Michael Giacobbe wrestled for J.P. Stevens High School as a student.
He also coached wrestling in the district, at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, for six years.
But Giacobbe has never coached the sport at the high school level–until now.
He got the J.P. Stevens job in the offseason and he is excited for the 2018-19 season.
“We have an enthusiastic room. Every day we come in and work hard. It’s exciting. It’s a great atmosphere,” Giacobbe said. “We’re ready for the season. We have some kids that I’ve worked with for six to seven years. It’s pretty exciting stuff.”
The Hawks open their season with a 7 p.m. meet at Monroe Township High School on Dec. 19. They went 6-19 in 2017-18. The goal this year, naturally, is to improve.
“Our ultimate goal is to improve to a 10-15 win team. I don’t know if that’s going to happen this year. But I think it’s possible eventually,” Giacobbe said. “We need to continually motivate each other and push each other to keep working as hard as possible.”
That last part will not be a problem. J.P. Stevens has nine returning varsity starters, and they are all hard workers.
Five seniors, Dominick Savoth, Luka Stepanashvili, Sami Mohammed, Michael Patasso and Alberto Corcino, have taken on leadership roles.
“They’ll be fantastic role models. Everyone has been committed to the program, following suit with these guys,” Giacobbe said. “They have to believe in the program and in themselves. They have to maintain their enthusiasm.”
Stepanashvili is the best wrestler in the group. The senior finished 20-11 as a junior last year. He is looking to wrestle in college, too, so he worked hard to improve in the offseason.
“He has improved in all aspects. Top, bottom, neutral, everything looks better,” Giacobbe said. “He is invested into wrestling. He just loves it. He never misses a second of practice and always wants to go 110 percent.”
Patasso committed to the sport year round in the offseason, and he improved as much as Stepanashvili.
“He’s got a great funk game. If someone has a high single on him, he can flip, grab a leg and get him down,” Giacobbe said. “It’s not the prettiest wrestling. It gives me a heart attack as a coach. But it’s pretty cool and exciting to watch.”
The other three seniors, Savoth, Mohammed and Corcino, are positive role models with specific strengths on the mat.
Savoth “is a vocal leader who is completely committed to the program. Dom is also great on his feet and tough to take down,” Giacobbe said.
Mohammed “is an extremely hard worker. He motivates everyone in the room, which is great. He can also run a cross body series very nicely,” Giacobbe added.
Corcino “is another extremely hard worker. He never stops. He’s an engine that keeps going, which is awesome. He also runs a good bar. It’s an offensive move from the top,” the coach said.
It’s a good group that will establish a foundation for Giacobbe and the Hawks moving forward. The results may come this year, or they may not. Even if they don’t, it should be a positive campaign for J.P. Stevens.
“I expect through our commitment that we’ll see constant improvements,” Giacobbe said. “We can find success in several of our matches.”
