From its inauspicious beginning as a sport to coincide with boxing in a physical education class for the Paulsboro High School District, scholastic wrestling at Paulsboro High School has evolved into one of the most successful programs in New Jersey.

Phys Ed instructor Norman Hangen had to convince to convince parents that the sport he was teaching their children was not the professional "rasslin" they thought it was.

In fact, after getting the parents' approval, Hangen took his wrestlers to several schools in the southern New Jersey area to present assembly programs as a method of introducing the oldest sport in history to neighboring schools.

The first official year's record of 3-3-0 did nothing to indicate a dynasty. Over the next three years, Hangen's wrestlers lost 4 times. And, when WWII interrupted the sport, Hangen's teams had started off 20-7-2.

When the sport was restarted in the 1946-47 season, Hangen was in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and Edward J Pszwaro was asked by Superintendent of Schools Mr. Carl to coach a sport he never participated in.

Wrestling became an instant hit in the blue-collar Gloucester County community across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Drawing from the neighboring townships of West Deptford, Greenwich and Logan, Pszwaro's teams continued the tradition established by Hangen and rolled to a 134-18-1 record over the next 17 years. Included in that success were eight undefeated seasons and winning streaks of 22 and 44.

When Pszwaro turned the reins over to Sam Evangelista, a man he had coached to a second-place finish in the New Jersey championships of 1950, the program was still steady. But a chink in the armor surfaced with the population growth in New Jersey. The West Deptford district started its own high school and PHS was downsizing.

The bleakest year in Paulsboro's mat history was the 1967-68 season when the team went 4-9-0 - the only losing season in the history of the sport at the school. Considering that the Paulsboro program will enter the next millenium with an amazing and enviable record of 757-54-12 in 57 seasons, the one losing season might have signaled a reason to panic. But Evangelista coached his troops to a 14-0 record the following season and the wayward journey was back on course.

When Evangelista left the school district after compiling a 72-16-3 record in 7 years, he left a program that would lose just 13 times(with 6 ties) in the next 29 years.

Bob Fredrick, who grew up in the neighboring community of Woodbury and participated in football and wrestling, was lured back to southern New Jersey after coaching Greensboro(NC) Page High School to a 48-1-1 record in three varsity seasons.

When Paulsboro went 11-3 in his first season, the skeptics wondered if the Board of Education had made the proper decision in hiring Fredrick. The next 14 years proved the decision to hire Fredrick a sound one. His teams lost just 3 more times, had 12 undefeated seasons and won a state record 84 consecutive meets. But after a 24-23 loss on February 14, 1976 that severed the streak, Fredrick's team went on another tear, breaking the state record with a 96 consecutive wins until losing 29-23 to Cherry Hill High School East in 1982.

Paul Morina, who place second in the state for Fredrick in 1977, succeeded his coach when Fredrick moved up to the school's athletic director and has kept the program successful. His teams have a 301-7-4 record in 15 years, including one streak of 55 straight, and a current streak of 57, the best current streak in the state. They also have had 9 undefeated seasons.

Individual and team accomplishments have been numerous. The program has produced 56 state finalists(and 19 champions) - twice as many state champions than any other school in the 7-county southern New Jersey area. Paulsboro has not lost in the Colonial Conference since Feb. 3, 1971 - 243 consecutive wins and 29 consecutive titles. Since the inception of state team championships in 1982, Paulsboro has failed to win a Group I(small schools) title just once, losing 29-24 to Roselle Park that first year. Last year's state title was the 18th consecutive(PHS shared the title with Roselle Park in 1997 when the two battled to a tie in the final) - a national record for consecutive state titles.

There have been so many outstanding accomplishments, so many outstanding and dedicated individuals. What makes our program so unique, however, is that when one of our young men steps on the mat, he is not alone. Into each match he takes with him the culmination of over fifty years of the blood, sweat, and tears, that hundreds of men before him have given. He has the backing of the most devoted boosters, supporters and fans in the state.