LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆
𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐨 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳 𝐉𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲
𝙉𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ — Linden High School freshman Alvaro Fernandez Jr. captured the 175-pound championship at the Union County Tournament on January 17, becoming the Tigers’ first county champion since 2019.
Fernandez Jr., coached by his father and Linden varsity head coach Alvaro Fernandez Sr., earned an 11–5 victory over Cranford’s Owen Woodruff in the finals at Union High School.

Entering the championship bout as an underdog, Fernandez Jr. wrestled with a bandaged face and was competing in his first full postseason following shoulder surgery that sidelined him throughout the offseason. Despite the circumstances, he delivered a composed and controlled performance against older, more experienced competition.
“I was terrified before this,” Fernandez Jr. told NJ Advance Media. “But I kept telling myself that I deserve to be here and that I belong.”

From the corner, his father acknowledged feeling initial nerves given his son’s limited mat time leading into the tournament.
“I was a little nervous seeing him out there for the first time,” Fernandez Sr. said. “But I told him he belonged here and that he was playing with house money as a freshman.”

The win ended one of the longer championship droughts at the 2026 county tournament. Only Plainfield snapped a longer gap, earning its first title since 2018. With the victory, Fernandez Jr. delivered Linden’s first Union County championship in six years.
For his performance, Fernandez Jr. was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the upperweights, a rare honor for a first-year varsity competitor.

“It gives me a rush,” said Fernandez Jr., who also plays football and acts. “Every match is the most entertaining part of my life.”
Fernandez Sr., who has recorded more than 100 career wins as Linden’s head coach, said the milestone carried special significance for the program.

“It bothered me that we went that long without a champion,” he said. “I’m glad he broke it, and I’m glad his hard work is paying off.”