By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

GUYTON – Not much was going on at South Effingham High School during a lazy, hot Friday afternoon in mid-July.

The football practice fields were given a day of rest. Softball and baseball diamonds appeared to be on rare siestas.

Inside the school, an eerily darkened gym seemed uninviting.

But in the auxiliary gym on two mats, youth wrestlers enthusiastically tangled like pretzels. The Mustangs and their wrestling coach Christopher Bringer conducted a one-day camp, ending the day with a mini-tournament.

Although the camp wasn't free, Bringer said making money wasn't the main objective.

"For us, it's having a day of wrestling and getting my (athletes) involved," Bringer said. "I ran the first hour of practice and now I let them do (the remaining hours). Every senior has a job to do. For me, I get the most out of it by having my wrestlers being in charge of the camp and learning to lead."

South's wrestlers have been in the forefront since Bringer took over the program four years ago. Last season, the Mustangs captured a Class 6A dual state championship and boasted their second straight individual champion. Ashton Anderson won the heavyweight title last season. Two years ago, Jacob Galindez won state in the 113-lb. class.

Bringer said Friday's camp drew 35 wrestlers ages 6-12 – the largest group he's had in four years. He also invited SEHS' freshmen and sophomores to work out.

Summer wrestling camps are rarities. Dedicated wrestlers in the area work out at the Savannah Wrestling Center in Springfield or the Reverence Wrestling Club in Bluffton, South Carolina.

But South's camp catered to all levels and wrestlers signed up from the local middle schools. Others came from Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Long County, and Savannah.

"I guess I'm trying hard to be a coach who wants to help other teams out," Bringer said. "I don't want to be perceived as a state-champion coach who's only worried about his own team. I want to grow the sport because it's a sport that needs growing. We don't get the attention that other sports get in the area, but we have a lot of success among the two (county) high schools."

Bringer spreads credit to his assistant coaches and the athletes' supportive parents.

"We're all in it together to make (wrestling) bigger and better in a state that's baseball-, basketball- and football-oriented," he said.