VIDEO: LCM claims South Jersey title with convincing win over Collingswood, will host state semifinal Friday

Posted: February 18th 2026

Lower Cape May's Tristan Rosemeyer records a win by fall at 113 pounds in Wednesday's South Jersey Group II championship match against Collingswood.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

ERMA – You can’t win a state championship without first winning a sectional title.

The Lower Cape May Regional High School wrestling team accomplished the first leg of its goal Wednesday evening, winning its second South Jersey Group II title match in three seasons.

The comfortable 46-27 victory over Collingswood allows Lower to continue its dream of lifting the state championship trophy. The next step on the journey for coach Billy Damiana’s team is Friday’s home match with Caldwell in the state semifinal. A win there would earn the program its first trip to Rutgers University on Sunday to compete for the state Group II title.

Lower, the top seed in the section, was considered a favorite against No. 2 Collingswood and performed as such. After the teams split the first six bouts, the Caper Tigers reeled off five straight bonus-point victories to take an insurmountable lead.

The run began with first-period pins by Tristian Rosemeyer at 113 pounds and Bryce Paley at 120 pounds, Paley’s decking coming in just nine seconds. Ryan Morgan followed with a 19-4 technical-fall decision at 126 pounds before Eli Glover’s’ third-period pin at 132 pounds and Chase Hansen’s 13-second pin at 138 pounds that clinched the result for the Caper Tigers.

Other winners for Lower included Shane Morrell (technical fall at 175), David Douglass (pin at 190 pounds) and Jake Hearon (pin at 285 pounds).

Friday’s state semifinal match with Caldwell is a rematch from earlier this season. Lower scored a 53-19 victory on Jan. 31.

In addition to its two sectional titles in three seasons, Lower also won a South Jersey championship in 1982.

(photo courtesy Heidi Ray)