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

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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.

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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

What does New Jersey high school wrestling need to change? Coach Jay Nace has some ideas.

Former Division I All-American, longtime Rider assistant and respected New Jersey wrestling coach Jay Nase joins New Jersey Mat Chat: Coach’s Corner for a wide-ranging conversation about coaching, athlete development and the future of wrestling in New Jersey.

Jay grew up wrestling at Point Pleasant Boro before becoming a Division I All-American at Rider. He later spent 11 seasons coaching at Rider and is now preparing to take the reins at Wall.

But this conversation quickly becomes much bigger than one coach's career.

We get into:

🤼 Growing up in NJ wrestling before today's club system

🎓 The difference between coaching high school and Division I athletes

🏫 Why being a teacher inside the school matters as a coach

🇺🇸 His love for freestyle and developing Team New Jersey wrestlers

🤝 Coaching club wrestlers who may eventually compete against his own team

🔥 Whether wrestlers SHOULD train at multiple clubs

💰 Why club loyalty can sometimes become complicated

🤼 Why NJ's best wrestlers need to compete together in freestyle

👀 Why today's high school dual meets are becoming less exciting

🚫 Coaches moving or ducking wrestlers to avoid marquee matchups

📅 Why Jay believes high school wrestlers compete too much

⚖️ How constant weight management can actually prevent wrestlers from improving

🏆 Why producing state qualifiers and college wrestlers matters more to him than dual-meet records

🎓 Why your best wrestling should still be ahead of you when you graduate high school

❤️ The family decision that led him to leave Rider

🐴 The Rider philosophy that shaped him as a coach

🥇 His pick for the greatest New Jersey high school wrestler ever

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

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00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:22 Meet Coach Jay Nase

02:39 Growing Up Wrestling at Point Pleasant Boro

04:35 The Advantage of Having a Non-Wrestling Dad

05:42 Learning to Trust & Listen to Your Coach

07:12 Wrestling Before the Club Era

08:17 When Coaching Became His Future

09:23 Returning to Wall as Head Coach

09:33 11 Years Coaching at Rider

10:37 College vs. High School Coaching

12:25 What a Wrestling Program Needs to Succeed

14:03 Coaching Where You Teach

16:13 A Life Consumed by Wrestling

18:47 Why He Loves Coaching Freestyle

21:13 Coaching Wrestlers From Rival High Schools

23:08 The Wrestling Brotherhood

24:01 Should Wrestlers Train at Multiple Clubs?

27:25 Can NJ Wrestling Clubs Coexist?

28:50 Why New Jersey Needs to Improve at Freestyle

30:13 Why Jay Loves Coaching Freestyle

31:02 The Problem With High School Dual Meets

32:26 Are NJ Wrestlers Competing Too Much?

34:30 How Jay Would Fix the High School Schedule

36:31 State Qualifiers Over Dual Meet Wins

38:49 Rider Wrestling & the NCAA Mindset

40:03 Coaching Wrestling — and Coaching People

41:27 What Comes After High School Coaching?

43:29 Why He Left Rider for His Son

45:55 Why Wrestlers Should Peak in College

47:32 The Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

49:46 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Fourth in New Jersey as a freshman. Now Julius Feliciano wants the top of the podium.

Toms River East standout Julius Feliciano joins New Jersey Mat Chat after an incredible freshman season that ended with a 4th-place finish at the New Jersey State Championships in Atlantic City.

And he's nowhere near satisfied.

Julius takes us through his journey from discovering wrestling because of **WWE at seven years old to becoming one of New Jersey's top young high school wrestlers.

We get into:

🤼 How watching WWE accidentally introduced him to wrestling

🔥 Why he chose Toms River East and Coach Mark Grey

💪 Training at Top Dog, Dragon and Shore Thing

⚔️ Starting his high school career against elite competition

🏆 His run through districts and regions

🌊 Walking into Atlantic City for the first time

🥇 Placing 4th in New Jersey as a freshman

🎯 What he believes he needs to improve to WIN a state title

🔥 Winning his match at the NJ Wrestling Showcase

⚖️ Moving toward 126 pounds for the upcoming season

🏆 Toms River East's goal of winning a Group 4 State Championship

💪 His relentless offseason training schedule

🤼 Why he's interested in adding Greco to his game

❤️ The family members and coaches behind his success

🧠 His simple advice to nervous incoming freshmen: Have fun.

Julius brings plenty of personality, but underneath it is a wrestler with huge expectations for himself.

He reached the podium in Atlantic City during his first high school season.

Now the question is:

How high can he climb?

🤼 Guest: Julius Feliciano

🏫 Toms River High School East

🏆 4th Place — NJ State Championships

🎯 Next 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

01:25 Meet Toms River East’s Julius Feliciano

02:17 How WWE Got Him Into Wrestling

03:08 Reclassing & Choosing Toms River East

04:12 Training at Top Dog, Dragon & Shore Thing

05:43 Entering High School With State Title Expectations

06:50 Starting His Freshman Season Against Shiloh

08:15 Inside the Toms River East Wrestling Room

08:57 Districts, Regions & the Road to Atlantic City

09:32 His First Experience at the NJ State Championships

10:43 Placing 4th in NJ as a Freshman

11:20 What He Needs to Become a State Champion

11:52 Winning at the NJ Wrestling Showcase

12:31 Looking Ahead to 126 Pounds

13:26 Toms River East’s Group 4 Championship Goals

14:49 His Insane Offseason Training Schedule

15:43 Freestyle, Greco & Expanding His Wrestling

16:35 The Family Behind His Success

17:20 His Advice to Incoming Freshmen: Have Fun

17:52 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Adam Derengowski went 0–8 as a freshman and was pinned in every match. Four years later, he was a New Jersey State Champion.

And that was only the beginning.

In this episode of the New Jersey Mat Chat Legends Series, former Paul VI standout and Rider NCAA All-American Adam Derengowski tells the incredible story of how hard work, dedication and persistence transformed his wrestling career.

Adam didn't start wrestling until his freshman year of high school. After going winless his first season and then losing in the first round of districts as a junior, he made a decision: go all-in.

One year later, he found himself wrestling two-time defending state champion Dave Boncher for a New Jersey State Championship.

We get into:

🤼 Going 0–8 and getting pinned eight times as a freshman

🔥 The district loss that completely changed his mentality

🎬 How Vision Quest became part of his own wrestling journey

🏆 His incredible run to a New Jersey State Championship

⚔️ Taking down two-time champion Dave Boncher

🔄 Developing the tilt system that became his trademark

🎓 How Temple dropping wrestling unexpectedly led him to Rider

🐴 Becoming an NCAA All-American at Rider

💪 Training with two-time NCAA Champion Jack Cuvo

🦊 Entering the legendary Foxcatcher wrestling room

🌎 Competing internationally in freestyle

🌪️ Getting hired by Iowa State immediately after college

🧠 Why hard work, dedication and persistence remain his three pillars for success

🏆 His choice for the greatest NJ high school wrestler of all time

🤼 The one thing he would change about New Jersey wrestling today

Adam's story is proof that where you start has very little to do with where you can finish.

For New Jersey wrestling fans, this episode is also a trip through some incredible NJ wrestling history—from Paul VI and the old district system to Rider, Foxcatcher, Iowa State and the NCAA Championships.

Guest: Adam Derengowski

🏆 New Jersey State Champion — Paul VI

🇺🇸 NCAA All-American — Rider

🤼 Former Assistant Coach — Iowa State & Cornell

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

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:22 Meet NJ Wrestling Legend Adam Derengowski

03:01 The “Wanted” Poster That Started His Wrestling Career

03:51 Going 0–8 as a Freshman

06:15 The District Loss That Changed Everything

08:59 Why Wrestling Became His Sport

11:52 The Vision Quest Begins

13:29 Facing 2X State Champion Dave Boncher

15:35 Dominating His Senior Season

17:49 The Incredible Run to the State Finals

20:00 Taking Down Dave Boncher for the NJ State Title

23:43 Life After Becoming a State Champion

26:07 Becoming a Tilting Machine

27:16 College Recruiting & Temple Dropping Wrestling

29:20 How He Ended Up at Rider

31:04 Preparing for Division I Wrestling

32:07 Getting Beat Out as a College Freshman

32:52 Breaking Through at Rider

34:52 One Year Left — Another Vision Quest

36:40 Training at the Legendary Foxcatcher

38:21 Entering His Senior Year Ranked #2

40:51 The Run to NCAA All-American

43:42 State Champion vs. NCAA All-American

44:08 Getting the Call From Iowa State

47:06 Coaching at Cornell & Leaving College Coaching

49:39 Staying Connected to NJ Wrestling

50:20 How Wrestling Has Evolved

51:09 Hard Work, Dedication & Persistence

52:13 Why None of His Kids Wrestled

53:43 The Greatest NJ Wrestler Ever?

54:45 What He Would Change About NJ Wrestling

55:47 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

Few wrestlers in New Jersey history competed with more confidence than Mark Manchio.

A 4-time New Jersey State Finalist, 3-time State Champion, Beast of the East champion, and Division I wrestler at Northern Iowa, Mark built a reputation as one of the most exciting—and polarizing—wrestlers of his era.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat Legends Edition, Mark opens up about his legendary career, his unforgettable rivalry with Joe Alexander, and why he believes wrestling—and South Jersey wrestling in particular—has changed dramatically.

In this episode:

🏆 Growing up at Sterling and Team Renegade

🤼 The rivalry with Joe Alexander that fueled his career

🔥 Why losing his first state final became his greatest motivation

👊 Winning three New Jersey State Championships

💥 Dominating the Beast of the East Tournament

🎓 Choosing Northern Iowa over other Division I programs

🍻 The honest story of why his college wrestling career ended early

📣 Coaching in South Jersey and why he believes the region has fallen behind

🥇 Naming Damien Hahn as New Jersey's greatest high school wrestler

⚔️ Why he believes the wrestlers of the '80s and '90s were mentally tougher than today's generation

Mark also shares stories about legendary coach Mike Ahern, Team Renegade, his experiences at Northern Iowa, and his unfiltered thoughts on the evolution of New Jersey wrestling.

Whether you watched Mark compete or are discovering his story for the first time, this is an honest look at one of the most memorable personalities the sport has produced.

🤼 Guest: Mark Manchio

🏆 3× New Jersey State Champion

🥈 4× New Jersey State Finalist

🎓 University of Northern Iowa Wrestling

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

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

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition Sponsor

01:25 Meet NJ Wrestling Legend Mark Manchio

03:42 Team Renegade & Becoming an Elite Wrestler

06:34 Choosing Sterling Over Camden Catholic

10:24 High School Antics & Coach Mike Ahern

11:12 The Joe Alexander Rivalry

18:20 Losing the State Finals as a Freshman

20:33 Chasing Revenge & Winning Three State Titles

22:18 Beast of the East Domination

23:51 Recruiting & Choosing Northern Iowa

27:31 Why His College Career Ended Early

31:38 Coaching Wrestling & Why South Jersey Has Fallen Behind

36:38 Sterling Wrestling, Legacy & The Hall of Fame

40:00 Who Is NJ's Greatest Wrestler Ever?

40:57 Could the Legends Beat Today's Wrestlers?

45:31 Final Thoughts

One decision changed the course of Eli Glover's wrestling career.

After struggling in middle school, Lower Cape May standout Eli Glover made the difficult decision to reclass. That extra year of development gave him the confidence and experience to become one of South Jersey's rising wrestlers.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Eli discusses:

🏆 Why reclassing completely changed his wrestling career

🤼 Choosing Lower Cape May over other programs

💪 The culture inside one of South Jersey's toughest wrestling rooms

🔥 Lower Cape May's run to the Team State Finals

⚖️ The challenges of cutting from 160 to 132 pounds

🥇 His first trip to the New Jersey State Championships

🧠 Building confidence through training instead of fear

👊 Why Orchard Wrestling Club has been such a big part of his development

Eli also shares his goals of standing on the podium in Atlantic City, what makes Lower Cape May's practices different, and why he believes this year's team can make another championship run.

If you're a fan of New Jersey high school wrestling, this episode is packed with insight from one of South Jersey's fastest-rising wrestlers.

🤼 Guest: Eli Glover

🏆 Lower Cape May Regional High School

🔥 Orchard Wrestling Club

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

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

00:00 Champion Athletes Nutrition Sponsor

01:22 Meet Lower Cape May's Eli Glover

01:40 Getting Started in Wrestling

02:26 Moving South & Finding Wrestling Clubs

03:09 Why Reclassing Changed Everything

04:27 His Funky Wrestling Style

04:42 Choosing Lower Cape May Over Ocean City

05:39 Inside Lower Cape May Wrestling

06:26 Team State Finals Run

07:11 Freshman Year Adjustments & Weight Cutting

08:32 Confidence, Freestyle & Wrestling Style

11:25 Atlantic City & State Tournament Experience

12:17 Knicks Basketball & Shark Bait Drills

13:42 Goals for Next Season

14:33 Orchard Wrestling Club & Coach Jimmy Garrett

15:28 Final Thoughts

Winning matches is important. Building great people is even more important.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Palmyra head wrestling coach Geoff Wade shares his philosophy on coaching, athlete development, and why creating the right culture matters far more than chasing trophies.

As the owner of Outlaw Performance & Recovery, Geoff has worked with everyone from youth athletes to professional competitors, helping them improve performance, prevent injuries, and extend their careers through strength training and recovery.

In this episode, we discuss:

🤼 Growing up in one of South Jersey's wrestling families

🏆 Lessons learned from legendary coach Bill Lucas

💪 Building the Palmyra wrestling program from the ground up

🧠 Why wrestling should prepare kids for life—not just competition

🥋 How jiu-jitsu changed his approach to coaching

🏋️ Why today's athletes aren't recovering enough

⚡ The benefits of fascial stretch therapy and strength training

👨‍👩‍👦 The biggest mistakes parents make in youth sports

🔥 What it really takes to build tough, resilient wrestlers

Whether you're a coach, wrestler, parent, or simply passionate about New Jersey high school wrestling, this conversation is packed with practical advice and a fresh perspective on developing athletes the right way.

Guest: Geoff Wade

🤼 Head Coach – Palmyra Wrestling

💪 Owner – Outlaw Performance & Recovery

Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the coaches, athletes, and leaders shaping wrestling across New Jersey.

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

00:00 – Champion Athletes Nutrition Sponsor

01:22 – Meet Palmyra Head Coach Geoff Wade

02:31 – Growing Up in a Wrestling Family

04:20 – Wrestling at Woodbury & Gloucester County College

06:48 – Losing the Love for Wrestling... Then Finding It Again

08:33 – Why Coaching Was Always His Calling

10:17 – Taking Over Palmyra Wrestling

12:36 – Lessons Learned From Coach Bill Lucas

15:05 – The Reality of Coaching a Small School Program

18:08 – Building Better People, Not Just Better Wrestlers

21:12 – Why Youth Wrestling Needs to Change

24:28 – Why Kids Quit Wrestling Too Early

26:55 – How Jiu-Jitsu Changed His Coaching Philosophy

29:07 – Creating the Culture at Palmyra

31:18 – Inside Outlaw Performance & Recovery

33:46 – Why Strength Training Is Essential for Wrestlers

36:18 – The Truth About Recovery & Injury Prevention

39:42 – Working With Professional Athletes

43:58 – What Fascial Stretch Therapy Actually Does

47:30 – How Often Should Wrestlers Recover?

50:08 – Preparing Wrestlers for Peak Performance

53:15 – The Future of Palmyra Wrestling

55:18 – Why Parents Need to Trust the Process

58:42 – What Every Wrestling Parent Should Know

01:02:11 – Advice for Young Coaches & Athletes

01:05:18 – Final Thoughts & Outro