Raiders 9, Chargers 7. Please excuse wrestling coach and Hall of
Famer Phil Grebinar if he forgets the score from that NFL Sunday
Night Football game on Thanksgiving weekend of 1991. His wife, Dee,
fielded a phone call that evening that suddenly made the football
game a lot less important—seems that Matt Wassel was looking
to transfer from West Point to wrestle and play football at
WPI.
Wassel entered WPI in January 1992 and made an immediate impact
on the wrestling program. He earned All-New England recognition by
placing fifth at 167 lbs. His sophomore season proved to be one of
the best in Engineers wrestling history. He went undefeated (14-0)
in dual meets and was a New England champion at 167. He registered
four pins and totaled the seventh most takedowns in school history
(54).
His final two seasons also produced All-New England showings.
Wassel was a New England finalist at 167 lbs. in 1994 as a junior
and a year later placed at 158 lbs. as a senior. Even more
impressive, he was a vital cog in helping WPI win back-to-back New
England team championships for the first time in the
program’s history. He wrapped up his career on the mat with a
35-10 overall dual-meet mark.
“Matt came to us as a West Point transfer in January of
his freshman year,” says Grebinar. “His ability and
toughness enabled him to become an immediate starter and
contributor. As Matt thrived on the tough competitions, his desire
to win had a positive effect on our wrestling team his entire
career.”
Wassel was equally as impressive on the football field. Joining
the program as a sophomore, he notched 27 tackles and four
pass-breaks as the Engineers went 9-2 en route to winning the
Freedom Football Conference and participating in the NCAA
playoffs.
In 1993 the defensive back started all nine games as a junior as
the Engineers again went undefeated in conference play. Wassel was
second-team All-FFC and posted totals of 73 tackles, four
interceptions, and a sack.
Matt’s senior season saw him add first-team, All-ECAC
honors to go along with his second straight allconference
selection. The team MVP and captain led the squad with an
eye-popping 102 tackles to go along with an interception and a
sack.
“Matt Wassel was the ultimate competitor,” says
former head coach and now UMass head coach Kevin Morris. “He
practiced and played the game with pride, always striving to make
the football program better. Matt was an excellent leader on and
off the field.”
A native of Walpole, Mass., Wassel graduated with a degree in
biology. He teaches Fitness and Health at Wellesley High School and
is the defensive coordinator for the King Philip High School
football team. He has also coached wrestling for over 10 years and
is currently a high school wrestling referee in Massachusetts.
He lives in his hometown of Walpole with his wife, Rachel, their
children, Sophia and Chase, and their dogs, Brady and Sammy.
