Voorhees High School Wrestling


In a high school wrestling career where his name was primarily mentioned among a host of others, Dan Moody was not about to let his moment to shine slip away.  In the opening moments of the 122lb New Jersey State Championship Finals match, Dan hit his trademark fireman’s carry for what would be a difference-making takedown in his milestone victory.  Not only did Dan accomplish what every wrestler dreams of, but he capped off of a perfect 32-0 season making him the first wrestler in the Voorhees history to amass 100 wins.

Dan Moody entered Voorhees and immediately asserted himself as a force to be reckoned with.  As a freshman, he earned a spot in a lineup that is considered one of the best in Voorhees’s rich tradition of wrestling.  The 1980 team finished a perfect 20-0 and it featured a group of wrestlers that collectively won 21 district, 13 region, and 3 state championships.  In the succeeding years, the Voorhees Wrestling Team continued to gain state-wide recognition as young stars came of age and new ones entered the program.  Surrounded by all that talent early in a career can be a humbling experience but not for Dan, it just made him better.  He steadily improved throughout his four-year varsity career becoming a three-time district and region champion.  He placed third in the state as a junior at 115lbs losing a close match in the semifinals.  Dan’s senior year he took the field by storm in a satisfying culmination to an impressive career.

Dan Moody’s career mark of 100-9-1 currently puts him at fourth on the all-time Voorhees Wrestling win list, but his winning percentage of 90.9% is second all-time.  He is one of nine Voorhees wrestlers to ever win three district titles and one of only three to win three region titles.  Additionally, his placing in the top three in the state twice is something only two other Voorhees wrestlers have done.  He was recognized as a high school All-American by Amateur Wrestling News and gained All-American status in the Jr. National Tournament the summer following his senior year.

Dan continued wrestling in college at Slippery Rock University where he compiled a record of 81 wins and 29 losses in an injury-plagued career.  However, he finished it off in style by winning a regional championship and qualifying for the Division I National Championship tournament in 1988.  Dan has since spent his life giving back to the sport that gave him so much.  After a brief stint as an assistant coach at Voorhees, he ended up moving to Florida where he teaches physical education and serves as the head wrestling coach.  In fourteen seasons, Coach Moody has a 184-54 dual meet record with five district and three region titles.  It seems as though Dan Moody just can’t stop winning.