Freehold Wrestling Club

Local opportunity for competitive mat time later this month.

Champions are made in the offseason. Be there, Warriors.

🤼Wrestle into Spring with $5 off!

Last week we came together to celebrate both of our FWC Travel Teams—and a season that meant a whole lot more than wins and losses.

We honored every starter from what will go down as our last “first year back” in the A Division.

We honored our C Division team, whose 3rd place finish in the Team Playoff exceeded even our wildest expectations.

We recognized two Most Outstanding Wrestlers, a Most Improved Wrestler, a Best Newcomer, and introduced the first-ever Heart and Soul of a Warrior Award.

But more than anything…

We ate.
We laughed.
We told stories.
We talked about offseason training and tournaments.
We looked around the room and realized just how far this program has come.

Our captains opened the night with a well-delivered message that said it all—thanking our coaches in a way that every person in that room felt. And giving a room full of parents a view of the kind of confident, polished young adults we hope to help mold.

And yeah… Coach John talked WAY too much.

Our 8th graders?
They’ve been part of the greatest three-year run in program history. They helped build this.

And our Young Gunz…
They’re coming. And they’re ready to smash through that standard.

A huge thank you to Tabitha Maniquis for putting together an incredible night—and to every wrestler and family who makes this program what it is.

This group was special.

Warriors today.
Warriors always.

See you all on the mats again soon enough.

Pretty special moment for our program.

The April 2026 issue of Freehold Living features the Freehold Wrestling Club and the growth we’ve seen over the past two seasons—not just in numbers, but in people.

Kids, coaches, families, and a community that continues to show up, invest, and believe in what we’re building together.

Because this has never just been about wrestling.

It’s about building Warriors—strength, confidence, discipline, and learning how to work toward both individual and team goals.

It’s about preparing these kids for success on and off the mat, no matter how long their wrestling journey lasts.

Proud of how far we’ve come. Even more excited about where we’re going.

FWC is proud to congratulate our own Coach Sam Emburgia on being inducted into the Monroe Township High School Athletics Hall of Fame — Class of 2026.

A legendary career at Monroe:
149-20 record
3x Region 5 Champion
3x District Champion
NJ State Medalist (3rd place, 2010 – 135 lbs)
First Monroe wrestler to reach 100 wins

And that was just the beginning — going on to become a NJCAA All-American at Middlesex County College.

Today, Coach Sam is building something special as Head Coach at Freehold Township High School, leading a young, hungry group of former Warriors to 12 dual wins this season — with more Warriors and a lot more wins on the way.

But what makes this even more meaningful to us…even after he was named FTHS head coach:

He never left the room.

Three nights a week with our travel teams.
At matches. At tournaments. At states.
Leading our spring and summer programs.

Our growth over the last three years? It lines up exactly with when Coach Sam walked into our room.

We are incredibly lucky to have him.
And we couldn’t be more proud to see him honored by his hometown.

Well deserved, Coach.

FWC is proud to congratulate our own Coach Sam Emburgia on being inducted into the Monroe Township High School Athletics Hall of Fame — Class of 2026.

A legendary career at Monroe:
149-20 record
3x Region 5 Champion
3x District Champion
NJ State Medalist (3rd place, 2010 – 135 lbs)
First Monroe wrestler to reach 100 wins

And that was just the beginning — going on to become a NJCAA All-American at Middlesex County College.

Today, Coach Sam is building something special as Head Coach at Freehold Township High School, leading a young, hungry group of former Warriors to 12 dual wins this season — with more Warriors and a lot more wins on the way.

But what makes this even more meaningful to us…even after he was named FTHS head coach:

He never left the room.

Three nights a week with our travel teams.
At matches. At tournaments. At states.
Leading our spring and summer programs.

Our growth over the last three years? It lines up exactly with when Coach Sam walked into our room.

We are incredibly lucky to have him.
And we couldn’t be more proud to see him honored by his hometown.

Well deserved, Coach.

⭐🏆 MTHS Hall of Fame Class of 2025 | Join Us 🏆⭐

This MTSD is proud to celebrate the MTHS Athletics Hall of Fame – Class of 2025!

This incredible group represents the very best of Monroe Athletics- individuals & teams whose dedication, performance & legacy have shaped our proud tradition.

🎟️ Tickets on sale through Friday, March 27! Residents, alumni, families & supporters - come be part of this special celebration as we continue building this meaningful tradition in our community.

👑 Class of 2025 Inductees 👑

📸 Roy DeBoer (Contributor)
🤼 Sam Emburgia (Wrestling)
⚽⚾ Tim Gandy (Soccer & Baseball)
🏈🏃‍♂️ Khamisi Jackson (Football & Track)
🏃‍♀️ Ashley Maguire (Track)
⚾ Tim McDevitt (Baseball)
⚽⚾ David Meads (Soccer & Baseball)
🏈⚾ Kevin Moore (Football & Baseball)
⚽🏃 Zachary Theinert (Soccer & Track)
⚾ 1980 Baseball Team*

📅 Saturday, April 25, 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM
📍 Forsgate Country Club

🎟️ Purchase Tickets: https://gofan.co/event/4794610?schoolId=NJ20224

Join us to honor excellence, celebrate legacy & support MTSD Athletics! 🏆

*Help us reconnect with members of the 1980 Baseball Team - please reach out if you have contact info!
✉️ [email protected]

Sunday Results — Two More State Placers for FWC.

Matty Chieffo — 3rd Place
Dom Gage — 8th Place

Logan Vodofsky battled through an absolutely loaded bracket. Didn’t land on the podium this time—but he will. And he’ll be there very soon.

Matty… what can you even say?

A first grader.
JSJWL C Division Champion.
3rd in the State, with his only loss coming to the eventual champion.

Most kids his age are just getting started in Little Warriors. Matty is already competing—and winning—at the highest level. The future is scary… and we’re just glad none of our coaches had to wrestle him when they were six.

And then there’s Dom.

Maybe there’s no such thing as a “natural” wrestler… but if there was, you’d think his name was Dom Gage. Just his third year in the sport:

JSJWL B Division Champion (last year)
3rd in a loaded JSJWL A Division bracket
8th in the State

That doesn’t happen without serious work—but what sets Dom apart is how much he loves it. Nobody has more fun on the mat. Nobody is more fearless. He’s always looking to scrap—whether it’s Aiden, Johnny, or Alex in the room.

Keep climbing, Dom. The future is bright.

And with that… the FWC winter season is a wrap.

Two years ago: 0 state qualifiers
This weekend: 10 Warriors in Trenton
6 on the podium

Not bad for a “rec” team.

And if you’ve been in the room—or at a DEVO match—you already know what’s coming next…

THEY ARE COMING.

We’re not rebuilding.
We’re reloading.

To our wrestlers, families, coaches, and everyone who supports this program—thank you.

You’re building something special.
Something lasting.
Something this community can be proud of.

Now let’s keep working… together.

Onward.

Saturday Results — Two More State Placers for FWC.

AJ Maniquis — 4th Place
Cooper Rushton — 7th Place

Johnny Leardi and Jake Connelly battled. Tough draws, tough matches—it just wasn’t their day. But make no mistake, they are Warriors, and they’ll be back.

We’ll miss Cooper next year as he heads to high school. What he’s done over the last two years is nothing short of incredible—committing to the work, seeking out the best competition, and fully embracing the wrestler’s lifestyle. This is just the beginning. We’ll see him under the lights in Atlantic City soon enough.

And AJ… our captain.

What more can you say about a year like this:

Garden State Open Champ.
Howell Feeding Frenzy MOW.
CJISWL Division & League Champ.
Monmouth County Champ.
Tri-County Runner-Up.
JSJWL-A Division Champ.
Freehold’s first JSJWL Night of Champions winner in a decade.
And now — 4th place in the toughest wrestling state in the country.

That’s not just a season. That’s a statement. And he’s not going anywhere.

Four state placers… and three more Warriors take the mat tomorrow.

We told you—we’re coming.

Congratulations to Lucia Vodofsky and Charlotte Heinsohn - FWC’s first two Girls USAWNJ Scholastic state place winners EVER!

Today at NJ CURE Arena In Trenton, Lucia finished 2nd, and Charlotte took 5th.

Chloe Koch also wrestled her heart out today, but got a VERY tough draw - she wrestled an eventual finalist in Round 1, and then drew Charlotte in the Blood Round.

The future is bright for all three - we know Charlotte and Chloe will continue to grow in the FTHS room next year with Coach Sam - and we hope that they’ll visit our practices often. And we get Lucia - our trailblazer - for three more years; although next year we have to share her with Barkalow!

A great day for Girls Wrestling in Freehold - congratulations, girls. Well done.

Thank you for representing our club and your teammates so well today and always. You are amazing role models for the younger girls already in our program, and for the many more we WILL have in the coming years.

Good luck to our FWC Warriors competing at the USAW-NJ Scholastic State Championship Tournament this weekend at the NJ CURE Arena in Trenton.

Friday – Our Girls take the mat:
Lucia Vodofsky
Charlotte Heinsohn
Chloe Koch

Saturday – Intermediate & Junior Boys:
Cooper Rushton
Jake Connelly
AJ Maniquis
Johnny Leardi

Sunday – Our Young Guns (Novice/Bantam/Tot):
Dom Gage
Logan Vodofsky
Matty Chieffo

The work is done.
You earned this. You belong.

Now believe it - and in yourself.

Leave it all on the mat.
No regrets. No doubts.

Win or lose… you are WARRIORS.

We are proud of every single one of you. You have your entire FWC family behind you.

Ten Warriors are headed to Trenton.

For most of these kids, the first time they ever stepped on a wrestling mat was in our room.

First stance.
First shot.
First sprawl.
First struggles.

Since then, their journeys have taken them in different directions, and many great coaches have helped guide them along the way.

That’s the beauty of wrestling — a lot of people invest in helping these kids grow.

But beginnings matter. And no matter where their wrestling journey takes them this weekend and beyond…they will always be Warriors.

We’re proud of every one of these athletes for believing in themselves, putting in the work, and earning their spot at the USAW-NJ Scholastic State Championships.

Keep working.
Keep chasing.
Keep believing.

See you in Trenton.