Moses Lake eager for dual with Eastmont

MOSES LAKE - Chiefs wrestling gave fans an appetizer at last week's jamboree with Wenatchee and Othello.

Thursday, the Eastmont Wildcats figure to be the main course in the team's first dual of the season.

"Now we get to wrestle," head coach Jaime Garza said. "So, it's putting together all the stuff that we've been working on that last three weeks and going out there and wrestling."

Garza and the Chiefs got a brief glimpse of the team's potential at last week's jamboree. Although no team scores were kept, Moses Lake won most of its matches against the Panthers and Huskies.

Garza is eager to see his team in full action after the abbreviated rounds in the jamboree.

"These first matches... they can dictate a lot at times due to the fact that some kids this is their first time they've wrestled at that weight and sometimes it can be a little hard to adjust," Garza said. "Their mind's saying, 'ahhh I'm so excited to get out there,' and they're eager to go out there and wrestle, but on the other hand their body's like, 'whoa, calm down.'"

After countless hours of training in the high school's wrestling room and weight room, the Chiefs are excited to begin the season and treat fans to what has the makings of a special team. Practices have been more upbeat and intense with the dual with Eastmont looming.

"They've been waiting for this for quite some time," Garza said. "Some of these guys have been waiting for a year because they're one-sport athletes, so they're ready to get after it and you can tell the jamboree was just a little taste of what is soon to come."

Moses Lake has a quick turnaround after the dual with Eastmont Thursday. The team travels to Central Valley High School for the Inland Empire Wrestling Tournament on Friday and the Inland Empire Invite on Saturday.

"It's exciting," Garza said. "We get to go out there and see where we line up with some of the other teams in the east region... that gives us a pretty good indication of how we may do at the regional tournament."

The Moses Lake coaching staff keyed on the team's technique on escaping from the bottom position after watching last week's jamboree.

"Some of our guys got ridden," Garza said. "Even though it was minute rounds some guys stayed on their bellies for nearly the whole minute and that can't be happening especially with some of our better guys."

Garza also mentioned the team having some weight management issues leading up to last week's jamboree that prevented some wrestlers from participating. The team appears to have resolved that and will have a full compliment of varsity wrestlers on Thursday.

The Chiefs also welcome the return of heavyweight Justin Sainsbury, who broke his leg early last season.

"I'm truly excited for him to go out there and see how he does against some of the competition," Garza said. "I knew last year if he would've been healthy he would've been a guy that may have been able to get out there and advance to the state tournament."

Thursday's dual shouldn't be missed as the team will be debuting something new to Moses Lake wrestling. Junior varsity is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with varsity following at 7 p.m.

"The kids are looking forward to going out there and I hope the fans appreciate what these kids go out there and showcase," Garza said. "There's just a little surprise out there."