New Jersey Mat Chat

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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.

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

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