Yorktown senior Rocco Lore isn’t new to adversity, and he turns every challenge into motivation. A five-year varsity wrestler and this season’s team captain, Lore has dominated the mat at 215 pounds — occasionally jumping to 285 — and has already won 33 of his first 36 matches, including the 45th Annual Eric D’Agnese Memorial Somers Tournament.
A three-season varsity football player and two-time team captain, Lore has lined up at defensive tackle, defensive end, right guard and fullback, earning Class A All-State Honorable Mention honors this past fall.
After your father’s death on Feb. 23, 2025, and a serious hospitalization the next day, how have you managed to compete at such a high level this season? A big motivator I have is to do it for my dad. Some days I’d not want to wrestle or grind, and I’d sit and think what my dad would want and get up to push myself for him.
I also love sports, so I worked twice as hard before I got sick to get back to where I was and even elevate my level of ability.
How old were you when you started wrestling and what got you started? I started wrestling when I was 8 years old and I got into wrestling because of my dad. When I was younger, I always knew my dad was a good wrestler in high school (Westlake) and college (John Jay College of Criminal Justice).
He’d talk about it all the time so it made me subconsciously want to do it and is the reason I started.
What’s your favorite part of being on the Yorktown wrestling team? The coaching staff. We have a really advanced, developed coaching staff with tons of really talented coaches that will get you exactly where you need to be.
Practice is different every day, and we’re always working on exactly what we need to get better at which is great. I also love the energy we have as a team and how everyone always comes ready to work and loves to wrestle.
Energy in the room is awesome and we all push each other.
What is your favorite team activity or pre- or post-match ritual? Honestly, just simply listening to my music before my match and I always do a father, son, holy-spirit sign, and point at the sky before my matches.
Who has been your biggest role model? My coach (Yorktown assistant coach and coach at Empire Wrestling Academy) Ben Haas. Coach Haas has pushed me beyond my limits and has changed my mindset as a wrestler completely. He always is pushing me to get better and is helping me run down the toughest kids in the state.
I would rather go to a tournament and wrestle a top three kid in the state and have a chance of losing than going to a tournament like counties and grab four easy wins plus a belt. As much as I’d feel good about myself winning that, it’s not what I want.
I want the harder competition and to get better and lose than win and not improve. I’m happy I have coach Haas because he’s not only changed my outlook on wrestling but on life as well.
What’s one thing about yourself that most people don’t know? Something about me, not many people outside of my family know is that I love to cook and it’s one of my favorite pastimes.
What do you plan to do after high school? To wrestle in college. I’m not exactly sure where I’m 100 percent going yet, but it will be good.
What’s your favorite sports team? Dallas Cowboys.
What’s your go-to warm-up music? I love listening to Deftones, Nirvana, 3 Doors Down and Foo Fighters while warming up.
What’s one place you’ve never been but would love to visit? Probably Hawaii because the nice beaches, clear water and great weather. Also, tropical places are really cool in my opinion.
What would you say to a young athlete thinking about trying out for the Yorktown wrestling team? I believe everyone in their life should do something hard. In this case it being wrestling even if you only did it for a year, it’s a great lesson.
Wrestling teaches you many life lessons and values that you should carry with you far after the time on your mat is done. It makes you tougher, builds your integrity and makes you a better person.
Wrestling is one of my escapes and favorite activities and it’s a really good sport because everything you put into it, you get out of it. It’s different because it’s just you against the man across from you.
It’s not like football where you can work really hard and be very good but your team is not because you have to rely on 10 other kids that didn’t put in the work and aren’t as good. It’s just you versus the man across from you and if you work harder than him, you grind more, you’re a better wrestler, that means you will win.
It is very rewarding but also very harsh because every win and loss is on you. This is why I think everyone should try wrestling at least once in their life.
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