Dec. 15 Wrestling
By Ken Weingartner
Fish4scores.com
Dec. 15: Expectations are high for Nottingham wrestler Josh Magee, but he can carry the weight.
Magee, who began his scholastic career as an 88-pound freshman, has filled out physically and heads into his junior season ready to wrestle at 113 pounds.
Last season, Magee went 19-12 at 106 pounds and finished sixth in the Mercer County
Tournament.
“He’s finally up to the weight he’s wrestling at,” Nottingham coach Jason “The Rock” Marasco said. “He came out two years ago and was 88 pounds as a freshman wrestling 106. Now he’s grown into his body. He put in work during the offseason and has come a long way. We expect big things out of him.”
Magee opened this season today in the Nottingham Invitational. Seeded fifth, Magee opened the tourney by pinning Middlesex’s Gavin Claub in 11 seconds and then gutted out a 10-8 overtime win against Bishop Ahr’s Hunter Black in the quarterfinals. He faced No. 1 seed Ryan Fahy of
Spotswood in the semis. Fahy was 28-6 last season. (Check back Sunday for final results).
“I’m still a little out of shape, it’s the beginning of the season, but I’ll be running more and in better shape for the future,” Magee said. “I’m planning on hopefully winning districts and placing in the top three at regions and going to states.”
Despite giving up weight to his opponents as a freshman, Magee won 13 times in 30 matches.
“I felt I was a better wrestler than a lot of people I lost to, but they had more strength on me because of the weight difference,” Magee said. “I think I would have done better my freshman year if I was heavier.”
Magee has been wrestling for a decade, although he didn’t immediately take an interest in the sport.
“My dad was a wrestler in high school and was a district champ,” Magee said. “He brought me when I was like four. I wrestled once and didn’t really like it. I went back when I was seven or eight and that’s when I started to fall in love with it and work my hardest.”
Marasco has seen Magee make strides throughout his career.
“His confidence is where he’s really going to make a name for himself this year,” Marasco said.
“I’ve seen him improve with series wrestling; he’s putting moves next to moves next to moves. He’s becoming more instinctual on the mat and reaction is huge.”
Magee is looking forward to a strong season, using last year’s success as a springboard.
“I’m definitely confident,” he said. “I just enjoy going out there and getting my hand raised.
That’s really my goal. I want to go on the mat, do my best, wrestle my hardest and get my hand raised.”