By Jack Carrara
The James Caldwell Wrestling Team has had yet another successful year. Ending with a record of 7-0 in the conference and 14-6 overall, the team’s hard work has paid off with S.E.C. and NJSIAA Championships. This year’s team was led by seniors Dean Caravela, Ryan Schaffer, and Matt Maddaloni. When asked how he thought the season went, Dean replied, “This season, to me, was like no other in my career. The guys on the team are just a quality group of guys and were the best teammates I could ask for. Not only that, but we also had a lot of success. If someone lost, the next guy picked him up. This teamwork combined with the
hard work is what really brought us together and made us a great team. Our coaches constantly told us that we were the most fun team to coach and marveled at our brotherhood. It was truly an amazing season for Caldwell and the success will continue in the future as well.”
At the end of every season, the best wrestlers in the state are sent to Atlantic City for a tournament. This year Caldwell had the honor of earning four spots in the tournament. The four wrestlers were Ryan Schaffer (182 lbs.), Matt Maddaloni (220 lbs.), Christian Dalla Riva (170 lbs.), and Jerry Jones (132 lbs.). Unfortunately, all four wrestlers lost in the first round, but they all put up a great fight. This wrestling season as a whole was a major success; the team grew as the season went on, and each individual progressed. After this year’s positive season, next year’s team should have no problems filling the seniors roles.
