When you walk into the Jack Mahoney Wrestling Room at Sachem North you’re first enamored by the black and gold colors that surround the room. Next, slightly above eye level, you’re struck by the photos of former wrestlers, the ones who spent years in that same room working in essence to get their very likeness on the wall as a champion and Sachem wrestling immortal.
Of all the champions in Sachem’s illustrious wrestling program, there is only one man to win two New York State titles: Mike Falcon. His photo from the 1980 state championships in Syracuse depicts him donning the famed dark blue Section XI singlet that thousands of wrestlers from Suffolk County have hoped to wear for decades.
“Growing up Mike Falcon was a legend in Sachem,” said current Sachem coach Ray Pickersgill. “Everyone spoke of him like he was the baddest man on the planet, once I met him I couldn’t have found a nicer guy or a more dedicated family man.”
Fast-forward 30 years and there is another Mike Falcon in the room at Sachem, same bloodline, same fire, and close to the same weight class. Falcon is an assistant varsity wrestling coach at Sachem and his son Mike Jr. is a senior wrestling at 152 pounds.
“I guess it’s every father’s dream to see their son follow in their footsteps as far as sports and life,” Falcon said. “I didn’t push him into it. It was his decision and I’m glad he chose that path because it’s very demanding and it pays off for the guys who work really hard.”
There is no spoken word of pressure from anyone who knows the Falcons. But while they’re both happy to be around one another, to talk shop and focus on winning for the program, there is an obvious positive pressure that consumes Falcon Jr. and it’s to win. This father-son wrestling relationship mirrors the core of Sachem wrestling, which is to work hard, compete and represent the tradition of excellence that has consumed the program since Mahoney was coaching in the early 1970s.
“Michael is under an enormous amount of pressure,” said Pickersgill. “Not only is his father a good wrestler, he just happens to be one of the best in the history of Sachem. Michael is probably one of the hardest workers we’ve ever had, he deserves all the success he gets. The thing is he’s only begun to scratch the surface of his potential. I would not be surprised to see him develop into a college All-American.”
Perhaps Falcon Sr. feels more pressure when he sits and watches his son wrestle. He said a certain tension begins to build a couple of matches before Michael’s during a meet.
“I never felt the anxiety like the match or two before he comes up,” he said. “I can feel it, the heart starts pounding, and I get a little nervous. I don’t tend to feel that with other kids, but when it’s your own son its nerve-wracking.”
By the time Falcon Sr. was a varsity wrestler from 1977-1980, the program had already took center stage as one of the top in the state, a stretch that would bring Mahoney to legendary status and a nod for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“Jack was such a great coach and it was easy to fall in line with the program,” said Falcon, who wrestled at 157 and 167 pounds, respectively, in his two state championships. “Sachem wrestling is still a tradition that continues to this day and I’m really proud that my son is a part of it about 30 years after I went through it.”
Falcon was also an All-American in high school and a National Greco Roman Champion before wrestling for a couple of years at Hofstra University.
“You see his picture in the room every day and it motives you,” said Falcon Jr., who will wrestle at SUNY Brockport, just like Mahoney and a number of other Sachem wrestlers over the years. “I met coach Mahoney when I was young and he told me how good my dad was and that made me want to wrestle more. You feel a part of the history of Sachem when you’re out there on the mat.”
Like father, like son.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro / Photos by Paul Stallone