Sachem has lost one of its early multi-sport forces from the 1970s.
John Allen, affectionately known as “The Bear,” a member of the Sachem Class of 1976, passed away this week at his home in upstate New York.
Allen, who was inducted into the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023, was fiercely proud of his Sachem roots. He frequently shared memories of his time at Sachem on social media and, whenever possible, made the trip from Carmel, N.Y., to attend Sachem athletic events in recent years, including this past weekend when he attended the Sachem North vs. Bay Shore wrestling dual meet.
“Just an outstanding athletic career,” said Sachem Hall of Fame wrestling coach Jack Mahoney. “Sachem Proud.”
“Sachem Tough, Sachem Proud” was how Allen ended most of his social media posts and text messages, a phrase that captured both his enduring love for the community and the same intensity he brought as a rugged, hard-nosed three-sport athlete in the 1970s.
Legendary Sachem football coach Fred Fusaro said Allen was part of the foundation that helped elevate the program in its formative years.
“Everybody looked up to him,” Fusaro said. “He was the man. Everybody respected him, not just because he was a great player, but because he was an excellent person. Coming through high school during those years, he set the standard. We were just starting to get good, and John was part of that foundation. Those teams didn’t just happen. Guys like John built what came after. Whatever he experienced in high school and college stayed with people. That mattered. Guys like him are the reason programs have tradition.”
Sachem went on to win Suffolk County football championships in 1977, 1978, and 1979 and emerged as one of the most dominant programs on Long Island throughout the 1980s. Wrestling and track and field followed suit.
Allen’s athletic résumé remains among the most impressive in school history. A three-sport athlete, two-sport captain, two-sport team MVP, and three-sport All-League and All-County selection, he earned nine varsity letters. He was a four-year varsity wrestler, a three-year varsity track and field athlete, and a two-year varsity football player. He was also the recipient of the Richard Van Norr Memorial Award, presented annually to Sachem’s top male senior athlete.
If there were an all-decade team for any sport, Allen would unquestionably rank among the most influential athletic figures at Sachem during the 1970s.
“John ‘The Bear’ was the true meaning of Sachem Strong,” said Jerry Figgiani, a Sachem Athletic Hall of Famer who graduated in 1978. “I know firsthand he set the tone for the years that followed, including our 1977 Suffolk County Championship season. But what I’ll remember most is his heart, his loyalty, his always showing up for his teammates, and how much he truly loved Sachem High School. Rest easy, Bear. You’ll be deeply missed and never forgotten.”
As a junior, he was named co-defensive MVP in football alongside fellow Hall of Famer Joe Murphy. As a senior captain, he was a two-way starter at offensive tackle and middle linebacker. He became Sachem’s first All-County football player in League I and earned Team MVP honors as a senior. That same year, he played in the Suffolk County PAL North-South All-Star Game, where he was named defensive MVP while sharing the field with future NFL players John Scully and Chris Dietrich.
Allen’s wrestling dominance began early. At just 13 years old, he competed as a varsity heavyweight, setting the school record for fastest pin at 17 seconds—then breaking his own record with a 15-second pin.
In track and field, he broke the Suffolk County shot put record.
Following Sachem, Allen attended Suffield Academy, where he earned All-State and All-New England honors as a linebacker. On the wrestling mat, he posted a 29-0 record with 24 pins, capturing State, Western New England, New England, and Prep School National Championships. In track and field, he broke Suffield’s shot put record and won gold at both the State and Class B New England Championships.
At the collegiate level, Allen attended the University of Massachusetts as a two-sport athlete and was accepted into the Isenberg School of Management as a marketing major. Recruited by legendary coach Dick McPherson, he was a four-year contributor as a linebacker and nose guard on three Yankee Conference championship teams and a conference runner-up. He was also part of the 1978 Lambert Cup–winning team that competed in the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Game and Pioneer Bowl.
During his senior season at UMass, Allen ranked among the team’s leading tacklers at nose guard on a nationally ranked top-ten defense, playing under future NFL coaches Jim Reid and Clarence Brooks.
One of the winningest wrestlers in UMass history, Allen was a three-time New England Division I Conference Champion. A two-time team captain and two-time team MVP, he competed in three NCAA Division I National Championships, finishing his collegiate career with a remarkable 117-10-3 record. Two of those losses came against future Olympic Greco-Roman gold medalist Jeff Blatnick. As a senior, Allen was named Outstanding Senior Male Athlete and received the Samuel S. Crossman Award as the university’s top athlete.
After college, Allen continued to give back to the game, volunteering as a coach in the Smithtown, Central Suffolk, and PAL youth football leagues. One of the teams he coached completed an undefeated season without allowing a single point.
He is survived by his brother Bobby, sister Jackie, nephew Mikey, and niece Leah Rose, and pre-deceased by his sister Debbie.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 22, from 4-7 p.m. at Joseph A. Weber Funeral Home in Ronkonkoma. A celebration of his life will follow at Filthy Frogzz.
