The Emerson Park Ridge wrestling team, known as EPR wrestling, is one of the best programs in both schools’ history of sports.

 The head coach, Stan Woods, is the most winningest coach in the state of New Jersey and throughout the United States. His 52 year coaching career has helped him receive more than 750 wins. This upcoming year will be Woods’s 53rd season as head coach. Stan Woods is a successful coach, but if it was not for his assistant coaches Joe Mazzeo and Richard Eichenlaub, he would not have gotten to where he is now. 

    Joe Mazzeo, Coach Stan Woods’s past wrestler and now assistant coach, was very successful in his wrestling career at Emerson High School. He was a state runner-up in 1987 with his brother, Michael Mazzeo. Joe Mazzeo is also a successful coach with more than 300 wins as an assistant coach. During the season and off season, he does his best and coaches his wrestlers to do their best and have effort. 

    With one of the assistant coaches leaving, the Emerson Park Ridge wrestling team has gained another successful wrestler in his high school career at North Bergen. Anthony Giraldo, a two time state champ and four time state place winner, is a new addition to the EPR wrestling staff. All throughout the summer he helped out the incoming freshman and the rest of the team to become better and learn more things about the sport. 

    The Emerson Park Ridge wrestling team lost a lot of their key wrestlers from the past wrestling season. This is including Luke Mazzeo who is a state runner up in last year’s state tournament, Jonah Schechtman, Zach Lewis, Caiden Brouwer, and Zach Mark. In the 2018-2019 wrestling season, the wrestling team finished out to be 16-6 and lost in the sectional finals. This year’s wrestling team is looking to get passed that traumatic loss and to get to the state finals. Seniors Logan Mazzeo and Nick Babin are looking towards a great season and to lead the team as this years, captains. 

    Incoming freshman, Louden Mazzeo, Chris Kersul, Martin Coombes, Ryan Giambelluca, and Jake Farrington, are a new addition to the 2019-2020 wrestling team this year. Louden Mazzeo, brother of Luke and Logan Mazzeo, is looking forward to carry on their legacy as an EPR wrestler. As most of the key wrestlers graduated, the EPR wrestling team still puts their best effort towards every match they wrestle.

Their lineup for the 2019-2020 wrestling season looks like:

106: Kenny Brouwer- Park Ridge

113: Thomas Comeau- Emerson

120- Nick Babin- Emerson

126- Logan Mazzeo- Emerson

132- Louden Mazzeo- Emerson

138- Anthony Wagner- Park Ridge

145- Christan Farquhar- Park Ridge

152- Robbie Anzilotti- Park Ridge

160- TBD

170-TBD

182- Brendan Hughes- Park Ridge

195- Casey Allen- Park Ridge

220- Ayden Giacomelli- Park Ridge

HWT- Chris Kersul- Emerson

    As the 2019-2020 wrestling season begins, the Emerson Park Ridge wrestling team is looking to achieve their goals, both as a team and individually.