2009 Wrestling All-Star Team

Clovis High's Scott Sakaguchi is The Bee's Wrestler of the Year.

Published online on Thursday, Apr. 02, 2009

After going three-and-out on the first day of the CIF State Wrestling Championships last year, all Clovis High’s Scott Sakaguchi could do was mope.

But once he found his desire to wrestle again, Sakaguchi mopped up on virtually everyone in his path.

Sakaguchi made his senior season one to remember, going 47-1 and winning every tournament he entered, capped by his title in the 145-pound division at the CIF State Wrestling Championships in March.

Sakaguchi is The Bee’s Wrestler of the Year, edging Selma 103-pounder Alex Cisneros, who became the first undefeated — and seventh overall — freshman state champion.

“I had a huge monkey on my back after last year. I used to wake up having nightmares every night,” said Sakaguchi, the Cougars’ 21st state champ. “Now I get to go up there along with all the rest of the Clovis state champions. It was huge.”

Sakaguchi’s first instinct after a bitterly disappointing early exit from the 2008 state meet — where he was a favorite in the 140-pound division after winning the Masters title the week before — was to become a recluse.

“I tried to ditch school all the time and my mom kicked me in the butt and told me to go,” Sakaguchi said. “Then I went to junior nationals and placed fifth in the nation and showed I wasn’t as crappy as I thought. It got me back in the room, training harder. I had the fire back in my belly.”

Interim Clovis coach Ben Holscher said no one trained harder or put more time and effort into being the best than Sakaguchi.

He got in extra weight lifting at 5:30 a.m. three days a week. He watch countless hours of video tape of top wrestlers on YouTube. He trained on Sundays, everything he could do to be able to have his hand raised in victory from atop the raised wrestling mat inside Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena.

“He set his mind that he was going to finish the year being able to look back knowing he did everything possible,” Holscher said. “I don’t think there are a lot of high school kids who can say that. It was special to see and be a part of.”

Sakaguchi opened the season by winning the Zinkin Classic and then the prestigious POWERade Classic in Pennsylvania. Titles at the Doc Buchanan, Temecula Valley and Mission San Jose followed before his postseason run began.

Sakaguchi defeated Washington’s Alex Rodriguez 3-1 for the state title.

“I don’t feel like he was challenged until the state finals,” said Washington coach Ryan Stockton, who followed Sakaguchi’s season closely while compiling the official Central Section rankings for the californiawrestler.com. “Even when he beat my guy, he pretty much had it won the whole time. That kid is pretty legit.”

And Sakaguchi didn’t just beat people this season, he often dominated them. Holscher estimated Sakaguchi earned bonus points in 85% to 90% of his matches.

“He went out of his way to impose his will on people,” Holscher said. “He didn’t just beat people, he was out to prove he was significantly better. Sometimes when you’re up 3, 4, 5 points you coast. Scott never did. He’s always working for pins. You always know something special is going to happen every time he went out on the mat.”