Danielle Parhizkaran/Staff photographer: Ray Wetzel was a wrestler without a home as recently as June, but a fundraiser changed everything.
The message popped on to his screen, giving Ray Wetzel the answer he desired.
The last month had been filled with questions. What would happen to his school? Would he lose his wrestling team? Would he have to transfer?
These aren’t the usual questions for a teenager, but they were the reality at Queen of Peace. That is, until Wetzel’s wrestling coach Scot Weaver delivered the news in a group text: The North Arlington school is staying open.
The weeks of speculation were over. So was the uncertainty about the future – for his school and himself. It was a moment of happiness and relief.
“I’m definitely excited to finish out my high school career there and know that I wouldn’t have to worry about switching to another school,” Wetzel said. “And I was happy because of the friends that I’ve made there.”
Queen of Peace announced July 5 that it had reached its $1 million fundraising goal to avoid closing. It gave the Golden Griffins wrestler one last season at a place where he’s established himself as one of Bergen County’s best.
“If [he goes for points], he scores,” Weaver said. “He’s that good. He should be able to get up there in that top group of the state if things fall into place for him and he gets into the right weight class.”
Wetzel is one of North Jersey’s elite. He’s entering his senior season with three district titles and a region championship. He wants to wrestle in college, and his 4.2 grade-point average has attracted several impressive suitors – American, Bucknell, Maryland and Old Dominion, among others.
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/wrestling/huge-relief-for-wetzel-1.1632166