Chiefs look for 18th title

Moses Lake begins season Thursday at Southridge

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake Chiefs wrestling team wrapped up their 2008 preseason Tuesday afternoon with a jamboree at Moses Lake High School.

The Chiefs are coming off of an eighth place team finish at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 4A state championships in February.

Moses Lake will begin their quest for their 18th team state championship Thursday night when they travel to Southridge to take on the Suns in their first Columbia Basin Big Nine match of the season.

The jamboree at Moses Lake provided participating wrestlers with two matches, with each of the three rounds lasting one minute. Regulation matches during the season are comprised of three two-minute rounds.

While Tuesday's experience didn't provide the Chiefs with regulation matches, Moses Lake head coach Jamie Wise said he liked what he saw.

"There were some bright spots," he said. "(We are) looking forward to the season."

The Chiefs return three state placers from last year's team in seniors Thomas Pfeiffer and Cameron Chlarson, and sophomore Brian Chamberlain. Pfeiffer placed third at 145, Chamberlain placed sixth at 171 and Chlarson placed eighth at 135.

Moses Lake also returns state participant and junior David Peralez.

Although the Chiefs graduated four seniors from last year's team, Moses Lake adds a state champion in senior Sammy Villegas. Villegas won the 145 1A state championship last season for Royal High School.

Villegas transferred to Moses Lake in September.

"It feels great," he said of wrestling for Moses Lake. "This is where I started. I have been a part of the program my whole life. Most of the coaches who shaped me into the wrestler I am are from Moses (Lake)."

With five returning state participants and state hopefuls in seniors Spencer Fackrell and Tyler Vela, expectations remain high for the Chiefs.

"It feels like normal," Wise said of the expectations for his team. "It's just the way it is around here. All of us coaches want the same thing. The kids want it, the parents want it and the community wants it."

The Chiefs don't want to let the program down, Fackrell said.

"We have a lot of good wrestlers who have come before us," he said. "We have a lot of people who are watching us and we want to do well."

Fackrell is coming around in his senior year, Wise said.

"He is wrestling with a lot of confidence," Wise said. "He is not the average high school kid in strength. He has man-strength."

While the Chiefs want to end their six-year drought of state championships, Fackrell hopes to become a part of the Moses Lake tradition.

"Individually, I want to be a state champion," he said. "I don't want to sound cocky but it's just what everybody is hoping for. As a team we want to be good enough to win a state title - number 18."

Fackrell said the coaching staff plays a huge role in Moses Lake's success, Fackrell said.

"They celebrate the wins and mourn for our losses," he said. "They are 100 percent with us."

With a 1A state championship to his credit, Villegas wants to add his name to Moses Lake's list of champions.

"I want more than anything to be on the wall," he said. I just want to go out my senior year in the best way possible. I want to try and repeat as a state champ.

"I know we all want to do our best to make a run at a state title as a team. It would be an honor to be apart of that. I want to contribute everything I can."