Junior Joe Caramanica was full of energy as a child. He was so full of energy, his mother often had trouble controlling him. When a neighbor mentioned taking Joe to the “mat room” at the age of 3, his parents agreed without hesitation.

“My parents said it would put me to bed,” Caramanica said. “I would go there at night and wrestle and come back and be tired and go straight to bed.”

Now, 18 years later, Caramanica has certainly given his family reason to be proud. A two-time state champion out of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Caramanica is only eight victories shy of State’s top-20 most winning wrestlers. Coach Carter Jordan said its Caramanica’s discipline this year which has really set him apart.

“He has made a serious commitment in every phase of the sport: weight, diet, the way he trains, the things he does on his own outside of practice,” Carter said. “He has been very disciplined with the work he has put in.”

The extra work, an attempt to cut down a weight class from 149 to 141 pounds, was sparked by motivational words from his father. “My dad tells me to have no regrets doing this,” Caramanica said. “He said I can party however much I want after wrestling. I just want to do what I can now because I only have two more years, so I want to get as much out of it as I can.”

Sophomore teammate Darrion Caldwell said he noticed improvement in Caramanica since last season.

“He’s matured a lot both on and off the mat since last year,” Caldwell said. “He’s a lot more serious about what he’s doing and much more goal oriented.”

Caramanica said his goal for the remainder of the season is not only to keep his weight down, but to go undefeated the rest of the way.

“I feel like I know how to win,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of big matches in the past two years, but I’ve won a lot of big matches. The pressure is on me and I’ll strive underneath the pressure.”

His confidence and positive attitude are only a few of the qualities that have landed him the nickname “Big Daddy.”

Senior Kody Hamrah said teammates and coaches call Caramanica “Big Daddy,” simply because “he’s the man.”

“He is just a leader [for this team],” Hamrah said. “He is working out all the time and really sets the tone for practice and matches.”

“Big Daddy” doesn’t seem appropriate given he weighs 141 pounds, but Jordan said that’s the beauty of his nickname.

“‘Big Daddy’- he’s not very fast, he’s not really strong and he’s not overpowering,” Jordan said. “But he’s a natural. He has a natural God-given talent and a great feel for the sport of wrestling.”