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Troup High is hosting a massive youth tournament this weekend that began Friday. The Backyard Brawl is bringing youth talent from all over the country to Troup County — wrestlers came from as far and wide as California, Minnesota, Colorado and West Virginia among others.

“I’ve been knocking on every piece of wood I’ve passed so far because everything is running great,” event organizer Danny Gatt said on the first day of wrestling on Friday. “It’s going really well so far.”

Troup High, with its large modern gym and auxiliary “old” gym, was the perfect place to bring wrestlers to Georgia.

“I’m good friends with [Troup coach]  Drew Garner and we have had this idea to put on this big youth national tournament here in Georgia.” Gatt said. “This is a great facility that is perfect for what we are doing here.

“We want to bring these nationally ranked kids to Georgia.”

Friday saw the wrestlers hit the mat for the first day of wrestling, starting at 9 a.m. and lasting all day in both the new and old Troup gymnasiums. A dozen mats were set up with often two dozen wrestlers on the mats at a time. 

“We have kids here who have won the biggest tournaments in the country,” Gatt said. “It’s crazy.”

The wrestlers will be back on the mat Saturday and Sunday for more of the same as some of the top youth wrestlers in the world will be wrestling Friday through Sunday.

“My eyelids are twitching right now because of how little sleep I’ve gotten, it’s been nonstop,” Gatt said. “The help I’ve gotten from Drew and the AD here Andrew Calhoun and the Troup family has meant a lot.”