This extremely tough year got even worse with the loss of former Washington-Warren Hills wrestling champion, teacher and administrator Enzo Marinelli, who lost his battle with cancer and died on Sunday at the age of 89.
Marinelli, who resided in Lopatcong Township, was a fixture at area wrestling matches over the years as both a referee and longtime table worker at Warren Hills matches and events even long after his own successful athletic career.
Known for being a tough disciplinarian with a stern demeanor, Marinelli served as a Physical Education and Health and sciences teacher, as well as the middle school's vice principal and an athletic director for 10 years before retiring in 1994 following a 40-year career in education. Also a middle school football and wrestling coach, Marinelli, who was loved and admired by many former teachers and athletic directors, was enshrined into the Blue Streak Wall of Fame in 2000 and the PIAA District 11 Wrestling Hall of Fame as an official in 1985. Marinelli also served as an official for the NJSIAA.
"He was a great, great man," said retired teacher and former Warren Hills wrestling coach Rich Kerr, who was a Physical Education instructor at the middle school for 10 years before moving to the high school. "Mike Flood [was the principal] and Enzo ran that school. Mike would hand out the discipline and Enzo would give the lectures. You couldn't ask for two better guys."
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| Ron, Art and Enzo Marinelli |
Enzo Marinelli, along with his brothers, Ron and Art, who are also Blue Streak Wall of Fame members, are one of just four sets of three brothers to win state titles in New Jersey history. Enzo won three district titles from 1947-49 and the heavyweight state championship his senior season in '49 under the legendary and late coach John Goles. Ron (1951-52) and Art (1955-56), a longtime administrator at Oakcrest and Egg Harbor Township high schools in South Jersey, each won two state titles under Goles. It was great to see all three together several years ago at a wrestling alumni event prior to one of the Blue Streaks' matches.
Kerr, a state runner-up his senior season in 1963, fondly recalled wrestling with some of the best to don a Blue Streaks singlet with Enzo Marinelli as their youth level coach. Kerr, who recalled how legendary Nazareth coach Ray Nunamaker once told him how much he respected having Marinelli as an official, competed with eventual high school state champions Roger Olesen (1960), Ken Carswell (1962) among many other standouts at the time when the former Washington High School was annually one of the best programs in the state.
"I think our average score was like 37-4," said Kerr, who last saw Marinelli during an alumni event last season prior to Warren Hills' season-opening dual meet against Hillsborough. "We used to wrestle [matches] at what is now the middle school on one mat with the varsity and John Goles on the other. We always had a saying, 'If you think you're good, walk over to the varsity mat."
Marinelli seldom lost his temper on the sidelines, though Kerr did recall one instance during a football game when the Streaks were playing rival Hackettstown and Olesen ran a punt back for a touchdown, which was negated by a clipping penalty.
"It was a bad call and Enzo [argued with the officials]," Kerr said. "He was right, it was a bad call, but later he apologized to the whole team. That's the way it was back then."
Personally, I have very fond memories of Enzo, who was my vice principal and a respected authority figure at what was then known as the Junior High School (and formerly the high school) on Carlton Avenue in Washington. I'm grateful for the opportunity to know him on a personal level later in life and even visited him at his home to collaborate on wrestling history projects. He had a warm and gentle side and a fine sense of humor. A stickler for details, we worked together for several years at the John Goles Invitational, which is still one of the area's premiere events.
Godspeed, Enzo. Rest in peace.
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