🤼 Brady Little is just getting started.

After winning a district championship, reaching the regional finals, and qualifying for Atlantic City as a freshman, the Howell sophomore is setting his sights even higher.

🏆 Brady joins New Jersey Mat Chat to talk about Howell wrestling, Coach Gags, growing up at Shore Thing, and what it takes to compete against New Jersey's best.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

🔥 Growing up at Shore Thing Wrestling Club

🏟️ Wrestling under the lights at Howell

🐯 Coach Gags and the famous Eye of the Tiger entrance

🤼 Howell's tough loss to Southern

🥇 Winning districts and reaching Atlantic City

🧠 Handling nerves at the state tournament

💪 Preparing for his sophomore season

🏆 Howell's move to Group 4

😂 Team stories, girlfriends, and Taylor Swift

🎯 Brady's goals: 30 wins, a regional title, and a deeper run at states

💬 Can Howell make a run at the Group 4 championship this season?

🔔 Subscribe for more interviews with the wrestlers, coaches, and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Brady Little

01:20 Growing Up at Shore Thing

04:49 Joining Howell Wrestling

05:29 Beast of the East as a Freshman

07:05 Adjusting to High School Wrestling

09:15 Howell's Home-Mat Atmosphere

09:56 Coach Gags and Eye of the Tiger

11:29 The Southern Loss

13:34 Brady's First State Tournament

15:07 Dealing With Nerves in Atlantic City

15:48 Nutrition and Making Weight

18:49 Knee Surgery and Offseason Training

19:32 Why He Loves Freestyle

20:07 Howell's Team Workouts

20:58 The Captain's Practice Story

22:57 Howell Moves to Group 4

24:09 A Tough Divisional Schedule

25:10 Facing NJ's Best Teams

26:22 Coach Gags Stories

27:28 Wrestling Rules Brady Would Change

29:19 Taylor Swift Before a Match?

30:07 Sophomore Season Goals

32:29 Aiming for a State Title

32:59 Escape the Rock or Shore Conference?

33:37 Who Has the Best Car?

34:08 Outro

🏆 From wrestling beginner to NJ State Champion in just three seasons.

Eric Childs didn't discover wrestling until high school. By 1988, he had become Rancocas Valley's first state wrestling champion.

🤼 In this New Jersey Mat Chat Legends episode, Eric shares his unlikely journey from a sophomore who barely knew the rules to defeating some of New Jersey's toughest competitors.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:

🥇 Winning the 1988 NJ State Championship

🔥 His rivalry with Chi Santone

💪 The work ethic that transformed his wrestling career

🏟️ The unforgettable state finals at Princeton

❤️ Why his mother saw him wrestle for the first time in the state finals

🎓 Wrestling at Rider University and qualifying twice for the NCAA Championships

🫁 Surviving pulmonary fibrosis and receiving a double-lung transplant

🙏 The importance of organ donation and appreciating life

An incredible wrestling story — and an even greater story about perseverance and second chances.

💬 Could a wrestler today start in high school and win an NJ state championship just three seasons later?

🔔 Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches, and legends who built NJ wrestling.

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet 1988 State Champion Eric Childs

01:38 Discovering Wrestling as a Sophomore

05:25 His First District Tournament

06:22 Realizing He Could Become a Champion

07:56 Beating Chi Santone

08:08 Eric's Wrestling Philosophy

09:46 Learning at Wrestling Camp

10:26 His First Region Championship

13:04 Training Harder Than Ever

15:12 Natural Athleticism and Coordination

16:26 Rivalries With Chi Santone and Johnny Duran

17:32 Two Early Senior-Year Losses

18:08 The Undefeated Run Begins

19:10 Finally Beating Chi at Districts

19:33 Mapping Out His Championship Goals

21:47 The 1988 State Tournament

22:01 Reaching the Semifinals

23:42 Beating DeJoseph to Reach the Finals

24:03 Winning the Semifinal

25:26 His Parents Finally Watch Him Wrestle

26:59 His Mother's First Match Was the State Final

28:09 Winning the 1988 State Championship

29:30 Choosing Rider University

30:50 The Shock of Division I Wrestling

32:48 Qualifying for the NCAA Championships

33:40 Learning About Freestyle Wrestling

35:06 Becoming Rancocas Valley's First State Champion

36:06 Moving to California

36:43 Diagnosed With Pulmonary Fibrosis

37:31 Receiving a Life-Saving Double-Lung Transplant

38:04 The Day His New Lungs Arrived

40:06 A New Appreciation for Life

40:51 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

🏆 ONE GOAL. ONE FINAL SEASON. AN NJ STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Gavin Young has one goal for his senior wrestling season: Become a New Jersey State Champion.

🤼 The Old Bridge wrestler was practically born into the sport. His father coached at South River, his family has a history of wrestling success, and Gavin started competing through the Old Bridge Mat Rats as a young kid.

But his high school career hasn't gone exactly as planned.

🚑 Freshman Year: A serious concussion just days before regions ended his postseason.

🔥 Sophomore Year: Gavin returned, placed at regions, and accomplished his childhood dream of wrestling at the NJ State Championships in Atlantic City.

🥇 Junior Year: After winning his first district championship, Gavin suffered a devastating loss in the regional quarterfinals. The disappointment carried into the wrestlebacks, and he admits he wasn't mentally prepared to keep competing.

🎯 Senior Year: He's determined to make sure that doesn't happen again.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Gavin opens up about the setbacks, lessons, and motivation driving his final high school season.

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💬 “There's only one thing on my mind. It's just being a state champ.”

Gavin knows what it's like to have a season end before he's ready.

He knows what it's like to lose when everything is on the line.

And he knows that the only person who can change the outcome is himself.

Now he's entering his final season at Old Bridge with something to prove.

One more season. One more opportunity. One very clear goal. 🏆

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🎙️ Guest: Gavin Young

🏫 School: Old Bridge High School

🤼 Series: New Jersey Mat Chat

🎬 Episode: 89

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to New Jersey Mat Chat for interviews with the wrestlers, coaches, and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling.

💬 COMMENT BELOW: What's harder in wrestling — preparing to win or bouncing back after a devastating loss?

Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'

Now available now on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S

00:00 The Godfather of MMA

01:06 Meet Gavin Young of Old Bridge

04:43 The Concussion That Ended His Freshman Season

05:15 Bouncing Back and Reaching Atlantic City

06:49 Managing Weight and Ignoring Opponents

08:51 Learning From a Devastating Regional Loss

11:06 One Goal: Become a State Champion

12:33 Why Gavin Added Football

14:27 Taking Responsibility on the Wrestling Mat

15:20 Training at Ryze and Old Bridge

16:26 Coach Post and the Old Bridge Wrestling Culture

17:53 College, Careers and Coaching Ambitions

19:04 How Nutrition Changed His Wrestling

20:05 College Decisions and Future Plans

20:40 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever?

22:09 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro