Sam Strozier is a wrestler without a team. For the second consecutive year, the Wiscasset junior is competing against the competition as an independent wrestler. Strozier trains with the Morse High School team on a daily basis.

He is familiar with several of Morse’s wrestlers through his association with the Maine Trappers, a freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling club in Bath. The club includes Midcoast wrestlers who train during the off-season at the Hyde School. Strozier joined the Maine Trappers last summer. At his first-ever freestyle wrestling meet, Strozier traveled to Canada with the Maine Trappers, and placed first in his weight class.

In the past three seasons, Strozier has earned 28 victories on the mat. His goal is wrestling this summer at the national high school tournament in Fargo, North Dakota. The annual freestyle and Greco-Roman national championships are held inside the FargoDome, an indoor stadium better known for hosting University of North Dakota State home football games. The stadium has a seating capacity of 19,000 for football games.

Each August, the FargoDome is filled with wrestling mats and 13,000 high school grapplers battling over an eight-day period. Strozier desires to compete against the best national high school wrestlers. Last year, several of the Bath-based club members participated in the Fargo Nationals.

“I just really want to go to Fargo. That’s my goal for this year,” Strozier said.

As an independent wrestler last year, Strozier nearly pulled off a major upset in the Class A Regional tournament. As the No. 8 seed, he drew the 145-pound top wrestler Taylor Crosby of Camden Hills in the state qualifying tournament. Strozier held an early advantage before ultimately losing the bout.

“I almost pinned the No. 1,” he said. “I turned him and had him on his back, but time ran out in the period,” Strozier said.

This year, Strozier has posted some impressive results. At the Westbrook Invitational, he placed second. At the Bath Westlake tournament, he finished third.  And at the Gardiner tournament, he was fourth. So far this year, Strozier is 7-7. His progress has been hampered by a slow recovery from a sore hip.

”I was beating a kid, 6-1, before he got a lucky take down and slammed me to the mat,” Strozier said.

Two years ago, Strozier was one of two Wiscasset wrestlers. Last year, he traveled to meets with the Boothbay team. When it looked like Wiscasset wasn’t going to have a team again this year, his father, Ed, a former Morse High School wrestler, inquired about Sam wrestling at his alma mater. 

With no Wiscasset team, Strozier decided to stick with the sport. He said he loves to wrestle.

“I got into it because my dad wrestled, but I really enjoy it,” he said. “It’s fun. It’s a great way of working off stress, and it keeps me fit.”

As an athlete, Strozier also participates in cross country, soccer, winter track, and tennis. He plans to attend the University of Maine at Orono after graduating from high school. He would like wrestle for UMaine’s club wrestling team.