Humble. Mature. Fierce competitor.
Those were just a few of the superlatives Homer boys wrestling coach Jason Reynolds used to describe his star wrestler Sam Sorenson after he won his third Section III Inter-Class Division II Championship on Saturday.
“Sam has always had this… and I tell people this, it’s hard to put into words,” Reynolds said. “Everybody sees Sam, he never gets too high. He’s just always prepared emotionally, and I think that’s something that’s not talked about enough in our sport.”
Sorenson, who is already committed to wrestle at West Point next year, completed a hat trick of inter-class titles by pinning (1:48) Adirondack’s Issac Croneiser in the 215-pound title bout at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena.
To get to that final match, he took down Central Valley Academy’s Sal Fresco (fall, 1:27) in the semifinals.
“I talk a lot about this to college coaches that call me about him,” Reynolds said. “There’s not a position Sammy’s not strong in. You just talk about pure wrestling. Very few times you run across somebody with such… Sammy’s got the highest wrestling IQ of someone I’ve ever been around. There’s never a situation that he doesn’t recognize.”
Sorenson, whose career record stands at 191-16, proved even at an early age that he was someone who should be followed as he won his first inter-class title as just a freshman.
“He’s the only eighth grader I’ve ever moved up to the varsity level,” Reynolds said. “Part of the reason was his maturity, his character and just his wrestling IQ. He’s been the example, and I’m talking about as an eighth grader.”
He missed his chance at repeating after his sophomore season was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead he moved out of state and won the Wyoming Class 3A state title at 220 pounds for Torrington High School.
The 12th-ranked wrestler in the country returned to Central New York just in time to win his second inter-class title and his first state title during the 2021-22 season.
“I’ve been around the sport long enough to know,” Reynolds said. “He works every facet of our sport, and he’s just good everywhere. He’s a tireless worker.”
Saturday’s win brings the all-state wrestler one step closer to finishing his high school career with back-to-back New York state titles.
Sorenson’s 121-match unbeaten streak — his last loss came during his freshman year when he fell in the state tournament — has proven to be quite daunting to potential opponents.
“Sammy has kind of forced a lot of people’s hand,” Reynolds said. “There’s a lot of the best kids in the state all deciding to go up to 285, because they know what Sammy brings to the table. He’s going to be a tough out for anybody. And I’m not just talking about New York State, I’m talking throughout the country.”
Sorenson also helped lead the Trojans to back-to-back sectional titles on the football field last fall. He rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant 14-0 win over Indian River.
With the state tournament less than two weeks away — Feb. 24-25 at MVP Arena in Albany — Sorenson will have plenty of time to prepare for his final run at the title.
“I’m superstitious to a point, but his goal is to be two-time state champion,” Reynolds said. “I have zero reason to believe that’s not gonna happen.”
___
© 2023 Advance Local Media LLC
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
