Seaford Blue Jays Wrestling

Congratulations to our fantasic manager, Za'ria!! You are so deserving!!

Congratulations to our 2026 Secretary of Education Scholars, Martine Laguerre and Zaria Camper! 🎉

▫️Martine Laguerre is the daughter of Raguel Laguerre and Marie Derine of Seaford. Martine is an exceptional student who is driven to succeed. She is currently ranked first in her class with a weighted GPA of 104.86. Martine has embraced leadership roles as Student Government Historian and Treasurer, team captain of the tennis team, and an active competitor in BPA, where she qualified for nationals. She is a proud member of NHS, contributes her voice and talent to concert band, jazz band, choir, and drama club, and has also participated in cheerleading. Martine plans to study nursing at Widener University.

▫️Za’ria Camper is the daughter of Veronica Daniels and Gary Camper of Seaford. Za’ria is a goal oriented, focused and motivated young woman. She ranks second in her class with a weighted GPA of 103.19. Za’ria is a committed leader within Key Club, National Honor Society and HOSA. She leads with compassion, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to making a difference. Za’ria also serves as wrestling team manager and participates in the Old Souls Club. Za’ria plans to study Psychology and aspires to become a psychiatrist.

These students will be honored tonight at the Secretary of Education Scholar recognition banquet. 🏅

We are so proud of our wrestlers who competed at the state tournament this weekend! Don and Peter both lost close matches in the blood rounds this morning, good news is they will be back and ready to take the podium next season! Doubie finished the tournament in 6th place after falling to the eventual state champion in the Semis! Not bad for the 14th seed! Great finish to a fantastic career! Go Jays!

Great day of wrestling for our state tournament wrestlers! Don Leme won his first match upsetting the 4 seed and lost a close match in the quarterfinals. Peter Cephas lost his first one close 11-7 to the Henlopen Conference Champion but bounced back with a big pin in the wrestlebacks, both alive for 3rd place tomorrow. Our Senior captain Doubie Saint-Jean had 2 big upset wins and is onto the State Semi-Finals! GO JAYS!

🏆 Know Before You Go!

The 2026 DIAA Individual Wrestling State Championships are this weekend at Cape Henlopen High School!

Get all the event info — schedule, ticketing, merchandise, and more — in our Know Before You Go guide presented by DART – Moving Forward! DART First State

👉 https://tinyurl.com/mus8tjae

The Varsity Blue Jays had a good weekend of wrestling in the Henlopen Conference Tournament with Peter Cephas placing 6th at 120, Doubie Saint Jean- 165 and Don Leme -113 placing 7th and Jae'dyn Sterling- 215 placing 8th. To top it off we are sending Don, Peter and Doubie to the State tournament Friday and Saturday to compete for a State title! Works not done yet!

The Henlopen Conference wrestling tournament takes place this weekend at Sussex Central High School! Information is below! Tickets are cash only. GO JAYS!

We had a great youth season! We were averaging almost 20 per night! We are hoping to continue the growth and double that next year. What makes this program work is the volunteering our varsity guys put into this program after their own 2 hour practices! The program starts here, one mat, one standard!

Last Thursday was our final night of our Youth Wrestling Clinic! Thank you to all who participated and a special shout out to head coach, Rayce Boyer, for managing our program! We also appreciate having some of Coach Boyer's high school wrestlers help out!

Last night the Blue Jays left FSMA with a 45-35 team victory and finished the regular season 9-6, which is the best regular season we have had since 2011! But last night was more than just about what happened on the mat. First State honored their seniors and had a special guest captain, Logan Waltz, the little brother of their senior captain.

Logan was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome which means the left side of his heart never developed, so he has half a heart. He had 3 open heart surgeries by the time he was 20 months old - the first one being at 3 days old. He will never be able to wrestle or play other contact sports. February is American Heart Month and the first Friday of February is always wear red day. Logan's heart defect effects 1 in approximately every 4344 children born and there is no cure. From what we saw, Logan has more heart than most!

After the match both teams embraced as a wrestling community to support Logan. The Seaford Blue Jays were honored and proud to be part of this special moment.

Finally Friday in Seaford's History.....

Joe Nielson: The Man Who Put Seaford Wrestling on the Mat

When people talk about the roots of wrestling at Seaford High School, one name rises above all others — Joe Nielson.
Long before packed gymnasiums and proud Blue Jay wrestling traditions, there was a young teacher with a quiet determination, a love for athletics, and a genuine gift for connecting with students.

When opportunities opened in Delaware, Joe applied eagerly and accepted a teaching position with Seaford Schools.
Joe arrived in Seaford in 1961, teaching Health and Physical Education at Seaford High School. It did not take long for him to become involved in athletics. During his first years, he coached freshman football and assisted with Little League football, working closely with young athletes across the community. He also became active in track, where he spent many spring afternoons helping students refine their skills and build confidence.

But Joe carried another dream — bringing the sport of wrestling to Seaford High School.
At the time, wrestling was still gaining popularity in Delaware high schools. Joe believed deeply in the sport’s ability to shape young people. He saw wrestling as a teacher of discipline, respect, and resilience. In 1964, through his persistence and enthusiasm, Seaford High School introduced wrestling as a varsity sport. The response from students was immediate and enthusiastic. By the following year, participation had grown, and the wrestling program quickly became a respected part of the school’s athletic department.

Beyond coaching, Joe Nielson was widely known as one of the kindest and most approachable teachers at Seaford High School. Students remembered his patience, his encouragement, and his genuine interest in their success both in and out of the classroom. He spent long days at school — often arriving early and staying late — balancing coaching responsibilities, grading papers, and attending school events.

Joe’s colleagues respected him not only for his work ethic but also for his calm leadership and steady example.
Joe Nielson did more than introduce wrestling to Seaford High School — he helped create a tradition built on sportsmanship, respect, and hard work. His influence extended far beyond the wrestling mat, shaping generations of students who carried his lessons into adulthood.

In Seaford’s long and proud athletic history, Joe Nielson remains remembered not just as a coach or teacher, but as a mentor, a pioneer, and one of the genuinely good men who helped define what it meant to be a Blue Jay.

Proud to call him, coach, teacher and friend!