OCHS First Decade Teams
Joe Galante was top Raider wrestler in First Decade!
By TOM WILLIAMS
Gazette Staff Writer
There were a number of good athletes who stepped onto the wrestling mats for
Ocean City High School during the First Decade, a decade that featured the two
winningest teams in school history and the retirement of Bill Nickles after 31
seasons and 311 victories.
But one of those wrestlers stood above the rest.
Joe Galante, selected at 145 pounds, is the OCHS Wrestler of the Decade. He finished
with a career record of 117-12 after a 37-2 senior season that set a school record
for wins in a season, breaking the 35 set by Pat Lynch. Galante was the third Ocean City
wrestler to reach 100 wins in a career and the third to reach the state finals, was a
three-time district champion and a four-time conference first team all star who led
the team his senior year in wins, pins (19), takedowns (105) and team points (129).
Wrestlers were eligible to be selected to this team at any weight where they wrestled,
even if it wasn't necessarily the weight at which they were most effective. Going from
lightest to heaviest in the lineup, Josh Hawn is the choice at 103 pounds, James Jackson
at 112 and Coley O'Brien, district champion in 2009, at 119.
The 125 pound wrestler is Pete Sandberg, Channing Perone gets the nod at 130, Johnny
McCardell at 135 and Justin Millett, who won one of OCHS' five district titles in the decade
is at 140.
After Joe Galante at 145 is Matt Graham at 152 and Mike Galante at 160. The younger Galante
was fourth in the state as a junior but transferred to Blair Academy for his senior year.
At 171 pounds is Jon Howell, a district champion, followed by Ryan Skellenger (189), Tim
Graeber (215) and Brian Jackson (HWT).
A new decade began on Jan. 1, 2010 so performances since then are not taken into consideration
for the First Decade winter sports teams.
Joe Galante - who was a two-time All-American at The College of New Jersey, where he is now
an assistant coach - joins Pat Lynch (90s and 80s) and Dennis Barr (70s) as OCHS Wrestlers of
the Decade.
OCHS Wrestling in the First Decade
Year....Record....Coach
1999-2000..10-11-1....Bill Nickles
2000-01....15-10......Bill Nickles
2001-02....20-5-1.....Bill Nickles
2002-03.....5-15......Bill Nickles
2003-04.....4-19......Bill Nickles
2004-05.....6-16......Bill Nickles
2005-06.....9-16......Bill Nickles
2006-07.....7-16......Bill Nickles
2007-08....16-11......Bill Nickles
2008-09....10-14......Dave Castellini
The First Decade Raider Wrestling Team
103 - Josh Hawn (2006)
112 - James Jackson (2008)
119 - Coley O'Brien (2009)
125 - Pete Sandberg (2001)
130 - Channing Perone (2004)
135 - Johnny McCardell (2008)
140 - Justin Millett (2000)
145 - Joe Galante (2002)
152 - Matt Graham (2008)
160 - Mike Galante (2003)
171 - Jon Howell (2000)
189 - Ryan Skellenger (2006)
215 - Tim Graeber (2003)
HWT - Brian Jackson (2008)