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There is no doubt any longer that Long Cane wrestler Javen Russo is one of the best middle school wrestlers in the country. The eighth grader earned All-American status by going 8-2 at the ACWA Wildwood National Youth Wrestling Duals in New Jersey over the weekend of Feb. 1.

“Some of the matches were really hard, but for the most part it’s just wrestling,” Russo said. “I try to treat it like any other tournament.”

There are three different levels of All-American with Russo earning bronze status. To earn gold, one has to go a perfect 10-0. Russo was not far off from doing so but ran into the no. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation in his weight class as well as an old “rival” from Georgia. 

“There is one kid that goes to school in Georgia and we’ve kind of gone back and forth over the last couple of years,” Russo said. 

Russo was selected to represent Team Georgia as one of the top middle school wrestlers in the state. 

“I’ve competed with this team before, but it was still exciting to get selected,” he said.

The Troup/Long Cane wrestling program has been chock-full of elite wrestlers over the years and Russo is another in a long line of them. However, Russo might just be setting a new standard for the up-and-coming wrestlers coming through the Troup wrestling program.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Javen is the first four-time state champion in Troup’s history,” said Russell Yeatman, Long Cane’s head wrestling coach. “He’s going to be one of the best to ever come through Troup.”

The tournament in New Jersey served as the culmination of a ton of hard work, patience and persistence. There is barely a day that goes by that Russo is not wrestling in some form or fashion.

“There’s definitely a lot of practice. If not with Troup or Long Cane, I’m doing extracurricular practices and going to tournaments,” Russo said. “There’s barely a weekend when I’m not wrestling. I’ve been doing this for a long time now so I’ve gotten used to it.”

Russo is on the cusp of wrapping his middle school wrestling career with the individual state tournament later this month being the final time he will suit up as a Cougar. 

It’s a busy stretch for Russo, who is also a member of the Long Cane soccer team. Russo splits his time during this part of the year between the soccer fields and the wrestling mats with barely a second of downtime.

When the middle school season ends, Russo is not done with wrestling. He will be hitting the road this summer to participate in a handful of national tournaments while gearing up for life at the high school level.

“I’m focused on Fargo in July,” Russo said. “It’s the hardest tournament. You have to be in high school, but I will get a chance to wrestle up.

“I’m a little nervous,” he added. “I don’t know how good I will do there.”

While some of his peers have been recruited to go elsewhere, Russo is fiercely loyal to his Long Cane/Troup wrestling family. 

This is home for Russo, who has practically grown up on the mats at Troup High.

“I have been wrestling with a lot of them since I first started,” Russo said.