Walking away from their regular season with a 12-6 record and an Essex County Championship under their belt, a feat only accomplished four times in school history, the West Essex Wrestling team certainly set the standard for all winter sports in their 2022 season. Without full COVID-19 precautions looming over the team’s head for the first time in two years, the season was bound to be one to remember. 

“There have been so many great moments this season,” head coach Michael Markey said. “Having a large crowd back in our home gym under the spotlight again was definitely one of them. Winning the Essex County Championship was clutch, but the way we beat Cranford to go to the state finals was unforgettable. That win was vintage West Essex, and the whole team was part of it.”

This season, Markey’s guidance and wisdom intersected with the relentless determination and insatiable drive of two-year captains Ricky Cassidy and Mike Pescatore to form a cohesive leadership dynamic for the team to look up to. As they round out their final season, onlookers can recognize the seniors’ innate qualities that earned them the title of recurring captains.

“When it comes to Ricky and Pesc, three things that stand out are maturity, commitment and consistency,” Markey said. “We decided to make them two year captains because it was obvious that they were committed to achieving the standard that we set for this program years ago. They lead by example, they love the sport and put the required time in to master it. Those qualities can be contagious, and we hope that it rubs off on our younger wrestlers.”

“Having observed quite a number of wrestling matches this year, what stands out most for me is the tremendous maturity and leadership exhibited by captains Ricky Cassidy and Mike Pescatore,” student assistance counselor Anthony Emering said. “They are not only highly accomplished wrestlers, but their leadership is impeccable and that’s something that’s going to bode very well for both of them, regardless of what other challenges they undertake in their lives.”

Despite Cassidy and Pescatore’s resilience and genuine love for the sport, even they cannot deny the intense struggles that come along with it. Beyond the common sense of stress that burdens most high school athletes, wrestlers must face additional challenges such as cutting weight and facing the pressure of needing to win as an individual in order to win as a team.

“I don’t think anyone realizes how hard it is to compete in a sport with no nutrition in your body,” Pescatore said. “You’re dehydrated, you haven’t eaten in up to days at a time, and you still have to be at your best for the team.”

“We tell the boys they are the Navy seals of the school,” Markey said. “They embrace that, and from November to March they live a different lifestyle than most highschool athletes. They support each other through a mutual struggle: intense workouts, very strict nutrition, a grueling schedule and immense pressure.”

Witnessing the obstacles they face first-hand, Markey establishes himself as a sturdy shoulder for his wrestlers to lean on.

“What these wrestlers go through is unmatched at the high school level,” Markey said. “Wrestling season can wear on the best of us, and it’s important that we all support each other. When it comes to me being their head coach, I can only hope they see how committed I am to not only the program but to them as individuals. Sometimes it’s a phone call, sometimes it’s getting to school a few hours early, sometimes it’s staying late and sometimes it’s a hug or simple fist bump at the right time that lets them know we are in this together.”

Emerging victorious in the face of such challenges makes their achievements even more commendable, and the team credits their success to the overwhelming discipline each wrestler possesses. 

“The work ethic we have in the room is just next level,” Cassidy said. “No other team in the state works as hard as we do.”

Beyond their dedication, the boys rely on each other for a reminder of why they show up every day. 

“We’re extremely close; even when we’re not wrestling, we are always together finding a different way to have fun,” Cassidy said. “We really feel like a family.”

While the team can serve as an escape to a second home of sorts, this close-knit dynamic also allows the wrestlers to hold each other accountable, like family members would. As a result, the wrestlers constantly push each other to their maximum potential. 

“The success Mike and I are having this season really should make our guys want to experience that too,” Cassidy said. “If they see the work that he and I put in during the season and offseason, we hope that they will want [that success] just as badly as we did.”

Being that a majority of the 2022 team are underclassmen, this idea of seniors passing down their wisdom is crucial for the 2023 team to continue a victorious streak. Knowing they have big shoes to fill next year, the underclassmen absorbed their predecessor’s talent and stepped into their roles gracefully.

“We don’t really have a lot of seniors that are starting,” Pescatore said. “Right now, it’s just me and Ricky. There were a lot of underclassmen that had to step up, which is different from any other year we’ve experienced.”

“The thing that stands out most about this year’s team is that all but the freshman missed a significant portion of their high school career due to COVID yet still came into this season prepared and enthusiastic,” Markey said. “It would’ve been easy to make excuses, but instead they committed to high standards.”

Gearing up for what they coin “board season” in early March, the boys are insatiable to secure as many championship wins as possible before the mats are rolled up for the last time in their 2022 season. Entering the state section finals for the third straight year, the boys have their eyes set on winning an individual state title and representing West Essex on the podium in Atlantic City. With the season they’ve had, there is no doubt that the wrestlers will pull through.

“[West Essex wrestlers] buy in,” Markey said. “Who wouldn’t want to coach kids like that?”