Photos and storyby Mike Maddock

Wrestling takes skill from any position. Blythewood’s Jim Rogers is up–ended by Cross Creek’s Danial Normington. Wrestling used to be the supreme contest of the Olympic games. Its origins can be traced back 15,000 years through depictions in French cave drawings. But lately wrestling seems to be low on the food chain of high school athletics.

Everybody loves football. Many enjoy basketball, and baseball will always be America’s pastime. But when the subject of wrestling comes up, most people immediately think cage matches, flying chairs, and characters like Nature Boy and the Macho-Man. That’s a shame.

The 21st Annual Taco Bell Classic Invitational Wrestling Tournament was held December 16 and 17 at Spring Valley High School. The tournament field included 19 teams from all over SC as well as a couple each from GA and NC. The event may not have attracted as much attention as a Friday night game on the grid–iron, but the sea of young men on Spring Valley’s gym floor participating in the tournament was a testament to the staying popularity of the sport. Fans may not be flocking to the stands, but teenage boys are keeping the sport alive and well in many high schools around the Midlands and the nation.

Cardinal Newman’s Kyle Gawinski (in black) fights to reverse a hold. According to the NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, wrestling is growing by about 2,700 young men annually. As of the 2004– 05 survey, 247,343 high school students were participating in wrestling in over 10,000 schools. That makes it the sixth most popular high school sport in the country ahead of cross–country, golf, tennis, and swimming.

Why do they wrestle and why should you watch?

According to a former NC state champion, wrestling is the most strenuous and challenging sport around. There are no time–outs. In fact, wrestlers are penalized if the referees believe they are stalling. Wrestlers cannot take a play off or hide behind teammates. Some say three two– minute periods of wrestling are more physically demanding than four quarters of football.

Flexibility, control, and patience are a must in wrestling. Hammond’s Hudson White (red) and Ridge View’s Rickey Lung demonstrate. Successful wrestlers often have the discipline of a drill sergeant, the balance and coordination of a gymnast, the endurance of a marathon runner, and the strength of a defensive lineman. Knowledge is also a plus as a skilled 120 pound wrestler can defeat a novice 200 pounder with technique and patience. In other words, a successful wrestler is a successful athlete.

There is something for every type of sports fan in wrestling. Football lovers will enjoy the strength and agility of the athletes. Basketball enthusiasts will admire the quickness exhibited on the mats. Baseball fans will notice the strategy and techniques. Boxing nuts will salivate at the man–to–man battles, and even ice–skating fans will marvel at the grace, flexibility, and balance on display during a wrestling match.

High school wrestling season runs through February and most schools have schedules on their websites, so it’s easy to find a match nearby. There won’t be any flying chairs, but the action is intense and worthy of any sports fan’s attention.