Anthony Vela goes for his third wrestling state championship

MOSES LAKE - There is an elite group of wrestlers in Moses Lake's long history of tradition.

Jamie Wise and Dan Strode are the only two wrestlers who have three state championships each at Moses Lake High School. Now, more than 25 years later, Anthony Vela tries to add his name to that list.

The run began in 2003 when Vela pinned Auburn's Tyler Bowles in 1:54 at 103 pounds to claim his first state title. A year later, Vela worked over Jonny Gilbertson of Cascade-Everett in a 10-2 major decision at 112-pounds to add his name to a long list of two-time state champions around the state.

Now the road toward a third state title gets a little harder.

"Everybody thinks so much of you and expects you to do it," Vela said.

But that is just part of it.

Vela moved up another weight class to 119 pounds and with that, increased his competition.

"The farther up you wrestle you run into more experienced wrestlers and that is difficult when you are doing it," said Ron Seibel, former Moses Lake head wrestling coach who led Vela to his first two state titles.

Seibel said the 119-pound weight class puts Vela up against last year's 103-pound state champion Cory Fish of University High School in Spokane. And it was Fish who knocked Vela out of the championship round three weeks ago at the Inland Empire Tournament at Central Valley High School.

A loss, Vela said, that woke him up.

"I wasn't hoping for that, but after I wasn't mad, I was happy," Vela added.

He wasn't looking to lose, but relieved the pressure he said he felt to have a perfect season. It also refocused his drive toward another state title, especially with a roadblock like Fish in the way to accomplishing that goal.

"That is why I was glad I lost to Fish at the Spokane tournament," Vela said. "It gave me something to work for, to try and beat him."

The refocus took a different turn than Vela expected.

At the Tri-State Tournament, Vela suffered a bruised MCL that sidelined him for a couple weeks, then forced him to wrestle with a brace.

"Of all the champions I have coached, including Wise, they have had to face injury," Seibel said. "Anthony is in the same situation and you have to fight through adversity to be a champion."

But coping with the mental pressure Vela said is around him, mixed with the pressure to prove himself on the mat means he has had to change his style to deal with the latest injury. But, that is something Vela has to deal with on his own, Seibel said.

Seibel said Dick Deane, the third head coach in Moses Lake's wrestling history, told his wrestlers to deal with their "butterflies."

"But the winner has taught his butterflies to fly in formation," Seibel added.

Vela has until February 18 to prepare himself for the state tournament. Between now and then, it is going to be wrestler after wrestler trying to knock off the two-time champion.

Seibel said there is little room for mistake at the 119-pound weight class, especially with a wrestler like Fish standing on the road to the state championship.

"It is going to be a fun tournament. I believe Anthony is going to be the champion because he has enough flexibility and determination and just the will to win," Seibel said.

Vela said he hasn't gone through the season blind. He added that he would have liked for the breaks to go his way, but after straining his knee and falling twice in a season set up for elite status, the season has taken on new meaning.

February 18 is the opening day of the state championship and Vela could face off against Fish at least four times during that time period. But, for Vela, he is still the man to beat for the 119-pound state championship.

"What I have accomplished, people want to take that from me, they want to beat me," Vela added.