Jacksonville Cardinals Wrestling Team

09/03/2026

It's almost that time of the year. Returning wrestlers and anyone interested in joining the Jacksonville Cardinals Wrestling Team. Come get on the mats.

08/07/2026

Please join us in welcoming Maury Vanderpool as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Cardinals Men’s & Women’s Wrestling Teams!

We are excited to have Coach Vanderpool joining the Cardinal family. He brings a wealth of experience, leadership, and passion for the sport, and we are looking forward to seeing the impact he will have on our wrestlers both on and off the mat.

The future is bright for Jacksonville Cardinals Wrestling, and we can’t wait to see what this team accomplishes together!

Welcome to Jacksonville, Coach Vanderpool!

Coach Maury Vanderpool

Originally from Nassau, Bahamas, Coach Vanderpool moved to the United States at age 13 and began competing in organized sports as a sophomore at Seabreeze Senior High in Daytona Beach, Florida (1977–1980).

A standout multi-sport athlete in football, track, and wrestling, he was a two-time; All-Conference, District, Regional Champ and All-County MVP, taking 2nd in the state in 1979 and 3rd in 1980.
He continued his academic and athletic career at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee (1980–1984), where he became a 6-time Wrestling All-American. Following college, Coach Vanderpool served 24 years in the United States Navy (1986–2010), earning his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2010. During his service, he represented the nation at the highest levels of competitive wrestling:

All-Navy / All-Armed Forces Wrestling Teams: 1987–1989, 1991–1993

NAS Jacksonville Athlete of the Year: 1989

U.S. Olympic Qualifications & Honors: 1988 US Olympic Qualifier; All-USA Team (1992); 1992 Olympic Team Mini-Tournament Champion advancing to the top 4 on the U.S. Olympic Team ladder

Prior to joining Jacksonville High School, Coach Vanderpool led Southwest Onslow High School in a 4 year span (2019-2023) with:
- (3) Conference Champion Titles
-(3) 2A East Regional Champion Titles
-Team State Duals Finalist
-(28) State qualifiers: (1) in 2020, (8) in 2021, (9) in 2022 and (10) in 2023

Most recently, Coach Vanderpool led the in augural 2026 season at Onslow Early College, guiding a wrestler to an individual NCHSAA State Championship.
Coach Vanderpool focuses on developing life skills alongside athletic technical mastery, instilling independence, discipline, and strong work ethic in every student-athlete he coaches.

Coaching Philosophy
"My coaching philosophy extends far beyond the time these young men and women spend on the mat. I train athletes for real-life, day-to-day situations while mastering the physical, mental, emotional, and technical aspects of the sport. I believe in taking the time to learn who my athletes are as individuals so I can find the most effective way to teach, coach, and elevate them to their full potential. Wrestling teaches the values of hard work, goal-setting, and most importantly independence."

“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” — Zig Ziglar

04/14/2026

Congratulations to our men’s and women’s wrestlers who earned recognition on the 2026 Big Carolina 6A/7A Conference Winter All-Conference Team.

The Big Carolina 6-A/7-A Conference, which consists of D.H. Conley, Jacksonville, J.H. Rose, New Bern, South Central and White Oak, recently released its all-conference winter list for all sports.

02/23/2026

Our women’s wrestling team wrapped up an incredible journey at the NCHSAA Women’s Wrestling State Championships in Greensboro this past weekend. The team finished 20th out of 37 teams!

Congratulations to our podium finisher:
Peyton Smith – 3rd Place State Placer (6A 107lb)

We are so proud of the standard this team is setting for the future of JHS wrestling.

Are you a current student at Jacksonville High School or an incoming freshman looking to challenge yourself? We want you to be part of this rising program! Wrestling builds incomparable strength, confidence, and sisterhood. No experience is necessary, we will train you!

Want to join us next season? DM us or contact the coaching staff

Jacksonville High School

02/23/2026

What a way to cap off the season! Our men’s wrestling team left it all on the mats at the NCHSAA State Championships in Greensboro. We are incredibly proud of how this team competed from start to finish. Out of 35 teams, we fought our way to a 6th place overall finish!

Huge congratulations to our individual medalists:
Max Davis – 6A 138lb State Champion
Tyler Gardner – 3rd Place State Placer (6A 113lb)
Gavin Costillo – 4th Place State Placer (6A 132lb)

Thank you to the coaches, parents, and fans who supported us all year long.

We are already looking ahead to next year! If you are currently attending JHS or will be a freshman next year, we want you on the mats. No experience? No problem. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about discipline, strength, and winning.

Interested? Send us a DM here or reach out to the coaching staff

Jacksonville High School

02/19/2026

Greensboro bound!

8 wrestlers. 3 days. 1 goal: State Titles.

Our crew is officially hitting the mats for the NCHSAA State Championships! The girls start the charge today and Friday, with the boys wrestling Friday and Saturday.

Let’s bring that hardware home!

02/17/2026

After a grueling performance at the 6A East Regionals, our team secured an impressive 3rd Place finish in a field of 29 schools. We couldn’t be prouder of the grit these athletes showed on the mats!"

We are proud to announce that six of our wrestlers have qualified for the NCHSAA State Championships at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. Competition begins this Friday, February 20th.

Congratulations to Max Davis (1st), Jake Geist (2nd), Gavin Castillo (3rd), Tyler Gardner (3rd), Garrett Moses (3rd), Brock Smith (3rd) for qualifying for the NCHSAA State Championships.

Congratulations to the team and coaches on this outstanding achievement!

02/17/2026

There is no "quit" in this team. Our Lady Cardinals displayed incredible heart and resilience at the 6A East Regionals at Union Pines High School. Every single wrestler left everything they had on the mats.

We are thrilled to share that two of our Cardinals have punched their ticket to the NCHSAA Individual State Championships! They will be competing at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro from February 19-20.

Congratulations to Peyton Smith(1st) and Charlotte VanPelt(3rd) for qualifying for the NCHSAA State Championships.

A huge thank you to the coaches, parents, and fans who supported us through every takedown and pin. The journey continues!

02/17/2026

Road to the State Dauls Championship continues. 6A East quarterfinals duals are taking place today at Union Pines High School.

02/16/2026

8 individuals are heading to states.