Tom Borgia was already well-known among the West Morris and surrounding football community by the time he reported to camp the summer ahead of his freshman year.
A heavily-recruited lineman in grade school courted by most of the northern New Jersey parochial heavyweights, Borgia had established a reputation as a strong and quick frontman with above-average intelligence and an understanding of the game beyond his years.
So, when he reflects back on his initial experiences with the West Morris program, he recounts a story involving longtime coach Kevin Hennelly who approached him with a stern but meaningful greeting.
“If you want to play for my program and start on Friday nights, you better work hard and prove your value.”
It was a short and simple message from the veteran coach, but one that resonated with the then 14-year old Borgia, just beginning the next chapter of his life.
“It’s a quick story that I love to share with everyone. There’s not much to it, but it’s the one that stands out when I look back at my first real introduction to the West Morris football program. It had meaning,” Borgia said. “You have to work hard to get to where you want to go. And you have to do the little things right to reach your goals. That’s what I took away from coach’s message. It didn’t matter who I was or what reputation I had before that. It set the tone and I haven’t stopped.”
Borgia, a senior two-way lineman, is one of the state’s premier frontmen. He stands out on the defensive side of the ball at tackle, where he leads West Morris, No. 1 in the Morris/Sussex Top 10 rankings, in a number of categories including tackles (20 solo, 26 total, 8 for a loss), and sacks (3). In the previous two seasons, Borgia collected 183 total tackles, 36 for a loss, and 14 sacks.
“I love to hit, so I prefer playing on the defensive side,” Borgia said. “There’s a lot of action playing defense and I enjoy being involved.”
A rare four-year starter, the Princeton pledge has also been a big part of the Wolfpack’s high-powered offense the last four seasons, paving the way for its running game to 11,000 rushing yards, including 1,103 yards so far this season. The Chester school takes a 4-0 record into a Sept. 26 game at division rival Randolph (0-4).
Since Borgia’s freshman year, West Morris is 31-9 to date and has won two sectional titles (2022-23) along the way.
“As a coaching staff, we saw his potential and the possibilities when he was a freshman. He was bigger and stronger than some of our upperclassmen at the time and we felt he would be able to compete,” Hennelly said. “What’s stood out the most, though, is his leadership qualities. He’s had those qualities since freshman year. He’s a team guy and a leader that can help some of the younger guys the deeper we go into the season.”
Shifting direction
Borgia’s love for the game has evolved over the years. He admits that before football took center stage, it was all about wrestling.
A standout heavyweight and one of the nation’s top wrestlers growing up, Borgia dominated on the mat in grade school. His father, Tom, is a former college wrestler and longtime West Morris assistant coach. The elder Borgia introduced young Tom and his twin brother, Michael, to the sport at a young age.
“Wrestling has been a big part of my family as long as I can remember. It’s the sport where I found early success,” Borgia said. “Football was always there, but I saw wrestling in my future.”
Borgia, too big and oversized to qualify for town and recreation football in his hometown of Long Valley, played for the Hunterdon Huskies, a travel-based football program which follows age-based divisions with no weight restrictions.
“I played football in the fall as a way to stay busy and in shape before the wrestling season started,” Borgia said. “I was good at football too and knew I would play in high school. But I was still all-in on wrestling.
“Football is ultimately where I was getting the most attention from college coaches. That’s when I knew I was going to play football on the next level.”
At 6-foot-2, 260-pounds, Borgia is among the top heavyweight wrestlers in talent-rich New Jersey. He’s a three-time state qualifier and last year he claimed his first Morris County title, and won first state medal when he finished seventh at the state tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
“I still enjoy it and I’m looking forward to competing this winter,” Borgia said. “It’s probably the last season I wrestle, but you never know.”
Ivy bound
Borgia, 17, chose Princeton to play football over Lehigh, Rutgers, James Madison and other Ivy League schools.
With a 5.0 weighted GPA and aspirations of becoming an orthopedic surgeon one day, Borgia felt Princeton and it’s pre-med program was too good to pass up.
“There’s nothing like the Ivy League. Everything about Princeton is impressive,” Borgia said. “Princeton was the first school to come talk to me. They expressed interest before anyone else. That tells me a lot about the school and the coaching staff. I’m a loyal guy.”
Said Hennelly: “We always see some kids enter high school and have visions of grandeur. They expect to play a role and be a big part of the program. What sets Tom from the others is that he’s set the tone from the start. He’s been a dedicated hard-working student-athlete the entire time. I’m proud of him for choosing Princeton. He’s setting himself up for success and a great future.”
Nearing the midpoint of the season, Borgia is determined to lead West Morris down the stretch as it chases its first division title since his freshman year and another deep playoff run in November.
“It’s been a humbling experience playing football for West Morris. On any given day you’re equal to everyone else around you,” Borgia said. “I may be the only Division I recruit on this team, but all of us are the same. We’re a family.”