When Bryce Crew was a fifth grader, he could see the wrestling program at Camden County High School starting to mirror the intensity and expectations that the Wildcat football program was nationally known for.
“I witnessed the program’s transition to domination over the years,” Crew said. “I first started wrestling during fifth grade at the high school in the club’s kids program. Wrestling has become the most decorated sport at Camden because of the program. The program encompasses the kids program and middle school program, which feed into the high school program. With wrestlers coming into the high school already knowing the basics and more, Coach Jess Wilder can run our practices more like a college practice. He does not have to bring us in every minute to show a move, so instead, we have more time to drill, wrestle live, and focus on our own weaknesses.”
The hard work was always expected even as the program started to make gains, but by just talking to other wrestlers from other teams, Crew understood that Camden County was doing something different; something that was going to take the Wildcats to a different level.
“It was always expected that we work hard and never give up,” Crew said. “I realized the importance of it once I talked to wrestlers from other teams. Other teams were not going to the hard tournaments we were, wrestling during the offseason, and practicing as much as us.”
Crew came into the program with expectations starting as a varsity wrestler as a freshman. While wrestling matches are dependent on the total points that a team earns, points have to be earned by individual wrestlers, making wrestling a team sport that must be dominated by strong individual efforts.
“Bryce is a two-time state placer and a state finalist, all while taking AP courses and classes at the College,” Wilder said. “He is also one of a very select group that will graduate as a 4-year varsity starter for us.”
Wilder makes a point to help every wrestler improve individually, which has certainly made Crew a better wrestler.
“I am continually developing as a wrestler each and every practice and tournament,” Crew explained. “Coach Wilder gives us time to work on our own moves during practice and regularly works one-on-one with us on weaknesses he has seen in matches. There is no excuse for any wrestler in the program not to progress.”
“The goal and expectation has never changed. The goal has always been to be a state champion, and the expectation has always been to never give up, no matter what,” Crew said.
It is the continued drive and expectations that made Crew a team captain, and he simply believes that in drills or whatever he needs to do, he is to “lead by example.”
“I wrestle 152 pounds. My freshman and sophomore year I wrestled 120 pounds, and my junior year I wrestled 126 pounds. I gained a good amount of weight after junior year, which I can attribute to the high school’s weight training program and Coach Slack. My favorite move is the guillotine. I like to dominate my opponents, especially on top. Once I get this move, it usually results in a pin,” Crew said.
Crew’s expectation in his senior year is to end up in the state championship, a place that is familiar to him. One of his best memories from his Wildcat wrestling career was winning the state championship his sophomore year.
“The best memory is from my sophomore year when my team and I won the state championship. I remember when I was doing the math and realized we were up enough points to clinch the win no matter what. The sheer excitement that came over me was immense. We had to calm each other down so we could finish the rest of the matches. As soon as our heavyweight pinned the final kid, the team and the fans exploded with happiness,” Crew recalled.
Wrestling has taught him mental and physical toughness, and particularly that mental toughness has been an asset for an honor student that is dual enrolled in college courses and considers AP Calculus as his favorite class.
“Wrestling has kept me busy and allowed me to stay focused. I have always had to make sure I allocate my time efficiently for school work, so when I began dual enrollment at the local college, I was not shocked by the work load. AP Calculus really is my favorite class. I attribute it to the teacher and the fact that I enjoy math. The class is structured in a way that you progress at your own pace, so I am always challenged. For other classes, you have to wait for everyone else to learn the concept before the teacher moves on, but my teacher, Mr. Dir, structures it differently. Analytical thinking has helped me with wrestling. It allows me to take a step back and see how moves connect to one another to form a series. For example, if one moves does not work, then you have three others to try until one works and you score your points,” Crew said.
Besides wrestling and a demanding academic schedule, Crew also practices Brazilian ji-jitsu, plays in the band, and qualified for Governor’s Honors School last year in Science and History.
“Being at a bigger school like Camden gives me more resources to pull from. There are many clubs and events that happen at Camden, so I have to use my time wisely. I like to go to other sporting events and support my friends, and I like to participate in clubs like Student Council, Senior Beta, and National Honors Society,” Crew said.
Crew is being recruited by a number of schools, but he also trying to make sure that the school fits him academically and athletically. Right now, however, he wants to stay focused on the wrestling season and getting to the state championship.
“Coach Wilder makes the program special. He puts together a great schedule for us during season and offseason. He says, ‘It’s his job to put together a schedule for us to be beaten, and it’s our job to win.’”
“I am one of the few wrestlers in Camden wrestling’s history to be a four-year starter. My class has also been the strongest and most decorated. Myself, Bunmi Smith, Denton Spencer, and Lucas Nelson are all four-year starters, which is very rare, especially for a program like Camden,” Crew said.
Crew Achieves Excellence On and Off the Mat
By John Wood
