Former Moses Lake wrestlers holding first ever reunion
The Moses Lake Freestyle Wrestling Club circa 1994. <strong>Top (L-R):</strong> Mario Zamora, John Zamora, Ariel Garza, Jaime Garza. <strong>Middle (L-R):</strong> Heath Emerson, Dayton Hoffman, Peter Zamora, Jody Chlarson. <strong>Bottom (L-R):</strong> Head coach Charlie Zamora and Tyson Hintz.
An image of the Moses Lake wrestling reunion's ticket. The graphics and catchphrase used is taken from an old t-shirt. The phrase reads, "Wrestling is our business and business is good!"
MOSES LAKE - The bond wrestlers share runs deep.
As soon as that common trait is revealed each person knows what the other went through - hours in the wrestling room, countless weight lifting sessions, and sacrificing to make weight.
Now, for the first time, Moses Lake wrestlers from will be able to reminisce on history of the program.
The brainchild of Eli Zamora and Jared Post, Moses Lake wrestling will be having its first reunion Sept. 13, 4 p.m., at Zamora Park.
"Extremely excited," Moses Lake head wrestling coach Jaime Garza said. "A little bit of word has gone around, a little bit of buzz and just getting a bunch of wrestlers back together and just hanging out getting to tell old stories and come together. When we're talking about wrestlers it's just not guys that graduated 10 years ago. We're talking about guys that graduated in the 60s and getting everybody back and reuniting."
The event is open to the public, but is adults only.
Chiefs spanning the decades will be in attendance and with 17 state championships to Moses Lake's credit the event expects to be a virtual who's who of Basin wrestling.
"There's a lot to be said about Moses Lake wrestling coming back together because it's not your typical teams," Garza said. "Depends on who shows up, but there could be anywhere from 25 to 45 state champions there. What program has that?"
The idea of reuniting wrestlers from across Moses Lake's history had been kicked around before, but Zamora and Post were the ones who took the initiative and began tracking down their fellow mat men.
A premier program under coach Ron Seibel, Moses Lake wrestling appears to be on track for a return to glory.
The Chiefs finished second at the state tournament a year ago and figure to contend again this season.
Garza wrestled for Moses Lake from 1996 to 2000. He was a part of three state championship teams and won an individual state title in 1998.
After years of blood, sweat and tears with his former teammates, Garza is excited to add some laughs to the mix.
"We sweat and we cry with the same guys, you know what I mean? As we get older now we can laugh with them," Garza said. "They're your best friends. Wrestlers, in my opinion, are unique. If you meet another wrestler there's a mutual respect that happens immediately."
The impact of Moses Lake wrestling cannot be overstated.
Growing up, kids would mimic the swing of Ken Griffey Jr. or play basketball with their tongue out like Michael Jordan.
Garza ran into a football at Eastern Washington University football player who idolized a different group of athletes growing up.
"He goes, 'I can go through that whole team of 2000 and I can do all your stance,'" he said. "'I know how you guys stance and I can wrestle like you guys.' I was kind of blown away by how someone was so involved, a kid was.
"I guess how that stuck with him. No one can forget Ken Griffey's stance, right? We all wanted to bat like Ken Griffey. Well, here's a kid that wanted his wrestling stance like this guy or he could imitate each one of our stances."
Although the event is adults only, Garza hopes this reunion will resonate in his team somehow.
Like football in Texas or Alabama, the Moses Lake community would shutdown when the Chiefs took the mat.
Garza hopes for a return to form soon.
"I want that gym packed just like it was in the 70s and 80s ... 60s ... 90s," he said. "It's getting closer. It's not where I want to be. These kids, they put in a lot of work and they deserve to be in a packed loud where it's loud and they can barely hear themselves."
For more information on the reunion contact Duane or Peter Zamora at 509-989-6694, Mario Zamora at 509-431-4907, Charlie Zamora at 509-793-5380 or Garza at 509-989-4376.