One of the high points of the season for first and second year wrestlers will be the third annual Warwick Valley Mat Club Novice Tournament - the most successful and well attended youth wrestling tournament in Orange County since its inception.

Limited to wrestlers with two years or less of wrestling experience, it matches wrestlers from throughout the Hudson Valley, northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Head coaches for the 2009-2010 season will be retired Boonton Jersey police officer Ed Dunn, owner of Dun-Rite Powerwashing and Painting, Inc. in Warwick and Warwick resident Keith MacDougall, athletic director at Ridgefield Memorial High School, located in Ridgefield, N.J.

Dunn grew up in Boonton, where he started wrestling in the fifth grade. A two time Tri County Youth Wrestling League champion. Dunn was also an outstanding high school wrestler, taking fourth and sixth place in the New Jersey High School State Championships, while recording 103 wins during his high school career.

Dunn also wrestled freestyle in high school over the summer for three years, and was a two time New Jersey State Freestyle Champion.

He also took third place in the eastern nationals. He attended Rutgers and graduated from Kean University, and although his wrestling career was cut short due to injuries, he still managed to compile an impressive 33-05 record and finish in 2nd place in the Division III National Qualifier.

Once his career on the mat was over, Dunn’s coaching career began. He coached his brother, Francis, to become Boonton’s first and only High School State Champion. Francis Dunn went on to take eighth in the Division I Nationals for Rider University. Dunn also coached at his brother’s wrestling school, where they trained three young men to become New Jersey High School State Champions in the late 90s. Dunn has been a Warwick Youth Wrestling coach since 2006.

Raised in Vernon, MacDougall earned a teaching degree in health and physical education from Trenton State College, where he continued his long time interest and involvement in wrestling in college.

After graduation, he began a teaching and coaching career providing him the opportunity to coach some of the state’s top wrestlers.

MacDougall was a head wrestling coach for three years before accepting his current position as a high school athletic director.

While this promotion closed the door on his high school coaching career, it provided him the opportunity to serve New Jersey as an instructor for new coaches through the National Federation of High Schools. It also has enabled him to coach youth sports in Warwick.

For the upcoming season, they will be assisted by Warwick Valley wrestling coaches John Canty, Scott Brown, and Phil Szumlaski and their staff.

For more information email Steven Ferreira at sferreir@optonline.net.

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