SPORTS

South Plainfield wrestlers memorialize former teammate

Greg Tufaro
@GregTufaro

SOUTH PLAINFIELD – The tragic death of Sarmad Rizvi has created an ineffable void in the South Plainfield High School wrestling room, but the former grappler's memory will be kept alive at dual meets and in tournaments.

Rizvi, who drowned after a rip current swept him underwater and carried him out to sea during an Aug. 27 outing at Sandy Hook with relatives, would have competed this season as a senior for South Plainfield, a perennial state power.

The Tigers will wear specially designed black armbands over their warm-ups and specially designed T-shirts over their singlets to honor Rizvi before matches, a practice South Plainfield began during Saturday's season-opening Morris Knolls Invitational.

In addition, South Plainfield plans to dedicate a regular-season dual to Rizvi with the hope that his family can attend.

"That's the least we could do for someone who busted his tail to go through the program and be a big part of us for three years, just to commemorate and remember everything that he meant to the guys on the team and the program," said South Plainfield head coach Kevin McCann, in his first comments to the media about Rizvi since the 17-year-old's untimely passing.

Former South Plainfield High School wrestler Sarmad Rizvi, 17, poses for a picture on Aug. 26, 2014.

"It's a shame what happened. It's going to be a tough year for us overall having to work through this and not having him with us, but at the same time he's looking down on us and rooting for us and he wants us to accomplish some big things."

South Plainfield returns eight starters from a team that is coming off its sixth consecutive Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament title, which captured its state record 30th straight District 12 championship and ended last season ranked No. 20 in the final New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association Top 20 poll.

McCann said he was unsure of the weight class in which Rizvi would have competed, but that he was certain Rizvi "would have been a leader and a big part of what we accomplish."

The armbands and T-shirts the Tigers will wear each bear the same logo which McCann and his wrestlers created in Rizvi's honor.

The circle-shaped logo incorporates the school's green, black and white colors. It bears Rizvi's initials along with the years of his birth and death. His name appears at the top of the circle beneath the school's moniker. The words "never forgotten" appear at the bottom of the circle atop the word "wrestling."

A warm-up jersey and armband, Thursday, December 18, 2014, that will be worn by South Plainfield wrestlers as a tribute to teammate Sarmad Rizvi, who drowned on August 29 at Sandy Hook. Jason Towlen/Staff Photographer

McCann said his wrestlers chose the words "peace, unity, love, friendship" – they appear on either side of the circle – to reflect what Rizvi meant to the program.

"He was one of the favorites of the team," McCann said. "He knew how to get a smile on your face. If it was a tough time, he always brightened up the room. When he walked in, he could make you laugh. He was immensely popular, not just to our wrestlers, but the school population."

Incumbent state qualifiers Dan Hedden and Ryan Walsh lead South Plainfield, along with a quartet of seniors from who the Tigers are looking for leadership in Rizvi's absence. The upperclassmen include team captain Jordan Handwerger, Frank Ferraro, Dakota Pauls and Matt Szeman.

McCann said he had one simple message for his wrestlers shortly after they learned of Rizvi's death, one that still resonates with the Tigers as they wrestled on Saturday for the first time this season.

"We always preach we are a family," McCann said. "We knew we were going to have to lean on each other during this hard time. He's not with us, but we've just got to remember, whatever we do, he wanted us to keep going and accomplish the goals that we have set."

Staff Writer Greg Tufaro: gtufaro@mycentraljersey.com