Sachem East hosts special night of wrestling

Jakob Restrepo earned a pin in 1:32 during the meet.
Jakob Restrepo earned a pin in 1:32 during the meet. 

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