Pinned

At two different Lakewood, Ohio high schools, two wrestling teams prepare for competition at the State Championship in Columbus. Lakewood High, the underdog, has set its sights on Matt Curley, the school's first real chance at a state championship in 50 years. Meanwhile, only a few miles away is the country's most successful high school wrestling program, St. Edward's. There, Lance Palmer prepares to compete. PINNED draws a comparison between the two boys, contrasting Matt's broken home with Lance's family, which is utterly focused on wrestling. What the two boys share is a deep passion for the sport and intensity beyond their years. Each in his own way takes his training to extreme levels. Matt starves himself relentlessly in order to “make weight,” while Lance wrestles a 600-pound bear to prepare. While both notions seem ludicrous to any onlooker, none of this seems out of the ordinary within the culture of competition that is portrayed here. The rivalry is settled, of course, at the state tournament where only one of them will meet their goal. – B.K.