TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Jersey Shore coach Tony Owens is building a foundation in first year at helm with Bulldogs.

Heading into the season, expectations surrounding the Jersey Shore wrestling program weren’t exactly high. Though the Bulldogs had seen considerable team and individual success through the decades preceding the 2010s, recent years haven’t been as kind to the program, and it was in a particularly rough situation entering 2024.

Not only had it just lost one of its most storied wrestlers in recent memory in phenom Brock Weiss, but it had also just endured its eighth straight dual season without a winning record.

In hopes of revitalizing a program long past its glory days, Jersey Shore brought in former coach Tony Owens, who previously led the Bulldogs to multiple district titles in the mid-2000s.

For Owens, the goal from the very beginning has been getting the Bulldogs back to prominence. And while that’s obviously easier said than done, considering their current situation and the landscape of Class AAA wrestling, he appears to be off to a great start.

As expected, the team started slow, winning its first dual match against Williamsport before dropping ten of its next 12 to start the season 3-10. But even amidst that span, the pieces began falling into place, particularly once 2025 began.

At Line Mountain Duals, the Bulldogs went 2-4, never finishing a match with less than 20 points and closing out their run with wins over Halifax (37-21) and Oley Valley (47-24). They would proceed to struggle against Bellefonte before bouncing back with a dominant win at Shamokin and a solid showing at the PHAC Championships, where they placed seventh out of 16 teams behind five placewinners.

Then, they put together arguably their most impressive performance of the season against Selinsgrove.

Facing a league opponent that’s had its way with it in recent years, Jersey Shore (6-12) would give it a run for its money on Thursday. After falling behind 16-0, the Bulldogs rattled off three straight wins and four in their next five bouts to cut the deficit to 16-15 and 22-21 respectively, keeping an unlikely win within reach.

The Seals would ultimately break away from there, taking the match by a score of 46-24. But it was Shore’s closest loss in the matchup in seven years, as the team won five matches – four from wrestlers set to return next season and three who were underclassmen.

“We’re not there yet, but we’re definitely a team that people are starting to take notice to. On the schedule in the past, they may have looked at us and said, ‘Jersey Shore? We’ll chalk that up as an easy W.’ I think today, moving forward, they may look at us differently,” said Owens.

“But the bottom line is, we’re going to come back and we’re going to train. I’m going to train these guys to the best of my ability and if they believe in our system, I think we’re going to be successful.”

While senior Slate Sechrist has stolen the show in terms of individual success, ranking No. 16 in the state at 215 and having compiled 27 wins on the season, multiple underclassmen have stood out so far and could serve as building blocks for the program’s success moving forward.

Freshmen Louden Spotts (18-13) and Bradley Derr (14-16) have shown flashes to kick off their high school careers, combining for 32 wins – 21 featuring bonus points – and placing fourth and sixth at the PHAC Championships respectively. And sophomores Tobias Morgret (16-11) and Zeke Sechrist (7-8) each picked up huge pins against the Seals, with Morgret continuing to build off a promising freshman season that saw him qualify for regionals.

“Tobias is a really talented, hard-working, coachable kid. Once he picks up a little more strength, a little more experience, he’s going to be a very successful young man,” said Owens on Morgret. “(Louden) is another one that has really battled well as a freshman. He’s one step away from having that breakthrough and when he gets that experience, it’s only going to make him a better wrestler in the future.”

Arguably, the most notable aspect of their loss to Selinsgrove was the team’s forfeits, or lack thereof. After forfeiting six bouts in their previous matchup against the Seals, a contest they lost 66-6, Jersey Shore forfeited just one on Thursday, fielding 12 competitive wrestlers.

If you’re fielding wrestlers, you’re building quality varsity experience no matter the result. And while there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to building a roster that can meet the standards of decades past, Owens and his coaching staff have taken immediate steps in the right direction.

“I’m so thankful that we’re able to have a full lineup and that we’re able to wrestle for Jersey Shore, for the community,” said Owens. “Those forfeits, that’s not what Jersey Shore is. We have a state championship banner on the wall for a reason. We take pride in that stuff here.”

It’s still too early to say whether or not the future is bright for Jersey Shore wrestling. However, heading into the second half of the season, Owens’ first of his second stint with the team, things are certainly looking promising.

Henry Huber is the sports editor at The Express. He can be reached at hhuber@lockhaven.com. Follow him on Twitter at @HenryHuber_.