By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
Stanhope Elmore High sophomore Dominic Sagers only started wrestling in 7th grade after watching his older brother compete in the sport. By 9th grade, Sagers qualified for the State tournament. By 10th grade, Sagers was the Class 6A Heavyweight champion.
Sagers cited increased attention as the reason for the rapid rise. He held a record of 32-9 heading into Sectionals and finished in 3rd place, qualifying for the State Tournament as the #6 seed.
“Looking at it from the outside, you’d think Dom is the underdog,” said Stanhope Elmore Athletic Director Hunter Adams. “But if you know Dom, you know that he’s not the underdog. He’s just a dog. This kid started on the football team on the offensive and defensive lineman as freshman in 6A football. He made it to state wrestling as a freshman. He can go.”
Sagers’ draw in the state tournament was as difficult as any, facing Malik Watts from Pell City, Daniel Ellis from Mountain Brook, and Gage Beyke from Gardendale. “The three wrestlers he faced were the top in the state, and he beat them in succession,” said SEHS Wrestling Coach David Adams.
Sagers acknowledged that the championship match against Beyke was his toughest opponent this season. But he was prepared for each match with the guidance of SEHS wrestling Coach Adams.
“My coach scouts (opponents),” said Sagers. “I just do what he tells me to do.”
“When I scout opponents,” Adams said, “the main thing I look for is their main setup into their takedown. And so, we knew that Gage did a hard snap into his underhooks. His main focus was underhooks. He’s like 6’4, long reach, so his underhooks were going to be deadly. So, I told Dominic when he snaps, be aware that he’s going to go for an underhook. Dominic did well keeping his elbows tight. In fact, Dominic was able to counter off and get his first takedown off of him doing his underhook.”
As the school’s first ever sophomore to win a state title in wrestling, Sagers has a simple goal for the next two years as a Mustang. “My goal is to keep the title.” By winning another title as a junior or senior, Sagers would set another school record and become the first SEHS wrestler to win multiple state championships, according to Athletic Director Hunter Adams.
On the girls’ side, 7th graders and first year wrestlers Caylie Brown and Aryanna Ivey also placed high in the state tournament. “I really saw a lot of improvement out of them too (during the season),” said Coach Adams. “So, when we went to Sectionals, I had no doubt in my mind that those two would probably qualify. Other coaches were amazed by their talent and their ability. They’re just relentless. If you watch them wrestle, there is no stop in their drive.”
In the state tournament, both Brown and Ivey faced the eventual state champion in the first round and lost close matches.
The following day, Ivey faced a wrestler from Opelika that had beaten her three times in the previous three weeks. But in the state tournament, Ivey came out on top and pinned her opponent in the final minute. In her second match, Ivey faced another opponent that had beaten her during the season, and she again came out on top and went to placements. Ivey finished in 3rd place in the 114-pound weight class.
In her first match Brown had to face a wrestler that had previously beaten her during the season by a point. In the state tournament, Brown dominated and won by the equivalent of the mercy rule. Her second match was against a wrestler from Auburn that had beaten her three times during the season, but in the state tournament Brown won by three points to advance to placements. Brown finished in 4th place in the 100-pound weight class.
