ARVADA — Pomona’s “Big Four” — wrestlers who placed second or third last year at the Class 5A state tournament — exhibited perfection Saturday in the finals of the Arvada West Invitational.
But none was more excited about his triumph than Archie Colgan.
And for good reason: The junior, who placed third as a sophomore, defeated Legacy’s Jesse Carlson, the lone defending state champion competing in a tournament that featured eight of 5A’s top-10 teams based on rankings by On the Mat.
“I did what I had to do in the first period and got the win,” said Colgan, who built a 5-1 lead with a takedown and near fall en route to a 7-4 victory at 152 pounds over the Legacy senior.
Carlson, who won at 152 last year, carried a 25-1 record into the match and had pinned all three opponents leading into the final. But Colgan hardly seemed to care.
“I approached it the same as every other match,” Colgan said. “I just had to go out and do my stuff.”
“That should get him going,” Pomona coach Sam Federico said of Colgan, who was ranked fourth at 152 and improved to 18-4. “Archie has a ton of talent. He’s got to get in top shape and be confident, and he can go as far as he wants. He’s a very natural talent.”
Championship wins by Colgan, Josh Rosales (113), Raymond Robledo (132) and Isaiah Rosales (145) weren’t enough for Pomona, ranked No. 1, to wrestle the team title from Thompson Valley, the lone 4A representative in the 16-team field.
The Eagles’ depth prevailed, 155½ points to 136½ over the Panthers. Thompson Valley crowned only one champion (Cody Anderson at 195 pounds) but had two runners-up, two third-place finishers and two fourth-place finishers.
“That’s good,” Federico said of Pomona’s finals sweep. “And we beat some tough kids.”
Pomona’s second-sweetest win had to be Robledo’s 3-1 overtime decision over Coronado’s Devan Cruz, a reversal of Cruz’s 4-3 victory a week earlier in the Colfax Smackdown at Denver East.
“I knew he was a good wrestler — Coronado’s a good team in general — but he caught me a little by surprise last week,” said Robledo, a junior who placed second at 130 last year. “I was really determined this time.”
Josh Rosales, a sophomore who placed second at 103 last year, beat Arvada West freshman Bennie Pachello 2-1 on a reversal with 45 seconds left after two-plus scoreless periods.
Isaiah Rosales, who placed third at 135 a year ago, concluded Pomona’s run through the finals with an 18-5 major decision over Grand Junction Central’s Anthony Feller.
“Isaiah beat a real good kid,” Federico said. “It’s hard to beat a good kid 18-5. That shows what Isaiah can do.”
The champions included Bear Creek’s P.T. Garcia (120) and Jacob Kelly (170), Greeley West’s Emilio Martinez (126) and Austin Waterman (220), Arvada West freshman Payton Tawater (103), Ponderosa’s Torry Williams (138), Grand Junction’s Jesse Hoffschneider (160), Fountain-Fort Carson’s Josh Schoenberger (182) and Rocky Mountain’s Tony Martinez (285).
