In the sport of wrestling, coaches often work out with their athletes in practice. More often than not, the coach is able to dominate the situation due to his ability, experience, and of course, mental edge. Even in situations where the wrestler is talented, he will often be unwilling to try against a coach. And then there are wrestlers like Lee Getz. In every practice of his senior year, Lee Getz and Coach Dave Miers battled. Lee wasn’t one to back away from a challenge, and the chance to grapple with someone older and more experienced only made him practice that much harder.
“I have to tell you, every day was a war! Every day Lee and I would beat each other up,” said Coach Miers while reminiscing about all the aching muscles and “battle scars” he had from brawling with the monstrous heavyweight.
All the hard work paid off as Lee Getz became the second state champion for Voorhees in 1982. He finished his senior year a perfect 32-0 which capped an impressive career record of 74-8. His mark of 51 pins ties him for 2nd all-time in Voorhees history. Lee served as the reliable anchor to a powerful Viking lineup that posted a dual meet record of 55-5-1 in his three years as the varsity heavyweight, including the 1980 undefeated State Sectional Championship team and the 1982 Group II State Championship team.
As a football player, Lee’s God-given size and talent made him good, but once again his work ethic, competitiveness, and ability to take coaching made him great. In three varsity seasons Lee managed to become one of the most decorated football players in the history of Voorhees High School. As a three-year starter, Lee’s teams were a combined 24-6 with two conference titles and an appearance in the Central Jersey Group II Sectional Finals in 1980. Individually, Lee established himself as a devastating two-way threat playing both offensive and defensive lineman. He achieved All-Conference status as a junior and senior and was selected as first-team All-State offensive tackle in his senior year. He went on to be an All-American offensive guard for Rutgers University and had a brief stint in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. To this day, due to the overwhelming leadership and performance of him and his two you younger brothers John and Charlie, the Getz #72 remains the only number to be retired by the Voorhees Football Program.
All of his accolades aside, the dogged determination and incredible mental toughness of Lee Getz set the standard by which all Voorhees football players and wresters have since been measured. Like most great athletes, he was a leader whose positive qualities rubbed off on his teammates. He was the key element in what were arguably the most successful eras of Voorhees Football and Wrestling. Simply put, Lee Getz played a major role in putting a young school on the map.
