Chiefs tackle Panthers, win another title

Chiefs 43, Panthers 18

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake wrestling coach Jamie Wise was nothing short of candid when asked Thursday what winning the Columbia Basin League regular-season championship means.

"Not a whole lot," Wise said. "That's just because that's never what the goal is. The goal is how well we do at state."

No, there weren't any fireworks going off at Chief Gym after Moses Lake secured a 6-0 record and the league title with a 43-18 pummeling of the Wenatchee Panthers. But, with the postseason just a week away, it was a good barometer for where the team stands.

Moses Lake never trailed in its final dual of the season, though Wise wasn't comfortable with the performance some of his kids gave.

"I was looking at a lot more from all of them," he said. " I was kind of wondering if some of them have a little bug or something, because their feet weren't moving like they should, they weren't settling on certain techniques and pin combinations."

Moses Lake had to settle for several decisions, beginning with 125-pounder Sunnee Ferguson's 7-6 win over Carl Kremer. However, Ferguson is only a freshman, and he's the third option at 125 right now behind Tyler Vela and Ricco Moreno.

Gabe Guzman (130) stretched the lead to 6-0 with a 10-6 win over Krayson Gates, using three takedowns and a near fall in the first period to gain control. Wenatchee got on the board at 135 as Nick Hunt shot down another Chief sub, Jordan Bishop, 6-2. Cameron Chlarson and Seth Stones figure to double up at that weight in the postseason.

John Silva gutted out the first two periods before pulling away late and beating Wenatchee's Hilario Farias 8-3 in the 140-pound bout. Cody Hoiness (145) continued to impress, needing just 11 seconds to pin Zack Koinzan for a 15-3 Chiefs lead.

Parker Byington (152) used an escape and reversal to tie up Kenny Degman after two periods, but wound up on the short end of a 12-8 final. Josh Nielsen (160) answered for the Chiefs, pinning Lucas Sealby in 70 seconds.

Brian Chamberlain (171) had a similar strong match, leading 3-2 after a period before pinning Jacob Sealby at 2:33. Spencer Fackrell (189) was also sharp, getting two takedowns en route to a pin of Devin Pirnat at 1:43.

Levi Walpole (215) had a 5-4 lead entering the third against Joe Griffiths before losing 9-6. Tad Harman's 285-pound match was scoreless until midway through the second, but Harman took the first seven points and finally pinned Blake Nygard at 5:11.

Wenatchee's Joe Cordes outlasted Derrick Johnson 9-5 at 103 pounds. The Chiefs closed the night on a high note behind 112-pounder Andrew Valdez and 119-pounder David Peralez.

Valdez was up 6-0 against Skyler Tidd and earned the pin at 4:49. Peralez battered Isaac Gates, rolling to a 10-3 lead after one and winning 15-3.

Because of the ease with which they rolled through the league schedule, there's little to suggest the Chiefs won't do the same at next weekend's district championships. The next big test likely comes Feb. 9 at the regional tournament in Yakima, where Greater Spokane League powers Central Valley and University await.

Wise is concerned about both teams, who could have a big impact on how many Chiefs qualify for Mat Classic XX.

"Central Valley has a lot of depth. They're a more solid team," Wise said of the Bears, who beat rival University 34-27 on Wednesday. "(University) maybe doesn't have huge numbers, but they have a few individuals who could make the (state) finals."

The coach thinks the Chiefs' postseason success hinges on how well they respond to adversity. Nothing comes easy in the postseason, and Moses Lake's less experienced guys must learn how to win under pressure.

"We've got a lot of close matches with those (GSL) guys, and we've got to win those 4-3 matches," Wise said. "If we can win those kind of tight, close matches, we'll be all right, we'll take the numbers we need."

Wise feels eight wrestlers will need to place at state to have a realistic shot at winning, but he's not ready to go out on that limb yet.

"What I've always looked forward to is the state tournament, and I think we could break into the top five, especially if we have a good tournament," he said. "But this is going to be a tough year - there's a lot of parity."