Weighing In: N.J.'s ultimate high school wrestling podcast

NJ.com
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When it comes to high school wrestling, New Jersey stands unmatched. This season, NJ.com introduces "Weighing In," a weekly podcast 🎙️ dedicated to all things wrestling in the Garden State. Join our expert team of reporters — Ryan Patti, Bill Evans, Joe Zedalis, and Jake Aferiat — as they dive into the latest upsets, analyze dual matches, and preview the must-see tournaments of the weekend. Tune in for top-notch analysis and insider opinions from the reporters who know New Jersey wrestling best. "Weighing In" is your ultimate source for everything happening on the mats across the state. Don't miss an episode!

  1. 2D AGO

    Chaos reigns in wrestling state tournament with upsets galore & more

    In this episode of Weighing In, NJ.com's high school wrestling podcast, NJ.com reporters Jake Aferiat, Bob Badders, Bill Evans and Ryan Patti recap the first day of the state tournament, which saw plenty of chaos around the Garden State, and other teams making statements. They also take a look at Wednesday's public-school sectional finals and project which teams we will see at the team wrestling state finals at Rutgers on Sunday. 0:00: Recapping the first day of the state tournament on Monday, where public schools wrestled their quarterfinal and semifinal matchups, including the South, Group 5 section, as Southern beat Howell and Kingsway beat Washington Township. Those two teams will meet in the South, Group 5 final on Wednesday. 7:10: Kingsway got a boost to its lineup on Monday when Cole DeNick returned and wrestled for the first time in two years, winning his quarterfinal and semifinal bouts via pins. Kingsway also avenged an early-season loss to its rival in Washington Township in the semis. 10:40: There was plenty of chaos in North Jersey with seventh-seeded Passaic upsetting second-seeded North Bergen. Pompton Lakes beat Kittatinny, which had wrestled a very good schedule. River Dell had a dramatic 18-point comeback. 14:00: North Hunterdon made a statement with a dominant win over Middletown North. Morris Hills upset top-seeded Cranford on Criteria F (most forfeits) in North 2, Group 3. And Caldwell battled back against Hackettstown in North 2, Group 2. 19:55: Northern Burlington beat Central Regional in South, Group 4 after going on the road. You never know what might happen when the state wrestling tournament begins. Toms River East got revenge on Toms River South. And don't write off Brick Memorial, who is back in a familiar place. 26:00: Previewing the public sectional finals on Wednesday. What are the keys in the South, Group 5 final between Southern and Kingsway? 29:55: There are plenty of North sections to keep an eye on, including Pascack Valley and High Point meeting in the North 1, Group 2 final. Ramapo and River Dell meet in the North 1, Group 3 final, where history will be made. And Phillipsburg meets Mount Olive in one of the marquee matchups on Wednesday. 38:15: Delaware Valley and Manville are two of the lone undefeated teams left, and they will meet in the Central, Group 1 sectional final. Delaware Valley is 21-0, while Manville is 29-0. 42:15: In Central, Group 2, sixth-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven takes on Point Pleasant Boro in the sectional final. Rumson is the two-time defending Group 2 champion. 44:50: Paulsboro continues to make statements in South, Group 1, and has won 44 of the 45 sectional titles. Paulsboro faces Audubon in the sectional final on Wednesday night to win its 45th sectional title. 48:55: Projecting who we could see at Rutgers on Sunday for the team wrestling state tournament finals. Can we pencil in Delbarton and Camden Catholic to win titles in Non-Public A and Non-Public B, respectively? Lower Cape May and Rumson-Fair Haven could be on a collision course on Friday in the Group 2 state semifinals. Mount Olive and Phillipsburg is a toss-up, while North Hunterdon, Delaware Valley and Delsea are favorites to get to Rutgers as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 4m

  2. FEB 11

    N.J. state tournament seeding reactions, surprises & more

    In this episode of Weighing In, NJ.com's high school wrestling podcast, reporters Jake Aferiat, Bob Badders, Bill Evans, Ryan Patti and Joe Zedalis give their reactions to the state wrestling team tournament being seeded, including if teams are being overlooked and if there are any surprises. The reporters also give their thoughts on last week's action, which included Christian Brothers beating St. Peter's Prep and Southern staking its claim as the best public school in the state after beating Delsea. 0:00: Recapping last week, which had some massive matchups, including Christian Brothers beating St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City. They could meet again during the state tournament next week.5:00: Southern beat Delsea in a thrilling dual between the highest-ranked public school programs in the state. It came down to the last bout at 106. Delsea fought back after Southern opened up a big lead early.9:40: Weight class movement as wrestlers start to drop and change weights. Camden Catholic's Sammy Spaulding dropped to 132, and he will be the top wrestler wherever he goes. It's a really deep weight class. Southern's Levi Foote is down to 190. It's all about having options and flexibility in your lineup.19:35: The state tournament was seeded on Tuesday. Paulsboro is the No. 1 seed in South, Group 1, even though this might be a little bit of a down year for the historic program. They've won a sectional title every year other than in 2008. Lower Cape May in South, Group 2 might be the overall favorite in Group 2.27:05: A rematch between Washington Township and Kingsway is on the horizon after the two teams met during the season in a thrilling dual that Washington Township won. Howell vs. Southern is going to be a semifinal when it should've been a final.32:55: North 2, Group 4 is an intriguing section. Is North Hunterdon being overlooked in the section? A lot of talk about Middletown North and Middletown South, meanwhile, North Hunterdon has wrestled a challenging schedule. A North Hunterdon and Middletown North semifinal would be fascinating.40:30: North 2, Group 1 is another strong section with teams like Cedar Grove, Hasbrouck Heights and Hanover Park, which are the top three seeds. And Central, Group 2 is another interesting section with Rumson-Fair Haven as the No. 6 seed, who should be considered the favorite.50:25: The Non-Public seeds were released during the show. Not many surprises in both Non-Public A and B. There will be plenty of drama before the finals at Jersey Mike's Arena at Rutgers.57:35: There are some dark horses, but Kittatinny is a team that has history and could make a run in the state tournament as a No. 3 seed. Bayonne in North 2, Group 5 could be a dark horse as a No. 3 seed. And some great opening-round matches include Bergen Catholic at St. Joseph (Mont.)., Montville at River Dell and Phillipsburg at Ridge.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 12m

  3. FEB 5

    N.J. wrestling oddities, whose stock is rising & ‘The golden arches’

    In this episode of Weighing In, NJ.com's high school wrestling podcast, reporters Jake Aferiat, Bob Badders, Bill Evans, Ryan Patti and Joe Zedalis discuss the action last week, which included a scary situation at Old Bridge, some wrestling oddities, big duals this weekend with the power point cutoff looming and more. Blair got revenge on Delbarton, and each of the reporters also tells you which wrestlers you should buy stock in now. 0:00: An update from Old Bridge, where girls wrestler Adriana Maria sustained a serious spinal injury last Saturday, reporting severe neck pain. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with medical expenses and her recovery. 4:15: Recapping last week's action, including the top two teams in the Shore Conference going at it as Christian Brothers dominated Southern. CBA is at a different level compared to everyone else in the Shore Conference. And is the gap getting larger between Non-Public schools and public schools? 8:50: Delbarton and Blair went at it, and Blair got its revenge after losing to Delbarton last season. Does this end Delbarton's quest to finish No. 1 in the country, and if Blair was an NJSIAA school, would they get all 14 weight classes to Boardwalk Hall? 12:35: South Jersey had a strong week, with standout performances by Kingsway, Lower Cape May and St. Augustine. LCM is really good and is only getting better. Delsea is still the favorite in Group 3 and LCM can win a state title this year. There's belief they can give South Jersey two state champs. 17:30: The power points cutoff is this weekend, and right now, there could be some interesting matchups, including Southern and Howell meeting in a sectional semifinal in South, Group 5. And South, Group 1 is open and Central, Group 1 is another potentially intriguing section and North 1, Group 3 is pound-for-pound one of the top sections to keep an eye on. Kittatinny extended its season in North 1, Group 1. 31:10: There were a couple of wrestling oddities that happened last week, including one match going to criteria nine, which was Lenape Valley and Mountain Lakes. Colts Neck won two matches via penalty points. 36:05: Updated individual ranks are out. Not many changes, but there are some significant returners, including Jojo Burke from St. Joseph (Mont.), who comes in at No. 2 at 120. St. Peter's Prep's Laudan Henry is also back from injury at 144. 44:15: There are a handful of wrestlers that you should buy stock in now, including Bergen Catholic's Anthony Riotto, St. Augustine's Casey Pekula, Caldwell's Solomon Sorriente, Seton Hall Prep's Rocco Salerno and Rumson-Fair Haven's Wyatt Fry. 54:35: It's a big week coming up because of the power points cutoff, but some other top matchups on deck, including CBA taking on St. Peter's Prep in a matchup between the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the state. On Saturday, the top two public schools in the state meet as Southern hosts Delsea, which NJ.com is broadcasting live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 11m

  4. FEB 4

    UFC legend Frankie Edgar details 1st gruesome fight, discusses Hall of Fame career, N.J. wrestling

    In this episode of Weighing In, NJ.com's high school wrestling podcast, UFC legend and Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar joins reporters Bob Badders and Joe Zedalis to discuss his Hall of Fame career, wrestling at Toms River East High School, watching his kids wrestle and what's different about how high school wrestling is now. Edgar gives details about his first MMA fight and the gruesome injury that came with it and why he wanted to keep his MMA career going after that. He talks about the rise of his UFC career, where he eventually became a champion. He also discusses wrestling for Warren Reid at Toms River East High School, watching his kids wrestle at Toms River East and CBA, and his daughter, who is a fifth grader. 0:00: UFC legend and Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar joins the show. He discusses what it's like watching your kids wrestle now, and was it always the plan to have your kids wrestle, and what he's like as a dad watching both of his sons and daughters.5:00: Edgar touches on how he got into MMA and if it was a legitimate option after he wrapped up his collegiate wrestling career.7:30: Edgar speaks on how his wrestling career gave him the drive to become a UFC Hall of Famer and an MMA legend. He also remembers his first MMA fight, which happened after working all day as a plumber and he details his gruesome injury.11:30: The rise of Edgar's career coincided with the rise of the UFC, and how beating BJ Penn in Abu Dhabi to become the UFC Lightweight Champion validated his career choice.14:00: The influence trainer Mark Henry had on Edgar, and what would Edgar tell his kids if they came up to him and decided they wanted to pursue an MMA career?18:45: Edgar talks about going about his career and flipping the switch on being a fighter compared to a wrestler. And there's no bad blood. It's all a business, and how he's a true mixed martial artist.21:15: Edgar talks about what it was like for wrestling Warren Reid, his high school wrestling coach at Toms River East. It wasn't always easy, but it was rewarding in the end, and it helped springboard his collegiate and MMA career.25:00: Watching his sons wrestle and bounce back after tough losses, and what was his stepfather like when he was coaching him up a little bit growing up? And wrestling during the prime of the Shore Conference when he was in high school.28:00: What does he remember most about finishing second in the state tournament, and does he think about making a move that made sure he won then? And what does he think about wrestling now in high school, compared to when he was in high school?29:30: When did he start thinking about his MMA career wrapped up? And did he ever imagine it would change his life?34:30: Edgar reveals what he would have done if his MMA career didn't pan out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min

  5. JAN 28

    Howell’s Tanner Hodgins joins, plus ‘an all-time moment’ & more

    In this episode of the Weighing In podcast, NJ.com high school wrestling reporters Jake Aferiat, Bob Badders, Bill Evans, Ryan Patti and Joe Zedalis break down all the storylines from last week, including Delbarton's massive win over Faith Christian (PA), and Howell wrestler Tanner Hodgins joined the show to give his take on his season so far. County Tournaments took centerstage last week, and our reporters give their takeaways from those events, and they preview the upcoming week. 0:00: Recapping last week's action, which was led by Delbarton's win over Faith Christian (PA), the No. 2 team in the country. It will be interesting to see where Delbarton will be ranked when the next national rankings come out. St. Joseph (Mont.)'s Ryan Mitchell and Mikey Bautista had a great week. 6:35: The Shore Conference Tournament didn't have a lot of its top talent there, but Tanner Hodgins was one of the standouts during the event. Sonny Amato from Rumson-Fair Haven rolled to a title and won his 100th career bout. Julian Zargo from St. John Vianney was on top of his game as a three seed. 14:35: South Jersey had the Pine Barrens dual, which had a stacked schedule with plenty of Top 20 teams there. St. Peter's Prep won the dual, but it was closer this time around than in recent years. Overall, it was an entertaining dual meet with good teams. Washington Township beat Kingsway in one of the top South Jersey duals this season. 19:10: Up in Essex County, Seton Hall Prep dominated the Essex County Tournament on the way to another county title, including Rocco Salerno winning his fourth county title. There was some controversy there as far as who was named Most Outstanding Wrestler after the event. 23:40: Old Bridge won its first-ever Greater Middlesex County Tournament title, with the school opening in 1995. Old Bridge had over 240 points. 26:00: There were plenty of surprises last week, including Passaic Tech winning the Passaic County Tournament. The Shore Conference Tournament did have a surprise in Keansburg's Shawn Retta, who won his 100th match. 30:30: Updated individual ranks are out, and 120 pounds is super intriguing. JoJo Burke is close to returning from injury, which will make it even tougher for everyone at that weight class. Will everyone try to avoid Paul Kenny from CBA at 126? And 106 continues to be volatile. 39:50: Interview with Howell's Tanner Hodgins, who breaks down his commitment to Oklahoma State, his Shore Conference title and much more. 59:40: Previewing the upcoming week, which is headlined by Delbarton traveling to take on Blair. Delbarton might be the underdog heading into the dual, even though they just put Faith Christian last week. The top two teams in the Shore Conference will meet when Southern takes on CBA. South Jersey has a really good schedule, including a couple of tris and quads. Colts Neck takes on Middletown South for a division championship and then Jackson Township at Howell, which NJ.com will be broadcasting live on Wednesday evening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 15m

  6. JAN 21

    Interview with No. 1 heavyweight Cristian Alvarez, girls wrestling & more

    In this episode of Weighing In, NJ.com reporters Jake Aferiat, Bob Badders, Bill Evans, Ryan Patti and Joe Zedalis break down an action-packed and storyline-filled week of wrestling last week, which included four wrestlers capturing titles at Escape the Rock. One of those, St. Joseph (Mont.) heavyweight Cristian Alvarez, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 285, joins the show to talk about his title and St. Joe's. NJ.com girls wrestling reporter Mike Holcombe also joins the show to break down the girls wrestling scene as it is picking up around the state. The reporters then discuss the updated individual weight rankings and preview the upcoming week. 0:00: Last week was another action-packed and storyline-filled one, highlighted by the Escape the Rock Tournament with four winners, including Cristian Alvarez from St. Joseph (Mont.) and Paul Kenny from CBA. Two Blair wrestlers also won titles at Escape the Rock. 7:25: The Bergen County Tournament was also last week, which was filled with plenty of storylines, while Bergen Catholic beat Paramus Catholic in a thrilling dual. Matt Mulligan had a great week for Bergen Catholic. Ramapo had two champions at the Bergen County Tournament, the first time that Ramapo had two champions in the county tournament since 2004. Pascack Valley also had a great showing at the Bergen County Tournament with two champions. 14:50: Cranford continued its dominant run in the Union County Tournament, winning its 11th straight county tournament title. 19:45: Meanwhile, Jackson Township is making a ton of noise in the Shore Conference and in the state, including beating No. 12 Rumson-Fair Haven. Jackson does have a huge dual coming up when it takes on No. 7 Southern. 23:00: Delaware Valley continues to have a strong season, even though the team might not have a superstar wrestler this year. Delaware Valley just finds a way to win, and the team knows its identity and is wrestling as good as anybody right now. 26:30: Interview with St. Joseph (Mont.) wrestler Cristian Alvarez, who won an Escape the Rock title this past weekend. He had to rally for his title after being down early. St. Joe's has a huge week ahead when it takes on Paramus Catholic and Bergen Catholic. 34:30: Girls wrestling is picking up steam this season, and NJ.com girls wrestling reporter Mike Holcombe joined the show to talk all things girls wrestling as Jackson Township continues its dominance, while Central Regional is getting healthy. High Point's Ella Poalillo, who might be the best girls wrestler in the state, got tested last week but found a way to get a win. 47:00 Updated individual ranks are out, and 144 is starting to become the weight class that is capturing the attention of our NJ.com reporters. Are there some standout wrestlers like Sonny Amato and Sammy Spaulding going to drop in weight, which could shake up weight classes? One volatile weight class is 106, which saw the rankings change. 56:30: County Tournaments take centerstage this weekend, including Morris, Passaic, Shore, Essex, GMC and CVC Tournaments. Meanwhile, Delbarton takes on two out-of-state powers. Bergen Catholic takes on St. Joseph (Mont.) and St. Peter's Prep takes on Blair. Washington Township travels to Kingsway on Wednesday in a dual between two rivals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 10m

  7. JAN 15

    A wrestling powerhouse proves us wrong, impressive standouts & more

    In this episode of Weighing In, NJ.com reporters Jake Aferiat, Bob Badders, Ryan Patti and Joe Zedalis recap another action-packed week of wrestling, including a state powerhouse proving us wrong. The reporters discuss the latest Top 20 rankings, as well as the new individual rankings and the deepest weight classes in the state. They also pick one impressive wrestler and preview the coming week. 0:00: It was an action-packed schedule last week, including the H/W/S Tournament at Phillipsburg. North Hunterdon won its first team title at H/W/S since 2020, with plenty of wrestlers standing out for coach Dave Bell's squad. Delaware Valley also had an impressive run at the H/W/S Tournament, finishing in third place behind North Hunterdon and Phillipsburg. Paramus Catholic swept a quad that had some stacked teams. DePaul also had a strong showing in that quad, along with Delsea. 11:35: Lower Cape May swept the Cinnaminson Duals and improved to 10-0. Lower Cape May is a contender in Group 2 and could be a foil to Rumson-Fair Haven. Rumson does have five hammers who can put up bonus against anyone in Group 2. 15:30: An updated Top 20 is out, and Phillipsburg proved several people wrong, including some of our reporters.   Seton Hall Prep, Old Bridge and Delaware Valley are three teams knocking on the door, while Middletown North had a tough week, while Don Bosco Prep stayed in the Top 20, even though it had four losses, all of which came against Top 20 teams. RBC is a dark horse, and two teams from South Jersey are on the bubble as well are Washington Township and Kingsway. 30:15: Updated individual rankings are out. A loaded weight class, and the deepest is 215. Don Bosco's Dante DeLuca has been so strong this year after wrapping up the football season. Another deep weight class is 106, with an impressive list of underclassmen, and so is 190. 39:35: There are a bunch of wrestlers that have impressed us over the last couple of weeks, including Toms River East's Ricky DeLorenzo, who is a championship contender. Joe Rowinski from Hackettstown won his second H/W/S Tournament title last weekend at 120 pounds. Southern's Levi Foote continues his impressive season, being a versatile wrestler and doing whatever his team needs him to do. Caldwell's Teagan McOmish has come out of nowhere and won his first bout of the season. 50:00: This week and weekend features another jam-packed schedule with Escape The Rock as the headliner in Pennsylvania, with a lot of potential intriguing matchups. The Bergen Catholic Tournament is this weekend at Garfield Middle School. The Somerset County Tournament is also this weekend, and Immaculata is a team to watch. Meanwhile, Cranford has won 10 straight Union County Tournament titles and will be looking to make it 11 in a row. And we can't forget about girls wrestling, which has Queen of Hills at Morris Hill, the GMC Tournament on Sunday, and the Shore Conference Tournament on Monday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 3m

  8. JAN 14

    Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale talks Anthony Knox, NIL & more

    In this episode, NJ.com reporters Bob Badders, Bill Evans and Joe Zedalis are joined by Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale, who picked up a major commitment last week as four-time New Jersey state champion Anthony Knox signed with the program. Goodale discusses recruiting Knox and the timeline for that decision and how it unfolded after Knox decommitted from Cornell. Goodale also talks about the NIL space Rutgers is in, which has been a point of emphasis from athletic director Keli Zinn. Goodale provides updates on his team and what he misses most about coaching high school sports. 0:00: Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale joins the show. He touches on the reaction from Anthony Knox signing with Rutgers and the impact he will have. He joins a list of former four-time New Jersey high school state champions joining Rutgers. 4:45: The possibility of Knox signing with Rutgers after decommitting from Cornell. Family played an important role in Knox staying home after leaving Cornell. 7:30: Any concerns with Knox having scheduled two more appearances in Collingswood Court, and were there any concerns from the athletic department on signing him? And is this a chance for him to write his own ending at Rutgers? 11:45: Signing Knox is a boon for Rutgers because it means that Rutgers should be taken seriously and that Knox’s NIL package, which is reported to be about $200,000, is an important step for the university’s athletic department. 13:35: What does Knox’s arrival mean for future recruits and current wrestlers like Ayden Smith? 16:30: New athletic director Keli Zinn has had a huge impact since she took the job, especially in the NIL space. Goodale said he’s happy with how things are going in NIL, and Zinn has gotten the program to a good place on that end and across the board at the university. 20:20: The transfer portal and the NIL space have changed athletics around the country. It’s become a more transactional sport, and Goodale is continuing to build relationships by recruiting differently. 23:15: The signing of Knox and Rutgers’ commitment to NIL has the potential to change the future outlook of the program. Goodale expects both of those to influence recruiting for the best moving forward. 26:20: Rutgers has been close to beating one of the blue-blood programs, but hasn’t broken through just yet. Does it weigh on Goodale? He said he loves dual meets and thinks his team will be good in a tournament setting. And his approach of not ducking anybody and his take on last season as the team finished 11th in the country. 34:00: What it means for Rutgers to host the team wrestling state championships and the growth of girls' wrestling around the country. There has been some talk of bringing a women’s wrestling program to Rutgers. 36:30: Recruiting New Jersey and different parts of the country, and the advantages that Rutgers has to recruit in the area and nationally, and Goodale shares his thoughts on the New Jersey high school wrestling season and how it stacks up nationally. 48:30: Southern’s success as a public high school in this day and age, and Doug “Dewey” Withstandley, a Jackson guy, now coaching at Southern. And Goodale’s favorite play call when he was a football coach at Jackson, and what he misses most about coaching high school sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr
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When it comes to high school wrestling, New Jersey stands unmatched. This season, NJ.com introduces "Weighing In," a weekly podcast 🎙️ dedicated to all things wrestling in the Garden State. Join our expert team of reporters — Ryan Patti, Bill Evans, Joe Zedalis, and Jake Aferiat — as they dive into the latest upsets, analyze dual matches, and preview the must-see tournaments of the weekend. Tune in for top-notch analysis and insider opinions from the reporters who know New Jersey wrestling best. "Weighing In" is your ultimate source for everything happening on the mats across the state. Don't miss an episode!

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