SOURCE: www.recordonline.com

February 24, 2022

Newburgh Free Academy brothers Jackson and Cooper Merli have bonded over wrestling, and will experience the state tournament together in Albany. via ⁦@recordonline⁩ #V845 https://t.co/1JFmZSP9I0

— Melissa Kramer (@MKramerTHR) February 24, 2022

Newburgh Free Academy's Jackson Merli walked into a wrestling club where his younger brother, Cooper, was participating one day and never looked back.

Little did he know it would be the glue that would bond them closer together.

Jackson began wrestling one year after his younger brother and has been a member of the Goldbacks' team since he was an eighth-grader.

And now the two will be traveling to MVP Arena in Albany as two of 39 Section 9 wrestlers to participate in the NYSPHSAA state championships, which begin Friday.