When Verona’s wrestling staff decided two coaches was not enough, head coach Pete Foster asked a former wrestler he coached for 10 years to come out and help coach the Hillbillies.

Liam Penberthy, a 2008 Bloomfield High School graduate, accepted Coach Foster’s offer to be a wrestling coach. “I like it, I want to influence the wrestlers’ lives. I come from a different background growing up in Bloomfield. I was taught different moves and it is nice to teach the wrestlers the things I learned,” Penberthy stated.

Penberthy’s own wrestling career was a successful one. He finished in third place at the Essex County tournament. He also got third at the Districts tournament his junior year and second place his senior year. Penberthy never went to states because he wound up in finishing in fourth place in the Regional tournament when he lost VHS wrestler Chris Hardenberg, who is now the other assistant coach for Verona. Penberthy had nearly 100 career wins.

Penberthy has good feelings that this season will be a good year the team. “So far so good,” he says about the season. “We need a lot of improvement, but the wrestlers look like they have more experience than the other wrestlers in the past years.”

Penberthy wants to continue coaching at Verona. “I like the atmosphere of Verona and will be looking forward to years of coaching this team,” he said. The Verona Wrestling team is happy to have Coach Penberthy in their corner during this season.