Glen Rock/Saddle Brook co-coach Chris Fox still remembers wrestling in the big gym at West Milford High School in the early 1990s. Up until now, that's all it has been.
That will change tonight when the he returns to West Milford for the first time since graduating in 1994 to face his former coach, Mike Blakely, when the Panthers take on the Highlanders in a battle that could say a lot for both teams.
"I'm real excited about it because Mike Blakely taught me everything I know," said Fox, who coaches the Panthers along with Wayne Rogers. "I still use things that we did at West Milford in our wrestling room. It's going to be pretty cool wrestling against him."
It's also going to mark a further turnaround for the Glen Rock/Saddle Brook program, which went from forfeiting as many as five bouts a night when the co-op was created five years ago to winning the District 6 championship last spring.
"When we had eight or 10 kids, a match like this wouldn't have been beneficial for our kids or for West Milford," Fox said. "Now we want our kids to wrestle better kids so they can get the experience and get their ticket to Atlantic City."
The Panthers start their dual season after an 11th-place finish in the BCCA George Jockish Holiday Wrestling Tournament, while West Milford is 1-2 after a quad with Kittatinny, Vernon and Wallkill Valley.
Matt Dickman, who is 6-3 with two tough losses to Fair Lawn's Vince DiMitri, could face off against Evan Poole, who is also 6-3, if West Milford chooses to bump Poole up to 140.
Alex Cimiluca, 5-1 after finishing third at the BCCA at 152, could bump up to 160 to face Dover tournament champ Matt Berry (7-2).
"Where we're tough, I think they're tough," Fox said. "Everybody's excited to see what happens, It's a good opportunity to show what we're made of.
"Coming off [the BCCA], our guys felt that they could wrestle better," Fox said. "That's good because it shows they don't want to settle. Now it's good for us to get out of the area a bit and seek out some bigger and tougher competition."
It's an opportunity Fox wasn't sure would come as quickly as it did.
"I always felt positive during the entire [rebuilding] process," Fox said. "We got decent pretty quick, but I wasn't sure we'd be able to get out and compete against bigger teams and bigger programs at this point."
And make a homecoming in the process.
"It's going to be great walking back in there and seeing all my old teachers and old coaches again," he said.
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