrestler in Randolph, NJ to Delbarton, Princeton University and ultimately the top of the NCAA podium.

One of the most powerful things Pat says in this conversation is that he doesn't know if he ever becomes an NCAA Champion without losing those first two New Jersey state finals.

Pat Glory's career is proof that coming up short doesn't have to be the end of the story.

Sometimes it's what builds the champion.

🤼 Guest: Pat Glory

🏫 Delbarton School

🐯 Princeton University

🏆 2X NJ State Champion

🥈 4X NJ State Finalist

🥈 NCAA Finalist

🏆 2023 NCAA National Champion

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends who built — and continue to shape — New Jersey wrestling.

••Premier Sports Nutrition - Champion Athletes - https://champion-athletes.com

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:22 Meet NCAA Champion Pat Glory

02:10 Growing Up in Randolph, NJ

03:05 How Wrestling Became His Sport

04:35 Choosing Delbarton Over Randolph

05:50 Why Delbarton Was the Right Choice

07:28 Entering High School at 14 Years Old

08:11 His Early Wrestling Struggles

09:33 Three Youth State Finals — Zero Titles

09:52 The Pressure to Become a 4X State Champion

10:57 Learning to Separate Results From the Process

12:25 Losing the NJ State Final as a Freshman

13:00 The Sophomore State Final vs. Sebastian Rivera

14:20 Two State Finals. Two Losses.

15:31 Turning to a Sports Psychologist

18:39 How Mental Training Changed His Wrestling

19:22 Why Pat Wouldn’t Change His High School Losses

21:06 Looking Back at His Delbarton Career

22:18 Why Princeton Became the Choice

23:48 Princeton’s Search for Its First NCAA Champion

25:39 Balancing Princeton Academics & Division I Wrestling

27:13 NCAA Final vs. Nick Suriano

31:08 The Injury That Changed the Suriano Final

34:02 Wrestling Through the Final Seconds

36:06 Cutting From 150 to 125 Pounds

37:44 Why He Stayed at 125

38:45 Preparing for Spencer Lee

40:25 Finding Out Spencer Lee Lost

41:29 Preparing for Matt Ramos Instead

43:30 Becoming an NCAA Champion

45:43 Celebrating the National Championship

47:20 Why Pat Walked Away From Wrestling

49:12 Life After Wrestling in Manhattan

50:46 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

52:09 Could Pat Glory Become a Coach?

53:07 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Second in New Jersey isn't good enough for Joey Monticello.

The Hanover Park senior came within one match of an NJ State Championship last season.

Now he's coming back with bigger expectations.

Joey joins New Jersey Mat Chat to talk about growing up in one of North Jersey's traditional wrestling communities, his journey through high school wrestling, his state-final loss—and why his entire senior season is being built around finishing the job.

And Joey isn't hiding what he expects:

🏆 Win Beast of the East

🏆 Win Escape the Rock

🏆 Win an NJ State Championship

🔥 Go undefeated

In this episode, Joey talks about:

🤼 Starting wrestling at just four years old

💪 Why he's always been physically advanced for his age

🏈 Giving up football to go all-in on his state-title chase

🏫 The wrestling tradition and expectations at Hanover Park

🔥 His “in your face for six minutes” wrestling style

🤼 How Rich Patito, Diego Crespo and Nicky Raimo influenced his wrestling

💥 Training at Ruthless Wrestling

🏆 Entering high school expecting to become a state champion

🥈 His run to the NJ state final last season

😤 Why being a state runner-up still isn't a win in his mind

🎯 His goal of going undefeated as a senior

🏟️ The atmosphere inside Hanover Park wrestling

🎓 His goal of wrestling Division I in college

🥇 Why he believes he can eventually make a run at an NCAA final

⚖️ His thoughts on wrestling's changing rules

🍝 Cutting weight in a traditional Italian family

❤️ The huge Monticello family contingent that follows him to Atlantic City

One thing becomes pretty clear talking to Joey:

He's not interested in almost.

Last season ended one match short of his goal.

Now he gets one more shot.

🤼 Guest: Joey Monticello

🏫 Hanover Park High School

🥈 NJ State Finalist

🎯 Goal: NJ State Champion

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

••Premier Sports Nutrition - Champion Athletes - https://champion-athletes.com

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:22 Meet Hanover Park’s Joey Monticello

02:43 Growing Up in a Hanover Park Wrestling Town

03:38 Starting Wrestling at Four Years Old

04:39 Being Bigger & Stronger From a Young Age

05:56 Playing Football as a Junior

06:28 Why He Gave Up Football for Wrestling

07:50 The Expectations at Hanover Park

08:25 School, Grades & an Interest in Finance

09:19 Joey’s Wrestling Style: Six Minutes in Your Face

10:10 How Ruthless Wrestling Changed His Game

12:35 Training Inside the Ruthless Room

13:21 Entering High School Expecting to Win States

14:39 Realizing High School Wrestling Was Different

15:57 His Run to the NJ State Finals

16:34 The State Final Against Canova

17:20 Why Second Place Isn’t Good Enough

17:42 Senior Year Goal: Go Undefeated

18:10 Treating Every Match Like an Olympic Final

19:11 The Atmosphere at Hanover Park

20:47 College Wrestling & Division I Goals

22:17 How Far From Home Will He Go?

23:15 Freestyle, Greco & His Wrestling Style

24:16 Understanding Wrestling’s Changing Rules

25:08 The One Wrestling Rule He Would Change

26:12 Mom, Dad & the Monticello Wrestling Machine

27:17 Cutting Weight in an Italian Family

28:37 The Monticello Family Takes Over Atlantic City

29:33 Life Away From Wrestling

30:17 What’s Next for Joey & Hanover Park

30:51 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Legends never die. Their stories live on through the people they inspired.

New Jersey Mat Chat is proud to present the first installment of Legends Never Die, honoring the life and legacy of Johnny Martin, the 1992 New Jersey State Champion from Absegami High School.

Johnny Martin's life was cut far too short, but more than three decades after he won his New Jersey state championship, the wrestlers who competed against him, trained beside him and grew up watching him still remember.

That's a legacy.

Legends Never Die.

🤼 Johnny Martin

🏫 Absegami High School — Class of 1992

🏆 1992 New Jersey State Champion

📈 123-8 High School Record

⭐ Oklahoma State Wrestling

00:00 Legends Never Die: The Story of Johnny Martin

01:05 1992 State Final: Johnny Martin vs. Jay Nase

02:04 Jay Nase Remembers His State Finals Opponent

03:36 “He Was Lightning Fast”

05:49 The Heart & Work Ethic Wrestling Reveals

07:37 One Word for Johnny: Speed

09:15 How Johnny’s Passing Affected Jay Nase

11:12 Johnny’s Brother Joe Martin

12:41 How Johnny Got Started in Wrestling

14:45 Meeting John Smith in Seventh Grade

15:28 Johnny’s Dream: Oklahoma State

16:51 His College Career & Leaving Oklahoma State

17:58 The Back Injury That Changed Everything

19:55 Doctors Tell Johnny His Wrestling Career Is Over

20:40 The Cancer Diagnosis

22:19 Fighting Cancer & Returning to the Wrestling Room

23:42 The Conversations Between Two Brothers

24:36 “The Closest Thing I Have to Having My Own”

25:03 One Word for Johnny: Driven

26:48 A Surprise Call With John Smith

28:48 John Smith Remembers Johnny Martin

31:31 Why NJ Wrestlers Fit at Oklahoma State

32:50 The Malatesta Family & an Incredible Wrestling Story

35:40 A Young Johnny Idolizes Bobby Malatesta Jr.

36:52 Bobby Wins the 1985 NJ State Championship

37:21 The Medal That Changed Johnny’s Life

38:12 Johnny Fulfills the Promise

39:13 Honoring Johnny After His Passing

41:36 The Two State Championship Medals

42:28 “I Knew That Was Going to Be His Day”

43:41 One Word for Johnny: Determined

44:51 Sean Scannell: The Next Generation at Absegami

46:43 How Johnny Paved the Way

48:12 Remembering the Day Johnny Passed

49:29 Carrying Johnny’s Memory Into College

50:39 One Word for Johnny: Innovator

52:55 Teammate Bernie Tenet Remembers Johnny

53:46 Visiting Johnny During His Battle With Cancer

55:07 Johnny’s Oklahoma State Dream

55:58 One Word for Johnny: Awesome

57:45 George Florence Remembers His Teammate

59:21 Watching Johnny Win the 1992 State Title

01:01:09 Visiting Johnny at Oklahoma State

01:04:24 Learning From the Best Wrestlers in the World

01:06:47 Johnny Martin vs. Cary Kolat

01:09:06 One Word for Johnny: Elite

01:10:25 Kathy Barber Remembers Johnny

01:12:48 Johnny’s Letters From College

01:13:26 Their AOL Instant Messenger Conversations

01:14:02 “The Fastest Ankle Pick I’ve Ever Seen”

01:14:21 Johnny & Legendary Coach Gene Barber

01:15:09 One Word for Johnny: Humble

01:17:55 Thank You to the Martin Family

01:18:22 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Jayce Cappello didn't grow up as an elite year-round wrestler. He was a baseball player who got serious about wrestling entering high school. Now he's chasing an NJ State Championship.

Toms River East standout Jayce Cappello joins New Jersey Mat Chat to talk about his rapid rise in New Jersey high school wrestling, balancing two sports, and why he's choosing wrestling as the path he wants to pursue at the next level.

Jayce entered his freshman season with virtually no expectations—and ended it wrestling at the NJ State Championships. After placing the following year, he's entering his junior season with a completely different mindset.

In this episode:

⚾ Growing up as a serious baseball player

🤼 When he realized he could be really good at wrestling

🔥 Making States as a freshman

💪 How athleticism, scrambling and conditioning helped close the experience gap

⚾ Balancing high school baseball with year-round wrestling

❤️ Why he ultimately fell in love with wrestling

🎓 Choosing wrestling over baseball if he gets the opportunity in college

🤼 Training at Shore Thing and Top Dog

🏫 Why he chose to stay at Toms River East instead of going private

🧠 How Coach Mark Grey transformed his wrestling

💪 Why Toms River East believes toughness can separate them this season

⚖️ His approach to weight cutting

😂 Life inside the Toms River East wrestling room

🏆 His goal of becoming a New Jersey State Champion

🧠 The mental work he believes will get him there

Jayce also talks about the expectations surrounding Toms River East wrestling this season and why he believes their difficult schedule will have them battle-tested when the postseason arrives.

This is a great conversation for young athletes who don't necessarily specialize in wrestling from the time they're five years old. Jayce's development shows what can happen when athletic ability meets the right coaching, training partners and commitment.

🤼 Guest: Jayce Cappello

🏫 Toms River East Wrestling

🎯 Goal: NJ State Champion

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey high school wrestling.

••Premier Sports Nutrition - Champion Athletes - https://champion-athletes.com

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:22 Meet Toms River East’s Jayce Cappello

01:48 Big Expectations for Toms River East

03:10 When Wrestling Became Serious

03:39 Making States as a Freshman

04:09 How Athleticism Helped His Wrestling

05:29 Balancing Baseball & Wrestling

06:17 Why He Fell in Love With Wrestling

07:33 Baseball vs. Wrestling: Which Helps More?

08:15 Choosing Wrestling for College

08:28 Training at Shore Thing & Top Dog

09:36 Why He Chose Public School

10:18 The Impact of Coach Mark Grey

11:03 Inside the Toms River East Wrestling Room

12:11 Why He Doesn’t Cut Much Weight

13:24 Turning His Family Into Wrestling Fans

14:29 The Toms River East Team Clown

15:19 The Goal: Win an NJ State Title

16:35 The Mental Side of Wrestling

17:30 Wrestling vs. Baseball Officiating

18:18 His Family’s Toms River Baseball Connection

19:19 Coaches, Family & Final Thoughts

19:55 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Are we making New Jersey high school wrestling better—or making the path too easy?

Lower Cape May head wrestling and football coach Billy Damiana joins New Jersey Mat Chat: Coach’s Corner for a wide-ranging conversation about coaching, toughness, athlete development and some of the biggest issues facing NJ wrestling.

Billy grew up in Cape May, competed in wrestling and football at the college level, and eventually returned home to coach the next generation at Lower Cape May.

But this conversation goes well beyond his own career.

Billy believes coaches have a responsibility to create an environment that challenges young athletes, makes them tougher and prepares them for far more than winning wrestling matches.

🤼 Guest: Billy Damiana

🏫 Lower Cape May Regional

🤼 Head Wrestling Coach

🏈 Head Football Coach

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

#NJWrestling #NewJerseyMatChat #BillyDamiana #LowerCapeMay #LowerCapeMayWrestling #NJHighSchoolWrestling #SouthJerseyWrestling #WrestlingPodcast

••Premier Sports Nutrition - Champion Athletes - https://champion-athletes.com

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:22 Meet Lower Cape May Coach Billy Damiana

01:49 Growing Up in Cape May

04:20 From Being Bullied to Martial Arts & Wrestling

06:10 Choosing Division I Wrestling

07:23 College Wrestling, Football & Coming Home

08:36 Teaching at Lower Cape May

10:12 Becoming a Wrestling Coach

12:19 Learning to Coach at Buena Regional

14:27 Coaching Football & Wrestling Year-Round

17:00 What Football and Wrestling Teach Each Other

20:02 What Makes an Elite Athlete?

22:48 Why Coaching Is Really About the Kids

25:25 The Relationships That Last After Wrestling

27:07 Why Coaches Need to Stop Ducking Matches

28:17 Growing Wrestling Means Wrestling the Big Matches

31:24 What Happened to Packed NJ Wrestling Gyms?

32:34 NJ Realignment: Did We Get It Wrong?

33:59 Should 4th Place Advance to States?

35:35 The Disappearance of Multi-Sport Wrestlers

38:00 Are Today’s Wrestlers Better — But the Path Easier?

40:18 The Scariest Match of Wrestling Season

41:10 Why One-Day Districts Need to Go

42:09 Is 100 Career Wins Still a Big Milestone?

43:31 Chase Hansen: Wins, Goals & Taking Ownership as a Coach

47:07 Roasting Tristan Rosemeyer & Eli Glover

48:33 The Culture Inside Lower Cape May Wrestling

51:01 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

52:28 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

New Jersey wrestling has a new name to watch this season: MJ Gorrell.

Except MJ isn't exactly new.

The Somerset, NJ native spent his first two high school seasons competing across the border at Conwell-Egan in Pennsylvania, reaching the state blood round as a freshman and placing Top 8 in PA as a sophomore.

Now he's coming home.

MJ is transferring to St. John Vianney, stepping into the Shore Conference and setting one very clear goal for his first season wrestling high school in New Jersey:

🏆 Win an NJ State Championship.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, MJ talks about:

🤼 Why he originally left NJ to wrestle at Conwell-Egan

🏠 Living away from home during wrestling season

🔥 Training with Pennsylvania wrestlers at NPR

🥇 His first two runs through the PA postseason

➡️ Why he decided it was time to return to New Jersey

🦁 Choosing St. John Vianney

🌊 What he expects from Shore Conference wrestling

⚖️ The differences between Pennsylvania and New Jersey wrestling

🤼 Why his funky, scrambling style is better suited for folkstyle

💪 Training at Frost, Duro and NPR

🧠 The coach who's had the biggest influence on his career

🏆 His goal of becoming a New Jersey State Champion

💥 The intense strength and conditioning program he does with his father

🎓 His interest in forensic science

🐯 Training at Princeton and his goal of wrestling in the Ivy League

MJ has spent years wrestling and training around high-level competition on both sides of the Delaware.

Now New Jersey gets to see what he can do.

Welcome home, MJ.

🤼 Guest: MJ Gorrell

🏫 St. John Vianney

📍 Somerset, NJ

🏆 PA State Top-8 Finisher

🎯 Goal: NJ State Champion

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

••Premier Sports Nutrition - Champion Athletes - https://champion-athletes.com

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:22 Meet MJ Gorrell

01:41 Leaving NJ to Wrestle at Conwell-Egan

03:00 Training at NPR & Wrestling in Pennsylvania

04:05 PA State Tournament Success

04:48 Living Away From Home During Wrestling Season

05:51 Why He’s Coming Back to New Jersey

06:53 Choosing St. John Vianney

07:49 What MJ Expects From NJ Wrestling

09:28 Entering the Shore Conference

10:24 Academics & Life After Wrestling

11:09 Freestyle vs. Folkstyle

12:32 Training at Frost, Duro & NPR

13:36 PA vs. NJ Wrestling Rules

15:35 Getting to Know His New SJV Teammates

16:36 His Biggest Coaching Influence

17:52 The Goal: Win an NJ State Title

19:18 How His Dad Drives His Training

20:08 MJ’s Wrestling Style

20:48 State Title or Bust?

21:19 His Dream Training Partner

22:04 Princeton & Ivy League Goals

22:52 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro