Wayne Hills High School, located in the state of New Jersey, has a rich history of athletic achievement. The school participates as the host school / lead agency in a joint ice hockey team with Wayne Valley High School. Beyond ice hockey, Wayne Hills boasts a strong tradition in various sports, including a particularly notable wrestling program.
A wrestling match in progress.
Football Achievements
The Wayne Hills football team has also achieved significant success, winning multiple North I Group III state sectional championships. Led by Coach Chris Olsen, the team won eight state sectional championships in the ten years through 2011, reigning as the two-time defending champs of North I Group III. Wayne Hills and Wayne Valley have participated in an annual rivalry since 2009, which Wayne Hills leads 11-2 through the 2017 season. NJ.com listed the rivalry in the 24th spot on their 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J.
In 2002, the varsity team won their first North Jersey I Group III title in the school's history by defeating Ramapo High School 19-0. This was also the first undefeated football season. Additionally, several members of this senior class became professional athletes. From 2004 to 2009, the team won 55 consecutive games. During the winning streak, the team won five state sectional championships, including four perfect 12-0 seasons. The Wayne Hills 55-game win streak came to an end with a 17-15 loss to Saint Joseph Regional High School in October 2009.
In 2006, the Patriots came in seeded second in the North I, Group III bracket, and won the first two rounds, beating 7th-seed Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan 37-7 and 6th-seed Passaic Valley Regional High School 33-0. In the state finals, played at Rutgers University on December 2, 2006, Wayne Hills defeated fourth-seeded Parsippany Hills High School 23-12, the second consecutive year the two faced each other in the finals. The football team was ranked 3rd behind #1 Don Bosco Prep and #2 St. Peter's Prep in New Jersey.
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Wayne Hill's football team finished 12-0 in the 2007 season, defeating Wayne Valley High School in the North I Group III state sectional championship game played at Giants Stadium by a final score of 27-7. In 2008, Wayne Hills played Lakeland Regional High School at Giants Stadium and won the North I Group III sectional title with a final score of 35-6, making them 52-0 in the previous four seasons, and giving them their fifth consecutive sectional title. As of December 9, 2008, Wayne Hills was ranked 81st on the Rivals.com list of the top 100 high school football teams in the nation.
In December 2011, the New Jersey Commissioner of Education upheld the suspension of nine Wayne Hills football players who been alleged to have been involved in an October fight outside of a house party in which two students from Wayne Valley High School had been assaulted, including one who was beaten and left unconscious in a street. The Wayne Hills football program was featured in the documentary series titled Traditions, which airs on SNY. In Spring 2012, head coach Chris Olsen announced that he would step down as the athletic director for the 2012-13 school year and serve as head coach for the last year.
Wrestling Highlights
Wayne Hills is beginning to find success on the mat. Dan Kilroy took home back-to-back state medals in 2015 and 2016, marking the first time in the school's 50-year history that a wrestler earned a state medal. Kilroy is now wrestling well at the The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).
Kilroy will have a few new teammates from Wayne on his college team this fall, as Rua and Murphy have both committed to TCNJ. And while Wayne Hills and Wayne Valley are known to have an intense athletic rivalry, the friendship established by Rua and Murphy speaks volumes of competitive athletes who hold a high respect for each other.
Murphy, the son of Julie and Mike Murphy, grew up in Wayne and attended Lafayette Elementary School and Anthony Wayne Middle School before attending Valley. Rua moved to Wayne with his mother, Ilda Rua and her boyfriend, Tony Cunha, after the eighth grade. The two met while competing for the Scorpions Wrestling Club two years ago and became friends.
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"Dan Kilroy was on the Scorpions, too," said Rua, who hopes to major in Health and Exercise Science in college. "We all worked out together in the club."
Murphy remembers the two decided to go to a camp at The College of New Jersey last summer.
'Our (Wayne Valley) team goes to Rutgers camp in the summer," said Murphy, who plans to major in Accounting. "When we got back from there, Anthony and I decided to go to the (4-day) camp at The College of New Jersey, and it was there that we decided we wanted to go to TCNJ."
As the two worked out in the wrestling room on Feb. 27, Schroeder paired up the wrestlers for a drill. "You may be watching a wrestle off for who will be at 133 pounds next year at TCNJ," Schroeder said with a laugh, as two began to drill.
Murphy is 12 pounds lighter than Rua. The two have never really wrestled each other, past working out at clubs and practice. But next year, it's possible that Murphy will go up to 133 in college while Rua may come down and compete for the same spot, so Schroeder's prognostication could become reality.
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"That's fine," said Rua with a smile. "We enjoy competing. That's still a while away."
In the meantime, there's the chance to wrestle at Boardwalk Hall this weekend.
"I can't wait," said Murphy. "It's a great way to end the season, in Atlantic City, and hopefully, we can both be standing on the podium (wearing state medals) on Sunday. That would be incredible."
Rua agreed.
"I'll be rooting for Connor and he'll push me to do my best," Rua said. "And yes, it will be nice if we can end up getting medals there."
In the fall, the two will probably not room together at TCNJ, but look forward to being teammates, along with Kilroy.
"That will be great," said Murphy.
Wayne Hills Wrestling State Qualifiers:
- 138: Alex Almeyda (St.)
- 145: Michael Cetta (St.)
- 170: Michael Dellagatta (St.)
- 220: Michael Toranzo (St.)
Individual Accomplishments
Wayne Hills has produced numerous outstanding athletes who have excelled in various sports. Here are a few notable examples:
- Greg Olsen (Football, 2003): Named Gatorade's New Jersey Player of the Year.
- Marina Alex (Golf, 2008): Two-time winner of The Star-Ledger's Golfer of the Year award.
- Nickolette Driesse (Soccer, 2013): Honored as a four-time all-state selection.
- Stephanie Zygmunt (Field Hockey, 2010): All-state selection at goalie.
- Dan Kilroy (Wrestling, 2016): Wayne Hills never had a state medalist until Kilroy earned back-to-back podium finishes in Atlantic City.
These athletes, along with many others, have contributed to the proud athletic tradition at Wayne Hills High School.