New Jersey Mat Chat

Peter Normandia
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Wrestling
  • Updated Weekly

The #1 video podcast and content provider for New Jersey high school wrestling. Up close, in depth and uncensored.

  1. 2d ago

    086: Rob Nucci

    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

    086: Rob Nucci

  2. 6d ago

    085: Sonny DiMatteo

    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

    085: Sonny DiMatteo

  3. Oct 4

    084: Orlando Cáceres

    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

    084: Orlando Cáceres

  4. Sep 30

    083: Chris Bolletino

    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

    083: Chris Bolletino

  5. Sep 27

    082: Johnny Johnson

    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

    082: Johnny Johnson

  6. Sep 23

    081: Liam Suydam

    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

    081: Liam Suydam

  7. Sep 20

    080: Eric Morley

    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

    080: Eric Morley

  8. Sep 16

    079: Jackson Fearon

    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

    079: Jackson Fearon
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

The #1 video podcast and content provider for New Jersey high school wrestling. Up close, in depth and uncensored.

Information

  • Creator
    Peter Normandia
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    86
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    ©2025 Edit Cellar LLC All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    New Jersey Mat Chat

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