Steve Muller gathered his emotions as he bent on one knee beside the soccer showcase in the Sachem North gym lobby. You saw a proud man looking at his team’s league championship trophies from 1963 and 1964. Placing his All-County hardware into the glass display solidified a full-circle moment in his life.
Muller, 76, who graduated in 1965, was Sachem soccer’s first All-County player. He requested his physical momento return home to its rightful spot to inspire future generations of players as they walk by the display.
“As a real Sachem guy, I take such pride in this place and the athletic program,” said Muller, who attended Sachem High School when it was located at what is now Samoset Middle School. “Sachem laid out a blueprint for my life. It all happened because of Sachem and Mr. Don Woolley.”
Woolley is Sachem’s now legendary soccer coach. He built a formidable program that also won the school’s first county title in 1960 after centralizing in 1955. Like so many of his teammates, Muller speaks of Woolley with deep reverence.
“He gave you direction that was easy to follow,” Muller recalled. “He never looked down on any of us when he was talking to us. He was supportive. He always had the answer and it was always the right answer.”
That type of interpersonal mentoring inspired Muller to be a teacher and coach, impacting thousands of students himself over a lengthy career.
Muller basks in the glory days like many student-athletes who age and have memories from years ago. But the numbers don’t lie. Sachem Soccer was a powerhouse in that era, winning six league titles between 1960 and 1968. This was long before the Flaming Arrows became the envy of other Long Island schools, often winning championships and graduating All-Americans across most sports.
In the 1960s, Sachem Soccer was the model for how a dedicated coach could inspire rag-tag locals to believe in something new and inviting. Woolley was as much of a tactician in soccer strategy as a program builder who believed in community. The Flaming Arrows were 35-4 in Muller’s three years on varsity.
He also remembers wearing his varsity letterman jack around the county and bringing it back when he visited in May, along with his yearbook and trophy.
“People would elbow each other and say, ‘Look at those guys.’ We were something to behold,” he said. “We were feared and respected. When we walked around in our letters, people knew where we came from.”
After Sachem, Muller started at C.W. Post for one season and transferred to John J. Pershing College in Beatrice, Nebraska, for the rest of his collegiate playing days. For a few years, he played semi-pro soccer locally, getting reps with the Patchogue Soccer Club, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, New York Hota Bavaria, and Omaha Kickers.
Joining Muller for this memorable reunion in the lobby were Sachem soccer coach and alum Chris Russo, Sachem Athletic Directors and alums Gary Beutel and Phil Torregrossa, Sachem Principal Andy Larson, and Chris R. Vaccaro, the President/Founder of the Sachem Alumni Association.
“Steve’s visit was yet another reminder of the impact high school athletics has on our lives,” said Russo. “You could sense Steve’s pride and passion for Sachem North soccer in his voice as he recounted his playing days.”
Now his 1964 Long Island Press All-Suffolk trophy sits next to the other legendary artifacts in program history – state championships, Long Island championships, All-American plaques, and a poster of Joe Scally playing for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
“Sachem made me who I am,” he said. “They prepared me. I knew what I wanted and knew what direction I wanted to go. It was the best experience ever.”
