School Spirit

RR vs LG, 12 March 2021 (USA Wrestling High School National Recruiting Showcase)

This is honest-to-goodness pure-as-artesian-spring-water wrestling. I like the realness and sportsmanship here as much as I love a backyard scuffle or mounted punches in a cage match. The speed and body mechanics of these high-school wrestlers are impressive. Six minutes holds plenty of drama, with the victory ultimately going to RR, in the dark-blue and gold singlet. Even more impressive is the camerawork that telescopes into the struggle at mat level. The camera captures not just tangled bodies writhing but the fatigue and split-second decision-making on the athletes' faces. This is the best footage of freestyle mat wrestling I have seen.