Step one for Chiefs begins Friday at districts

MOSES LAKE — It was 2002 when the Moses Lake High School Chiefs wrestling team last hoisted a state championship trophy above their heads.

Since then they have managed to come within touching distance of their 18th such crown but only to be denied by the faintest of margins.

Now with the 2010 Columbia Basin Big 9 District Tournament ready to kick off Friday at 6 p.m. at Wenatchee High School there may be a sense that a new chapter may be unfolding,

With seven wrestlers ranked amongst the state’s elite by Washington Wrestling Report and an undeniably smooth mojo overtaking the Chiefs’ squad, coach Jamie Wise may not be able to predict how great a ride these next few weeks will be.

But he sure will have fun taking part in it.

“We still are on the upward climb and that’s what’s exciting,” Wise said. “Last year we had peaked earlier but this year the kids are starting to have more fun with it and excited about going and kicking some hind end. They are having more fun with it than we have before and it’s kind of cool to see.”

Wise, who during the earlier part of season cited issues with technique and toughness on occasion by his squad, saw his young wrestlers begin to not only get a grasp of their individual games but also their need for unity as well.

“I think that the Reno trip was the start of it and there have been little things that have happened every week since then so we’ve been building and building,” Wise said. “It’s starting to snowball. It was that long bus ride with each other. Sometimes it’s those uncomfortable moments and you have to make the most of it and cut up to just get through it. That was where they spent every moment with each other for four days and built some relationships that weren’t there before.”

During their building of wrestler-to-wrestler relationships many of them were advancing their own approach to the sport and in doing so may have launched the perennial powers on to a course filled with top dog potential.

Sophomore Nico Moreno (140-pounds) and junior Brian Chamberlain (215-pounds) are both ranked third in their individual weight classes while junior Kabe Fluaitt (285-pounds) and senior David Peralez (125-pounds) is ranked fourth.

Freshman Beau Gleed (eighth at 103-pounds), senior Robert Leyva (ninth at 112-pounds), and senior Andrew Valdez (11th at 119-pounds) round up the state-ranked Chiefs.

Chamberlain however is the only member of the roster with a state medal of any kind — sixth place at 171-pounds in 2008.

Coach Wise believes, despite his team’s relative lack of top state level finishers in the lineup, that the team’s depth and momentum should carry the day this weekend and beyond.

“Our kids are going to be fine this weekend,” Wise said. “I’m fully confident that we are going to have some kids upset some others that are ranked higher than them. We are really turning things on. They are really starting to figure things out and I think we’re going to do well where we are supposed to do well and some kids that are being overlooked will do well also.”

District roster: 103-pounds: Gleed (top seed) and sophomore Tanner Long, 112-pounds: Leyva (third seed) and sophomore Hayden Wise, 119-pounds: Valdez (second seed) and junior Omar Suarez, 125-pounds: Peralez (second seed) and freshman Brad Fox, 130-pounds: junior Colton Cole and freshman Andrew Valdez, 135-pounds: senior Jordan Bishop (top seed) and junior Derrick Johnson, 140-pounds: Nico Moreno (top seed) and senior Ricco Moreno, 145-pounds: vacant, 152-pounds: freshman Hector Zavala, 160-pounds: senior Chris Lacelle and junior Luciano Hernandez, 171-pounds: senior Logan Phelps (fourth seed) and Jonathan Perales, 189-pounds: senior James Fitting (third seed) and senior Edwin Torres, 215-pounds: Chamberlain (top seed) and senior Levi Walpole, 285-pounds: Fluiatt (second seed).

Outlook: The two-time defending district champions are not only going into Wenatchee with their regular members from the varsity, but also 11 wrestlers which qualified by virtue their performances at last weekend’s sub districts at Moses Lake High School.

Eight JV wrestlers took class titles — Long, Hayden Wise, Suarez, Fox, freshman Valdez, Ricco Moreno, Perales, and Walpole.

Hernandez and Torres each took third while Johnson will have a pig-tail wrestle off tomorrow to determine a spot in the 135-pounds bracket.

“That was an outstanding day,” Jamie Wise said. “I think we lost only a few matches all day long. They wanted to win. I didn’t get to see much of it because I was in the seeding meeting, but I have great assistant coaches and they all make sure all the right things happen all the time to.

“You could see them in practice working harder. We also as coaches talk about different things for postseason and stress what need to be said. All the young kids are following through and getting things done.”

The Chiefs hope that this new found depth and their growing respect for one another continues to make a difference.

Their coach believes they now know the secret.

“You know that your teammates are counting on you and you don’t want to let each other down,” Jamie Wise said. “Right now we enjoy each other and we have each others’ back.”

The tournament begins with the 103-pound wrestlers and Gleed is scheduled to take the mat promptly at  6 p.m. against Austin Rosman of Walla Walla.

Long is also scheduled for a 6 p.m. start and will battle  Michael Hosfield of Kennewick.

For more information on the brackets and to see where certain Chiefs are scheduled to wrestle, click here. (PDF format)