Syosset's Calabria Bleeds Black & Gold at Heart

Saturday night's win over Sachem was bittersweet for Braves coach John Calabria. The Sachem alum stills lives in the community, coaches in the youth lacrosse system where his children play and roots for the school when it's not playing Syosset.

"It's a lot of fun," said Calabria, a 1989 Sachem graduate, of the non-league games his team plays against Sachem North every year starting last season. "I look forward to my kids playing in them and me being on the other end of it again."

For awhile, Calabria held the Sachem single-season scoring record with 53 points, but it was broken by Chris Harned, his assistant at Syosset, in 1995 when Harned recorded 75.

Calabria, who attended Adelphi University after Sachem, still holds the record for most goals in a game with nine, which he scored against Northport in 1989. He said that was his fondest memory of playing at Sachem.

"That game helped us become the two seed behind [Ward] Melville in the playoffs that year," Calabria said.

He was the quarterback of the football team at Sachem in 1987 and 1988 and ranks third all-time in passing yards (1,536) and pass attempts (227) and fourth in career touchdown passes (9).

His teams at Syosset are routinely in the Nassau County playoffs every year and are always a favorite to at least appear in the county Class A title game, if not win it.