The West Deptford High School wrestling team has a storied history marked by periods of frustration and moments of glory. For 56 years, the program sought to overcome its neighboring rivals, Paulsboro. That changed on one Thursday night, marking a significant turning point for the Eagles.
In a stunning victory, the Eagles triumphed over Paulsboro with a 53-16 win, their first since 1968. Paulsboro, a formidable opponent, only managed to win three of the 14 matches, two of which were by forfeit. This defeat marked Paulsboro’s first loss in the Colonial Conference since 2011 and only their fourth since 1971.
The victory was especially meaningful for the Shields family. The last West Deptford team to beat Paulsboro featured a senior wrestler named James Shields. His grandson, James, who had a personal record of 0-4 against Paulsboro as a wrestler and 0-8 as an assistant, is the Eagles’ first-year head coach. “My whole life, he asks me are we going to beat Paulsboro every year, so I’m happy to do that,” said Shields.
Shields emphasized the significance of the win, stating, “The reason this is such a big moment is because of how great Paulsboro is. Coaches, kids, community, Paulsboro Pride means something. We’re honored to be able to beat them because of what they built, what (Paulsboro coach) Paul Morina did. He’s the best coach in New Jersey history, in my opinion.”
West Deptford (4-0) wrestled a nearly perfect match from the time it won the coin toss and started bumping its lineup. Paulsboro (3-1) went up 10-0 on a forfeit and Sawyer Cabanas (165) major decision and didn’t win another match until the Eagles forfeited the final bout.
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West Deptford notched bonus points on all four upper weights to take a 20-10 lead heading into the lightweights. Nick Graziano - bumping up two weight classes - notched a fall in the third period at 175 pounds, and Andrew Tighe earned a pin in a 2-1 match with Jared Hazel in the second period at heavyweight.
Paulsboro had hopes of chipping away in the lightweights, but the Eagles had other ideas. Ryan McConaghy (106) pulled out a 7-4 win in the third period against Will Cruz, and Talen Terinoni (113) used a third-period rideout and back points to defeat state qualifier Hayden Holmes, 3-0.
“I believed in us from the first match,” said Terinoni, a senior. “We’re just a bunch of kids who came out for wrestling, we were undefeated our eighth-grade year and why not us? Why not come out and win? We knew if our lightweights did their job, we could get the win.“
Terinoni’s win put the Red Raiders squarely on the ropes, and Catando landed the knockout blow.
If the Eagles were letting out some frustrations that had been building up, Anthony Catando worked out some personal disappointment. After giving up a pair of early takedowns to Aundre Hill at 120 pounds, Catando caught Hill on a roll-through and stuck him there for a pin that put an exclamation mark on the match. The fall put the Eagles up 32-10, and Curcio secured a pin on the next weight to clinch the match with four weights to go.
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“Nothing better, it was amazing,” said Catando. “For a second I thought I might get stuck, but he wasn’t that tight and I just rolled through, got the six. I’ve been through a lot of adversity this year. Nothing to lose, a lot to gain. I was told before the match be ready, it was my chance to show out. We just made history. It’s crazy.”
Catando admitted he thought about giving up the sport when he lost his spot. “Of course it crosses your mind, but that’s not who I am,” said Catando.
“(Catando) could have easily moped, not wanted to wrestle when he lost his wrestle-off,” said Shields. “Super high character, he helps Brayden. He continued to grind. That was a lot of hard work, and he earned that.”
Said Terinoni: “I’m so happy for him, coming out and proving everybody wrong, doing his job. I love seeing that for him. It’s great for him, and I love to see this for our team for sure. It means a lot, this is a huge win for us and I’m so happy for all of us. We believed in ourselves, and I think everybody else believes in us now too.”
Paulsboro coach Paul Morina acknowledged it was one of the poorer performances by a Red Raider team in his nearly four-decade tenure but gave the credit to West Deptford. The Red Raiders don’t have much time to regroup before competing three times in the Boresch Duals this weekend.
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“I knew it was going to be tough, I didn’t think we’d get beat like that, but they wanted it more than we did,” said Morina. “You can’t give up pins like that all the time. I thought we would wrestle better, but their program has been coming along and the team that wants it more has the better chance to win these matches. We’ll be OK. We have to keep plugging. Get back in the room and work. There’s a lot to clean up.”
The West Deptford High School wrestling team has a history of winning, with several titles to their name:
- South Jersey Group II state sectional title in 1996, 2000, 2010, 2019 and 2020
- Group II state championship in 2000
- 2000 Group III state championship
- South Jersey, Group III sectional title in 2000
- South Jersey Group II Title in the 2009-10 wrestling season
Here's a summary of the match results:
| Weight (lbs) | Winner | Loser | Method | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157 | Roman Onorato (P) | Forfeit | ||
| 165 | Sawyer Cabanas (P) | James Derocini | Major Decision | 13-3 |
| 175 | Nick Graziano (WD) | Luke Metz | Pin | 4:36 |
| 190 | Chris Andujar (WD) | Austin Willetts | Major Decision | 10-2 |
| 215 | Marcus Carter (WD) | Frank Damminger | Major Decision | 9-1 |
| 285 | Andrew Tighe (WD) | Jared Hazel | Pin | 3:18 |
| 106 | Ryan McConaghy (WD) | Will Cruz | Decision | 7-4 |
| 113 | Talen Terinoni (WD) | Hayden Holmes | Decision | 3-0 |
| 120 | Anthony Catando (WD) | Audre Hill | Pin | 1:24 |
| 126 | Brayden Curcio (WD) | Lucas Gazzola | Pin | 4:33 |
| 132 | Anthony Conway-Popeskic (WD) | Forfeit | ||
| 138 | Owen Entrekin (WD) | Kyare Harvey | Pin | 3:27 |
| 144 | Trevor Lundfelt (WD) | Sean Daniels | Decision | 4-2 |
| 150 | Chase Bish (P) | Forfeit |
This victory not only ended a long-standing drought but also highlighted the perseverance, character, and hard work of the West Deptford wrestling team. With a mix of experienced seniors and talented underclassmen, the Eagles have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Colonial Conference and beyond.
The West Deptford High School, where the wrestling team makes its home, has a student-teacher ratio of 10.6:1. The school supports a variety of athletic programs. Beyond wrestling, the school has achieved success in other sports, including:
- Boys' soccer: Group II co-champion (1982) and Group III title winner
- Field hockey: Multiple South Jersey Group II state sectional titles and Group II state championship (1996), Group I state titles in 2022 and 2023
- Softball: Group II state championship (1996)
- Football: Multiple South Jersey Group II state titles
The school's football rivalry with Haddonfield Memorial High School is considered one of the fiercest in New Jersey high school football.
The West Deptford High School wrestling team's recent victory and overall athletic achievements reflect a commitment to excellence and a strong sense of community pride.