Surprise Falcon continues hot start with second tournament title in as many weeks

MONUMENT - What looked like a rebuilding year for Falcon has started as a rousing success.

The Falcons won their second tournament in a row to start the season, 172.5 to 146.5 over runner-up Cherry Creek at the Lewis-Palmer Invitational on Saturday. Doherty finished fifth with 114 points followed by Lewis-Palmer (112), Rampart (89), Sand Creek (88.5) and Widefield (73). 

The Falcons are adjusting to their fourth head coach in the last five years, but the changes instituted by new coach Claude Robinson are taking hold quickly. Falcon had a 38-point lead heading into the finals with four wrestlers competing for individual titles. Two of them won and eight Falcons finished in the top four. 

Robinson was an All-American at Missouri Baptist University and coached at the college level for four years prior to a three-year stint as a high school coach in Scottsbluff, Neb. Since moving to Falcon this year he has upped the intensity in the Falcon's practice room and the team has responded. 

"I can't express how the kids have adapted to my craziness," an excited Robinson said afterward. "They really took hold of the change. It's been the whole philosophy of wrestling. Some of them didn't really get how to wrestle." 

Junior 152-pounder Cody Soulka, ranked No. 15 in 4A in Tim Yount's On The Mat Rankings claimed the first title for Falcon with a 20-8 major decision over Rampart junior Jeff Burbach. Soulka latched on to the myriad new techniques Robinson has introduced and used it to score three takedowns and a near fall in the first period for a 9-2 lead and kept the pressure on Burbach throughout. 

"He knows a lot more than any other coach I've ever had," Soulka said. "I really didn't expect (the team's strong start), but with our new coach it's just happened." 

Sophomore Justin Barron followed that with a 5-4 decision over Doherty senior Nathan Reistad at 170. 

Sand Creek junior heavyweight Tuli Laulu (8-0), continued to justify his No. 1 ranking. Laulu claimed a 2-1 decision over Boulder senior Hans Lehndorff for the title and a 3-0 semifinal win over 5A No. 10 Keith Karnes from Rampart. 

"It just gets me motivated for what's coming next," Laulu said. "Being first just means I have to work harder to beat the opponent on the mat with me."    

Widefield had two individual champions despite a lack of depth on the roster. Fifteenth-ranked junior Jayme Wilson took the 132 title with a 7-1 win over Sierra senior Brandon Wilkerson. Fourth-ranked 152-pound senior Brandon Mansfield failed to make weight by one-tenth of a pound. Undeterred, he entered the 160 bracket where he knocked off 4A No. 7 Keith Soulka of Falcon in the semifinals and 5A No. 10 Brandon Supernaw of Doherty 9-4 in the finals with several takedowns. 

"I wrestle bigger kids at practice all the time," Mansfield said "I saw he was a little flat footed and realized my best chance was to keep moving forward." 

Doherty junior Ricky Mahan (5A No. 5) kept his perfect season in tact with a 2 minute, 45 second pin of Falcon senior Sean Koelohoffe at 182 to push his record to 16-0