Eudora ? Free State High senior wrestler Marc Somers felt like his team proved something Saturday at the 24-team Eudora Tournament of Champions.

The Firebirds finished ninth at the event, and Somers feels like his team is coming together under first-year coach Paul Lappin.

“They showed what they are made of,” Somers said of his team. “It shows what our coach is made of. People think that he is too young to run this team. He is doing an excellent job. Better than any coach I have had, except for my dad.”

Somers finished second in the 140-pound weight class, falling to Kyle Buehler of Lansing, 4-1. He was pleased with his finish and hopes to build on it later in the season.

“Nothing matters now until February,” Somers said. “This tournament, I think that coach got us a little more motivated at practice. We all know that this is a little more important than the other tournaments. I definitely think we proved something today.”

Cross-town rival Lawrence High struggled, but was led by 103-pounder Brandon Goodwin, who finished second to Lansing’s Dennis Wood.

Wood pinned Goodwin with one second remaining in the third period and Goodwin showed his frustration by slapping the mat. Goodwin had won his quarterfinal and semifinal matches via pin.

FREE STATE HIGH's ANDY NEIGHBORS wraps his body around Washburn Rural's Dylan Pryor during their 189-pound match at the Eudora Tournament of Champions. Neighbors beat Pryor on Saturday and finished fifth in his weight class at the two-day event.

“It was frustrating because I was still in it going into the third period,” Goodwin said. “I still could have stringed some moves together, but I didn’t. I don’t want to say that I gave up but it kind of looked like it.”

Goodwin envisioned a matchup with Wood in the final throughout the two-day event.

“He wrestled a really good match, but I just gave it up,” Goodwin said. “I didn’t want to give up a pin with one second left. Even though I would have gotten beat, it would have been a little bit better that I did not get pinned.”

The Lions finished a disappointing 18th, over 300 points behind first-place Overland Park Aquinas. LHS was without the services of 215-pounder Kyle McTaggart, who had to take the ACT, and 285-pounder Jake Lorenzo, who had an injured hand.

“I think we probably would have ended up getting top 10,” Goodwin said of what his team would have done with McTaggart and Lorenzo. “The thing about this tournament that I love is that it builds rivalries. Look at all these area teams. You see a lot of excitement.”

LAWRENCE HIGH'S EVAN CLOTHIER, TOP, grapples with Lansing's Wesley Appleget. Appleget won Saturday's match.

Eudora was led by senior 215-pounder Tim Durkin, who fell in the championship to Aquinas’ Mike Hammer.

The Cardinals also finished second in the team standings.

Eudora coach Bill DeWitt felt that his team has a long way to go if it is going to be competitive late in the season.

“My kids just don’t have great technique, so we have to find ways to win matches late,” DeWitt said. “We are going to walk out of here with a plaque, which shows our depth. We need to win a few more matches that are close.”

Baldwin finished third, thanks to a championship by 130-pounder Kevin Callahan and a second-place finish by 112-pounder Alan Callahan.