by Jose Gomez

The WHS wrestling team has been the most successful they have ever been, ending the season with a 23-5 record.

An early achievement was its 49-19 win against White Division rival Sayreville on January 6th, their ninth game and eighth win of the season, winning their division. Considering Sayreville has consistently beaten Woodbridge for the past two years, this was, as Coach Carbone pointed out, “especially impressive.”

Alexander LaGrippo, 11th grade varsity wrestler, said, “This year we have become stronger and more together as a team.”  He ended with an individual 26-2 record this season, and hopes to place in the top five wrestlers at the NJ State Championships in March.

This season’s team was the first to be invited to Beast of the East, a wrestling tournament in which eight states gather to compete. Woodbridge ranked 51 out of 112 schools, with 31.0 points.

Captain Bryan McLaughlin, junior, who hopes to be a state champion this year and place in the top eight at nationals, said, “You can see at the matches our team has that fire it never had compared to previous years. We are having a great year.”

Under Coach Carbone’s tutelage, the team surpassed last year’s school record of 20 wins by three. The team also won the District 19 Championship for the first time since 2005. At the same event, Coach Michael Carbone and Assistant Coach Joseph Liquori were named District 19 Coaches of the Year.

“We’re a known commodity right now,” Coach Carbone finished, “This year we’re being targeted by other teams rather than the opposite.”