Wrestling: P'burg (coach, schedule, Group site)?

What is going on with the Phillipsburg High School wrestling program? 

It's a great question, and one that's produced few or no definite answers since the recent arrests of head coach Dave Post and longtime assistant coach Scott Silvis. They, along with George Chilmonik, a 1963 district champion for Hunterdon Central under Russ Riegel and a former NCAA official, were charged for their alleged roles in a scheme that involved a threat made for a tenure vote at the Warren County school, where all three are employed in the mathematics department.

P'burg could be the next site of the Group championships.

According to several sources, middle school coach Tim Longacre and high school assistant coach Brad Gentzle have been coordinating the program's summer schedule, which in previous years included attendance at the Lycoming Camp and 1,000 Island Duals in August -- both were canceled due to COVID-19 in 2020. The fate of  the annual Pin Cancer match seems up in the air since Delaware Valley and Warren Hills, Phillipsburg's prior opponents in that event, are wrestling each other in a charity event in July. P'burg will participate in the Summer Goles event, as well as the SEPA Tournament and Kalahari Duals in the Poconos in June.

P'burg athletic director Tom Fisher and other school officials have not returned repeated phone messages seeking comment on the state of the wrestling program.

Interestingly, it seems that unknown parties have been working on Phillipsburg's 2021-22 schedule (see below). While not deemed official at this stage, the school's page on the Skyland Conference site looks nearly complete. With the next Board of Education meeting scheduled for June 7, we may soon have answers as to which direction the Stateliners are heading in terms of a coaching staff.

Should the job open up, as anticipated, in the coming days or weeks, one man is ready to throw his hat into the ring -- for a fourth stint. Former state champion wrestler and coach Rick Thompson confirmed his interest in an interview with Open Mike, and he has spoken with at least one school official about a potential return.

"No doubt about it. I'm interested," said Thompson, who now resides in Myrtle Beach, S.C. "I miss coaching. I miss teaching. I'd like to finish where I started. Garnet and Grey [the school's colors] -- there is no other way. We'll see what happens."

Thompson, 66, is the program's all-time winningest coach with a mark of 268-54-1 in 15 seasons across three stints (1980-88, 1991-95 and 2003-06). He guided the 'Liners to 15 sectional titles, the most under any P'burg coach, and eight state championships (five in Group 3, three in Group 4), as well as six runner-up finishes. The 2005-06 season -- his last at the school -- was the only time during his career and the first in P'burg history that it lost a state semifinal match -- falling to Southern, 32-25, in Group 4. 

Phillipsburg finished 8-1 this past season in a pandemic-shortened campaign and had no individual state medal winners in back-to-back years for just the third time in program history and first since 1964-65.

"I would love to have the opportunity to get these kids to a different level," said Thompson, who said he would like to see New Jersey non-public school powers such as Delbarton and Bergen Catholic on the P'burg schedule. "[The Stateliners are] always going to be good. But they deserve the opportunity to be the No. 1 team."

Thompson, considered one of the sport's premiere motivators, stepped down after nine seasons as the head coach at Bangor Area High School in Pennsylvania following the 2016-17 campaign and took over at Bethlehem Catholic in 2018. The Golden Hawks went 6-1, before he was unceremoniously dismissed in January 2019. He has not coached since.

Thompson, who said he would also like to also coach cross country, another sport in which he led P'burg to a state championship, is 477-231-4 overall, with wrestling stops at Mountain High School (now West Orange), Hackettstown, Franklin and Voorhees. As a wrestler, the Slippery Rock University graduate won two state titles (1971 and '73) and placed third ('70), to go with four district and three region championships for the Stateliners.

Post, 36, is 155-24 overall and has guided P'burg to eight sectional and six Group 4 state championships during his 11 seasons as head coach. He enjoyed a successful high school wrestling career for P'burg under coaches Mike Rossetti and Greg Troxell, winning four district and two region titles, and placing twice (third at 160 pounds in 2003 and fifth in 2002) in the state tournament. He also ranks 11th in career wins (111-22 from 1999-2003).

With 10 starters expected to return next season, including junior and two-time state qualifier James Day (75-27 overall and a win shy of a state medal at 120 in 2021), and junior David Pierson (also one victory shy of a state medal at 220), not to mention some talented incoming freshmen and sophomores, the Stateliners figure to be conference and sectional favorites, They're certainly itching to avenge three consecutive losses to North Hunterdon, as well as capture the program's 23rd state team championship.

Phillipsburg was riding high after successfully hosting both the boys and girls state tournaments. There has been substantial discussion about hosting the boys state team championships, which have been held for many years in Toms River, perhaps as soon as 2022. Open Mike has also learned that P'burg is the frontrunner to keep the girls state tournament, which was previously held in Atlantic City in 2019 and '20.

The 2021-22 schedule posted on the Skyland Conference page does not include dates for traditional matches against High Point and Southern, but a renewal of the series with Warren Hills is tentatively set for Jan. 14 in Washington. The teams didn't meet the past two seasons, interrupting the series for the first time since the 1964-65 season. 

P'burg owns a 59-14 edge overall dating to 1948. The 'Liners have won 33 straight meetings, including a 49-12 victory on Jan. 2, 2019.

Unofficial 2021-22 schedule (as of May 17)

Dec. 17-18 -- at King of the Mountain Tournament 
Dec. 22 -- at Livingston
Dec. 28-29 -- Bethlehem Holiday Classic at Liberty (Pa.) High School
Jan. 4 -- Hunterdon Central
Jan. 6 -- Watchung Hills
Jan. 8 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament
Jan. 12 -- Ridge
Jan. 14 -- at Warren Hills
Jan. 19 -- North Hunterdon
Jan. 21 -- at Kittatinny
Jan. 22 -- Cranford
Jan. 25 -- Easton (Pa.)
Jan. 26 -- at Montgomery
Jan. 31 -- at Bound Brook
Feb. 2 -- at Hillsborough
Feb. 5 -- at Delaware Valley
Feb. 7 -- Sectionals first round
Feb. 9 -- Sectionals semifinals
Feb. 11 -- Sectional championships
Feb. 13 -- Group championships
Feb. 21 -- District 10 Tournament
Feb. 23, 25-26 -- Region 3 Tournament at West Orange
March 3-5 -- 89th State Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City
Notes: Bold indicates home events. All match times are listed for 7 p.m.