Rich Scorese’s nickname could easily be “Champ.” The reason would allude to the numerous championships accrued during his wrestling days. Both as a wrestler and a coach.

He won a high school state championship as a senior at Jonathan Dayton in Springfield, going 16-0 in 1955. He accumulated a 46-2 record his last three years while winning three District championships. From there it was on to Bloomsburg College, where in the NAIA nationals he placed second as a sophomore, won nationals as a junior and closed out his senior year an All-American.

Aside from nationals, Scorese was a champion and four-time finalist in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Competing for the Elizabeth YMCA, he won YMCA Nationals in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle.

In 1960 he won a Regional Olympic Trial at Penn State, and was an alternate on the team after losing in the semis to the eventual Olympic champion Terry McCann of Iowa.

He competed until age 32 while representing the New York Athletic Club.

Between his wrestling accomplishments Scorese served his country in the Marine Corps where he competed as a boxer three years, and also played baseball.

First as an assistant coach at Lock Haven State, in 1969 Scorese went on to be a head coach at Netcong High School, Morris Knolls and Hackettstown. He would coach numerous conference championships, was District Coach of the Year more than once and twice won the Morris County championship. He also experienced the added joy of coaching his son Russ to a state championship.

Scorese also found time to assist at numerous summer camps.

As a result of all his success he has been inducted into the Morris County Hall of Fame, Union County Hall of Fame, Region 3 Hall of Fame and the Bloomsburg University Hall of Fame.

Retired, Rich and his wife Betty reside in Wharton. Aside from their son, they have a daughter, Debbie.