Sachem paid tribute to alum and former wrestler Paul DiIorio with the Sachem Takes Down Cancer event at Sachem East on Friday night.
DiIorio passed away recently after a battle with cancer and his honor and legacy will live on through events like this.
DiIorio’s alma mater made him proud after a 51-19 victory over Longwood, with his family and friends in the stands rooting on the Arrows. Sachem North lost to Brentwood, 64-9, in the other dual meet.
“Wrestling goes beyond community and becomes family,” Sachem East head coach Isaac Ramaswamy told Newsday. “It’s a tight-nit sport and it’s a special breed of kids who do it.”
Sachem East’s Jakob Restrepo earned a pin over Longwood’s Marc Patten in 1:32. He was wrestling for more than just himself or his team. Friday night’s meaning was bigger.
“We wanted to put on a show for the family in memory of Paul,” Restrepo told Newsday. “We wanted to wrestle hard and in every match and dominate.”
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro