By TOM WILLIAMS

There must be something in the water in Linwood.

Mainland’s sports program is flourishing.

The football team captured the imagination of the state in winning Group 4 with a record 14 victories.

The girls basketball team won the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament and is the favorite in NJSIAA Group 3 South. The boys basketball team is the top seed in Group 3 and finished second in the CAL Tournament.

There is also success in cross country, swimming, baseball and other sports,

Mainland has had championship teams in sports throughout its 63-year history. A couple of them have been inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame. There are also a couple restaurants in that Sports Hall of Fame.

This year the school celebrates the 50th anniversary of probably its greatest wrestling team.

In 1974, Mainland was 13-1 and the best team in the Southern Division of the South Jersey Conference (SJC). About a decade later, the SJC and CAL would merge and that Southern Division would become the CAL-American.

To win the championship the Mustangs would have to beat Absegami in a showdown in mid-February. Those were the days when Absegami was synonymous with wrestling success. But Mainland won the showdown, 25-20.

Absegami had opened a 20-19 lead when Vince Macaluso stepped onto the mat against Absegami’s Clarence Bell at 188 pounds. Here was the way Mike Bergen, one of the great high school wrestling writers, remembered it.

“Macaluso took the first period, 4-1, and Mainland fans were waiting for the powerful junior to pin Bell, as he had eight of his previous 12 opponents.

Bell would not be victim number nine.”

They entered the final period with Macaluso leading, 8-5.

“Bell opened the third period with a quick reversal and near-fall to go ahead, 10-9. Macaluso escaped and scored a takedown to recapture the lead, 11-9, before Bell escaped with only seconds remaining to close the bout at 11-10.”

Mainland was ahead, 22-20, when the heavyweights – Mainland’s Pete Giordano and Absegami’s George Riess – stepped forward for the final bout.

“Mainland sealed the 25-20 victory and the conference title at heavyweight when Giordano escaped from Riess with 25 seconds left for a 4-3 decision.”

Mark Deputy completed an undefeated regular season for Mainland in the match. John Biernbaum, Don O’Malley. Doug Thompson and Dale Kirkpatrick also scored valuable points for the Mustangs. Others in the Mainland lineup included Ed Deputy, Skip Mell, John Bennett, Joe Phelps, Bud Treen and Tim Gordy.

It was 50 years ago this month that these Mustang wrestlers won a showdown with the area’s premier program to win the conference championship and make history.

If you were part of the capacity crowd in Linwood that night, it is likely one of your special memories.