It was yet again a historic season for the Warriors. After taking second place in the state in the 2022-2023 season, they came into this season with a chip on their shoulder, ready to prove everyone wrong.
This Year’s squad is led by senior captains Joseph Clem, Anthony Clem, Jesse Vanorden, Darrin Santucci, and Ben Burkhardt. The team’s success would not be possible without its coaches’ knowledge and wisdom; head coach Paul Gillespi, along with assistant coaches Ray Hanley Sr., Ray Hanley Jr., and Todd Bloom, are invaluable to the program.
Senior captain Darrin Santucci explained team chemistry this season “ I think this is some of the best team chemistry we have had on a team in years. The group feels very close, which has definitely helped us to win some matches”. Santucci also shared “ As a team our hopes for the season are set high. We look to win our third straight county title and win the state championship. Santucci stated he’s seen an improvement since last season: “I think the team has improved greatly in being more determined in tough matches. We have been fighting extremely hard to win in big matches.”
The team is also extremely young with many middle school members and lots of underclassmen; this means the future for the wrestling program is only going to get better!
The team also had some of the best wrestlers in the state including Anthony and Joseph Clem, who will both continue their wrestling career at West Virginia University. They also have Air Force commit Jesse Vanorden who has been on the team since middle school and is vital to team success.
The wrestling team in Wantagh has consistently been one of the top performing sports. Year after year, their extremely hard work and dedication is shown in their success on the mats, Joseph and Anthony Clem have yet again found themselves at the individual state tournament after winning counties for the third year in a row. Senior captain Jesse Vanorden also will be at states after winning his 2nd county championship in a row. Shareef Mcmillian who is just a junior, has also qualified for the state tournament and will compete with the rest of them in Albany.
At the state tournament, Anthony Clem placed 4th, Jesse Vanorden placed 3rd, and Joe Clem was crowned champion for the 131 pound weight class. Going into the championship match, Clem was the underdog. Clem stated “I was never worried about the odds, they’re never in my favor. I went out and just played my game” Clem also shared “It feels good to finally get the job done, I think the first three tries were all just a part of my story. That’s what made this time so special.” These three wrestlers are some of the best on the island and it continues to show year after year. The best is yet to come for these three as they continue their career at the collegiate level. The team has seen great triumphs this year and expects even more for the 2024-2025 season.