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Howell High School head coach John Gagliano, the Shore's all-time winningiest coach, recorded his 600th career win Tuesday night.

HOWELL - John Gagliano would be the first to tell anyone how important Howell High School wrestling has been in his life.

"It's been everything. I grew up in this town. My older brother (Pat) started me wrestling here as a little kid and then my younger brother Keith Swistock he finished up. We have the tradition with the family here.'' Gagliano, Howell's 29th year head coach, said.

Tuesday night, Gagliano, who is the Shore Conference's all-time winningiest coach, reached another major milestone.

Howell's 46-24 win over Middletown North that enabled it to clinch the outright Shore Conference Class B championship was the 600th win of his storied career.

"I've been here a long time. There's no other place I'd rather be. I'm very thankful and humble,'' Gagliano said.

Under Gagliano (600-100), who is a 1987 Howell graduate, Howell has won two NJSIAA Group 5 championships in 2017 and 2018. Those are the only group championships Howell has ever won.

Howell has also won six sectional titles - the only sectional championships it has ever won - five Shore Conference Tournament titles, 19 Shore Conference divisional championships and nine NJSIAA district team titles under Gagliano. The SCT titles are the only ones Howell has ever won.

Howell High School head wrestling coach John Gagliano is shown holding a banner celebrating the 600th win of his career.

Four of Howell's five state champions have also come during Gagliano's tenure, including the school's only two-time champion in Hunter Mays.

Gagliano does not have a big ego

The soft-spoken Gagliano has accomplished all of this while never tuting his own horn. He has long been regarded as one of the true gentlemen in scholastic athletics.

"I don't ever talk about it (milestones) because it's not a goal It's not what I I think of,'' Gagliano said. "It's every year producing good teams, continuing to do well in the post-season team-wise and individual-wise. It's not about me, and it's always going to be that way as long as I coach.''

Gagliano is a legend in the Howell community

Not only is Gagliano a Howell coaching legend. He also had his own highly-successful scholastic wrestling career while wrestling under highly-successful head coach Doug Bower.

Gagliano was the Region 6 98-pound champion in 1986 and a District 21 champion at 105 pounds in 1987.

All the young wrestlers growing up in Howell know who Gagliano is.

"He's almost like a dad to all of us,'' Freshman 157-pounder Brady Little, who held on for a key 3-1 win over returning state qualifier Nicholas Wall, said. "Howell has a younger program (feeder system at the middle school and recreation level). He would come in and you would always try to outshine everybody in the room to make him notice you.''

Gagliano could have another special team on his hands

Howell has a very talented team, led by 190/215-pounder and Oklahoma State recruit Tanner Hodgins. It also has a returning state placewinner in Luke Johnston, three other returning state qualifiers and a talented freshman class.

"They are just such a good group. Every day is different,'' Gagliano said. "They bring so much energy into the room. They are like sponges. They just want to keep learning and getting better.''

Middletown North led 24-22 with four weights to go before Howell's upperweights, sparked by consecutive pins by Tyler Going (175), Julian DelPrete (190) and Tim O'Rourke (215), put the match away.

Little's win in which he held off a takedown attempt by Wall at the upper leff edge in the mat in the final seconds, slowed down a Middletown North run in the middleweights. The Middletown North coaching staff thought Wall should have been given the takedown.

Middletown North also wrestled without 175-pounder and returning state qualifier Daniel Benbrook.

"He's a little banged up right now. He'll be ready for post-season,'' Middletown North coach Eric Morley said.

Middletown North will be in the North 2 Group 4 bracket with defending Group 4 state champion North Hunterdon and Middletown South.

Howell is competing with three-time defending Group 5 champion Southern and Kingsway for the top seed in the loaded South Group 5 bracket.

The cutoff date for qualification for the team tournament is Saturday.

Potential weight changes for Howell?

Gagliano said there is a possiblity Hodgins, who has wrestled at 190 much of the year, will wrestle at 215 in the individual post-season. Hodgins has weighed in at 215 and wrestled at heavyweight the last week. O'Rourke, who has wrestled at 215 much of the season, has weighed in at 190 the last two match days.

"Between Timmy and him (Hodgins), we're just doing things for the team. But, we're going to have options on what we're going to do,'' Gagliano said. "Right now, it's all team and not so much talking about individual. But, we want to have those options.

There is also a chance Johnston, who has wrestled at 120 all season, could drop down to 113. He weighed in at 117.8 Tuesday night.

"It's an option and we always want to keep our options open,'' Gagliano said.