RallyNorth.net

A plea to Sarkis

Friday, March, 07 By Dave Dyer
Staff writer

It's hard to underestimate the job that Tony Sarkis has done with the Greater Lawrence wrestling program. The record alone is staggering.

The Reggies have won nine straight Commonwealth Conference meet titles, they're two-time defending Division 2 dual-meet state champions, they've won 50 straight dual meets and they're 152-10-2 over the last eight years. Moreover, this year's club placed three wrestlers | Miguel Guzman, Franchesco Ortiz and Chris DelaRosa | at the New England Tournament.

Yet, that's only one facet of the tremendous job Sarkis, along with brother Dib Sarkis, has done in wrestling. He's made the sport perhaps the most prestigious at the school (amazing at a vocational school), with well over 60 candidates out for the sport each of the last two years and he's developed a strong sense of discipline and commitment, reflected by the high numbers that take part in the offseason Braveheart Wrestling Club.

In addition, Sarkis has been a positive personal influence on many of his wrestlers, as senior Victor Sosa would surely confirm. After they repeated as Division 2 state champions last week, he hugged Sarkis with tears in his eyes and then couldn't say enough about how Sarkis has steered him in the right direction.

I bring this up now because there are rumors that Sarkis is giving consideration to giving up his head job at Greater Lawrence in either football or wrestling. Understandably, going back-to-back in those sports can be draining and leaves little personal time to someone with a family.

When asked about the possibility that he might step down, Sarkis would only say that "we'll have to see what happens," indicating that he really hasn't made any decision yet.

Certainly, if Sarkis decides to choose one sport over the other, it would be easier to stay in football, where he's also done a magnificent job as proven by the Reggies' Eastern Mass. Division 3A Super Bowl championship last fall. But I would argue that he's more needed in wrestling, and he has more of an impact on the mat than on the football field.

Simply put, it would be a lot easier to find a competent football coach than a tremendous wrestling coach. So, let's hope that Sarkis keeps his hand in the wrestling program for years to come.