Chiefs get it done; defeat Southridge
Alan Dale/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Moses Lake's David Peralez (bottom) battles Southridge's Eli Garza on Thursday night. Peralez fell 6-0 to Garza but the Chiefs held on to win.
MOSES LAKE — It may not have been the ideal way to open the season but the Moses Lake Chiefs wrestling squad managed to finally put away a scrappy Southridge squad 45-24 Thursday night.
The Chiefs (1-0) were aided by four forfeit wins as Southridge, despite its scrappiness, did not have enough athletes to finish off their upset bid.
“There was some parts where I wish we were a lot better technically,” Chiefs coach Jamie Wise. “We had a lot of young kids in the lineup who wrestled to their ability but still have a lot more to learn. That’s what happens when you put kids out their for the first time for their first varsity experience.”
Wise had to do without a full “post season lineup” due to some of his wrestlers not being able to get on the mat.
“Once our kids follow their weight-decent-plan, where they can only lose 1.5 percent of their body weight a week, we will have that lineup set,” Wise said. “The plan is for kids not to rush weight loss and not yo-yo back in forth. We will have five different kids in the lineup that aren’t there right now once we get it all done..”
Winners included Andrew Valdez (119 pounds) by first-round pin, Jordan Bishop (152 pounds) by 6-2 win, Johny Peralez (189 pounds) by first-roun pin, and Kabe Fluaitt (285 pounds) who had the win of the night recording a pin in 24 seconds.
“We learned a few things including that we have to defend the leg ride better,” Wise said. “Once we get that and get off bottom better and shore up some things up top it means that they’ll be hanging in those tight matches. We just need to shore up our defense.”
Despite being added by the forfeit wins Wise said that there is a downside to such results.
“It’s just disappointing since some of our best kids didn’t get to wrestle because they won by forfeit,” Wise said.
Saturday the Chiefs travel to Kennewick for the Bob Mars Invitational.
Medical Lake 44, Ephrata 33
MEDICAL LAKE — A young Ephrata squad got into a match of multiple pins and in the end fell short to their hosts 44-33.
“I think ultimately the kids wrestled hard and the intensity was right,” Tigers coach PJ Anderson said. “We just got into positions that we weren’t familiar with. We will get back in the room and work on those areas. Overall we did well for a young squad.”
Anthony Bush (130 pounds) won by first-round pin, while second-round pins were recorded by Kurt Nygard (145 pounds), and Chris Davidson (171 pounds).
Robert Motzkus (160 pounds) won a 4-0 decision.
The Tigers (0-1) recorded one forfeit win at 189 pounds.
Now as Ephrata readies itself for the West Valley Invitational on Saturday in Yakima, Anderson sees some positive areas he hopes to build off of as the season gets into the meatier part of the schedule.
“On our feet we were setting our shots real well and had a plan,” Anderson said. “That was nice because lot of times they will come out nervous early in the season but they were composed. On the bottom we just need to put things together better.”