Few athletes in the history of Voorhees High School have had as big an impact as Eric Hall. He earned a total of nine varsity letters in football, wrestling, and baseball. He was a captain of each of his teams in his senior year where he demonstrated leadership qualities coaches only dream of; he had a unique ability to be a leader, friend, mentor, and motivator in the eyes of his peers. Additionally, despite having a busy after-school schedule, he managed to have a solid academic career while participating in varsity club and student council, serving as the vice-president and then the student body president his senior year.
Wrestling is the sport where Eric really made his mark. He was a varsity wrestler as a freshman, following in the footsteps of his older brother Bobby. As a 4-year letter winner, he is the schools first and only ever four-time district and regional champion. He is tied for second on the all-time pins list with 51. He was a 3x New Jersey state place-winner placing 7th/8th as a sophomore and 4th as a junior. In his senior season he carried an undefeated record of 35-0 into the 145 lb state final. He lost an 8-4 decision to a wrestler many consider to be one of the best in New Jersey history (Donnie Pritzlaff). Eric’s state final finish qualified him for the High School Senior National Tournament that March in Pittsburgh, PA. He wrestled 7 matches, finishing 6-1, and placing 3rd in the country (garnering High School all-American honors). By the end of his career, he amassed a school record 126 wins and 20 losses. Eric’s prowess, technique, and athleticism in wrestling on his feet may distinguish him more than any wrestler in the school’s history; his takedown total from his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons are the three best on record for Voorhees High School. Following his senior year, he was also named the “1995-1996 male athlete of the year” by VHS.
If an athlete’s career can be measured in part by the teams on which he or she competes, then Eric’s resume is even more impressive. As a junior, he was an indispensable part of a Voorhees Wrestling lineup that continued a dynasty by winning the school’s fourth Group II State Wrestling Championship. During the fall of his senior year, he was a two-way starter and captain on a Voorhees Football Team that had a magical 10-1 season. As a quarterback on offense and cornerback on defense, he headed a wishbone attack that re-wrote the school record book, en route to winning Voorhees’s first and only state championship trophy. Eric finished the season as a 1st team all-West Jersey selection, 1st team all Courier selection, 1st team HC Democrat, 2nd team All-Group 2, and a 3rd team “all state” selection by the Star-Ledger for defense. During the spring season, Eric also contributed to the baseball team, batting over .400 his junior and senior seasons while playing shortstop, 2nd, and 3rd base.
Following his senior year, Eric continued his academic and wrestling career at Virginia Tech. On the mat for the Hokies he became a four-time qualifier for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament, falling in the All-American round (top 12 wrestlers). He was a 2nd team Freshman All-American, National Strength & Conditioning All-American, 2 time CAA conference champion, 1997 CAA “Rookie of the Year”, 3-year captain, and a 4 time “Super Iron Hokie”. Ranked as high as 5th in the country during his senior season, Eric is currently 4th on the all-time wins list with 113. He was a member of the 1st ever CAA conference champion team (1998-99). During NCAA competition Virginia Tech finished as high as 19th and 22nd in the country during a stellar 2-year span. He graduated will his B.S. in Human Development in 2000 and his M.A. in Education and Curriculum in 2002.
Eric is considered by many to be the preeminent male athlete of his era at Voorhees HS. He was an extremely hard worker, leader, overachiever, quality student, fierce competitor, team player, and extremely coachable. To this day, it’s not his records, individual and team accolades, or ability people talk about when they tell stories of Eric Hall; most of what is discussed is his presence, leadership, and winning attitude; the way he made everyone around him better, and how he fought tooth and nail for a win. Out of roughly 1,000 football players, former Voorhees Head Football Coach Jerry Devisser has coached, he believes Eric stands out because of his intense will to succeed and win. “Eric Hall is a winner, he is the most competitive football player I have ever coached. He didn’t just want to win in games; he wanted to win in drills and everything he did. Eric’s dedication to winning was so passionate that other players soon climbed aboard, and before we knew it, we amassed a 10-1 record and won a state title!” He resides in Glen Gardner, NJ.
