About Raider Wrestling SPF

Tony Melendez

Grade School League, Varsity, Junior Varsity

4 years with the SPF Raider Wrestling Club

I am a second-generation Scotch Plains Raider wrestler, and wrestling has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I entered the program in kindergarten with my father serving as head coach. I wrestled under his guidance through eighth grade, continued throughout high school, and went on to wrestle for four years in college.

Although I did not directly inherit the head coaching responsibilities from my father, I am proud to carry forward the values he instilled in me and the many wrestlers he coached. His emphasis on hard work, self-discipline, accountability, and believing in yourself helped build a winning culture within Scotch Plains wrestling. Those are the same values I hope to pass on to the next generation of Raider wrestlers.

I believe that on any given day, in any given match, every one of our wrestlers has a chance to win. I never want our athletes stepping onto the mat thinking about the possibility of losing. I want them stepping onto the mat believing in their opportunity to win.

Above all else, I ask our wrestlers to believe in themselves, trust the work they have put in, and compete with confidence. When you develop that belief in yourself and combine it with hard work and discipline, winning—both on the mat and in life—has a way of following.

Frank Rellosa

Grade School League, Varsity, Junior Varsity

Wrestling has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but becoming a father and a coach has given the sport an entirely new meaning. I started wrestling in sixth grade at Wardlaw-Hartridge and went on to wrestle four years varsity. The sport taught me discipline, resilience, humility, and how to respond when things don’t go your way. Today, I get to share those lessons with the next generation—and especially with my sons, Julian and Christian. Coaching them and their teammates is incredibly rewarding. My goal is simple: help every Raider become a better wrestler, a great teammate, and a confident young person who carries these lessons well beyond the mat.

Keith Perkins

Teams- Central Jersey JV, Girls Team, Novice Team

4 years with SPF Wrestling

Coach Keith wrestled for the Christian Brothers Academy in high school and coached Irvington High School from 2003-2014. “I love coaching because I want to help make our children stronger, tougher, and more resilient. No sport does this like wrestling, and I am excited to work with our coaches to help give the youth the tools they need to thrive in the face of adversity and become the best version of themselves.”

Lee Loewinger

Teams- Central Jersey JV, Girls Team, Novice Team

4 years with SPF Wrestling

A Scotch Plains native, Coach Lee started coaching youth wrestling in 2023. Lee started in Raider Wrestling as an athlete over 40 years ago. Now he is proud to see his own three kids on the same team. He is looking forward to helping the wrestlers learn, grow, and have fun! Lee is a USA Wrestling Copper, Bronze, and Teal certified coach.

Luke Cerchio

Teams Central Jersey Varsity, Grade School League

5 Years with SPF Raiders Wrestling Club

Scotch Plains isn’t just a dot on a map—it’s my home. It’s where I was born, where I wrestled from kindergarten through high school, and where I chose to put down roots and raise my family.

Joining the SPF Raiders Wrestling Club wasn’t simply about staying involved in a sport I love. It was an opportunity to give back to the community that helped shape me and to have a positive impact on the next generation of wrestlers.

Through wrestling, I hope to teach our athletes the value of consistent effort, discipline, and perseverance. My goal is to help each wrestler build a strong foundation on the mat—one they can carry with them throughout their lives.

Shane Condron

Teams - Central Jersey JV, Novice Team

2 Years with SPF Raider Wrestling club

Wrestling taught me three important lessons at a young age—lessons that I have carried with me into adulthood and that continue to guide me today:

A positive mindset is the first key to success.

Hard work beats everything.

Take responsibility for your actions.

For more than 20 years, I have worked as a professional strength and development coach, and I take tremendous pride in helping others achieve their goals. I understand the mental and physical challenges that come with pursuing something difficult and meaningful. The road to success is rarely easy, but I believe no one should have to travel it alone. I take pride in being there to support, encourage, and challenge the people I coach every step of the way.

Wrestling is a demanding sport, and success—both on and off the mat—requires hard work, resilience, discipline, and perseverance. As an SPF Raider Wrestling coach, my goal is for every wrestler in our program to know that they are never alone in that journey. Our incredible coaching staff and our entire Raider wrestling family are there beside them—to teach them, challenge them, support them when they struggle, and help them keep moving forward.

Ultimately, our goal is bigger than developing successful wrestlers. We want to help develop confident, resilient young people who carry the lessons they learn through wrestling with them for the rest of their lives.

Adam Matthijs

Teams - Girls Team & Novice Team

2 years with SPF Wrestling

As the resident “Girl Dad” coach with 3 daughters, bringing my sport to my kids is not something I anticipated having the joy of experiencing. Joining a coaching staff of such qualified and collaborative coaches is an absolute honor. I am excited to have joined this Raider wrestling program, helping the swift growth of the girls program, and sharing the passion of my own sport with my own daughters. From wrestling at Colonia High School, to joining the Club program at Rutgers, the community this sport provides is surpassed only by the lessons it instills in our kids. Growing up on the smaller side, this sport helped me learn that strength and confidence can come from anywhere, and there are many ways to measure success and growth. Wrestling provides an opportunity to teach a platform of resilience, self-determination, independence and diligence. Now, it gives us an opportunity to teach these girls they can be brave, tough, and strong. Participating in the Novice program helps build the foundational skills, and core values we hold our wrestlers to. We encourage our wrestlers to have fun, work hard, and no matter your shape or size, at least your parents didn’t sign you up for basketball.

Daniel Rafanan

Teams - Central Jersey JV &Novice Team

I’ve been coaching with the wrestling program since 2023, after getting involved through my two children, who have both wrestled since kindergarten. While I didn’t wrestle growing up, I’ve grown to love the sport and the lessons it teaches our kids.

As a parent and coach, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching young wrestlers gain confidence, build resilience, and discover what they’re capable of. My goal is to help every child feel supported and encouraged, while having fun, making friends, and developing a love for wrestling.