LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — There was a time, not so very long ago, when local high schools fielded large squads of mat men and the bleachers were full of spectators.

But as times changed, the numbers have faded, while the grapplers still battle for supremacy in the age-old sport, out there all by their lonesome in front of the world—win, lose or draw.

On February 5, Sullivan West hosted a match between the home team Bulldogs and the visitors from Eldred, Fallsburg and Tri-Valley.

At the end of the match, Sullivan West eked out a slim 28-24 victory against teams that were a shade of their former selves, from when wrestling was a more popular sport.

As an example of how times have changed, Eldred this year only has two wrestlers on their varsity team, a radical departure from the glory days when the Curreri brothers—Noah, Nick and Joseph—ruled the mats. Noah and Nick Curreri posted a cumulative 100 high school career wins, with 2017 grad Noah named a three-time Section IX Division II winner. In 2018 he took the National Coaches Wrestling Association Championship title in the 174-pound weight class. Joseph won 97 bouts and was a Section IX Division II champion.

Memories of the Curreri brothers, the wrestling icons from the Home of the Yellowjackets still linger in the air as the sport continues to evolve.

After the bouts drew to a close and the results entered into the scorebook, Sullivan West athletic director Kurt Buddenhagen reflected on the season and looked to the future, “We hope to build up the program.”