MOSES LAKE – After having the school’s first winning season since 2017 last year, the Moses Lake football team - under their first year as the Mavericks - is looking to improve upon the lessons they learned from last season under second-year head coach Brett Jay.

“The only way we’re going to get better is if we're uncomfortable, and kind of pushed to our limits,” Jay said. “Then at that point, we get to choose (if) we want to get better or not. Our guys keep choosing to get better.”

The Mavericks finished 2021 with a 7-4 record, falling in the first round of the 4A playoffs to Gonzaga Prep. Moses Lake allowed 56 and 42 points scored in its first two games before refocusing and allowing under 16 points per game throughout the rest of the regular season. Jay said that outside of the offensive and defensive line units, the team returned many of its starters from 2021.

“We got a lot of guys back, returners,” Jay said. “We graduated a lot of o-line and d-line guys, so it’s been fun to see a new group come in. It’s just neat to see guys that were on the field on Friday nights last year as young players now come back more mature and experienced.”

Team communication on the offensive line is crucial, as reads are necessary for picking up blitzes and blocking.

“It’s a brotherhood, and that starts in the summer,” Jay said of how the Mavericks’ new offensive line has bonded together. “They start doing stuff together, start going to camps together. The big stuff for us is obviously the on-field stuff – different drills.”

Throughout the rest of the previous school year and summer, numerous players have put in extra work to benefit their play in the upcoming 2022 season.

“Making reads,” senior quarterback Brock Clark said of what he’s improved on since last season. “Looking at film and studying the safeties – once you know what those safeties are doing you can dictate what you do on the field.”

The Mavericks have a trio receiving core of Joel Middleton, Kyson Thomas and Hayden Throneberry who all received playing time as underclassmen, and are applying it now to their junior seasons.

“It feels like we just got an extra year to prepare for junior and senior years,” Thomas said of receiving significant playing time as a sophomore. “It feels like we’re ahead of a lot of people.”

The receiving trio all attended multiple camps over the summer to work on their game, notably their speed.

“We’ve been really in the weight room, just getting explosive – trying to get speed,” Middleton said.

Throughout the Mavericks’ practices, a drone can be seen flying in the air, filming drills to share with other Moses Lake teams.

“We try to film as much as we can,” Jay said. “We come out here, pre-practice, guys are kind of working on their own with coaches before we even start, so we’re kind of filming position drills for our middle schools and our youth so we can post that. We believe in one program, so all doing the same stuff.”

Entering the 2022 season, many seniors have stepped up to the plate to lead the team in their final seasons in maroon and gold.

“It’s a sense of leadership,” senior offensive lineman David Araiza said. “A lot of the younger guys look up to us, and we have to help them. We’ve been through this already.”

Players on the team look forward to learning from the past season and applying it toward winning more games in 2022.

“Going farther, honestly,” senior defensive end Tell Rathbun said of what he hopes to build off from last year. “Just making it to the next round of the playoffs, keep on going. Going undefeated in league (play) again, and hopefully losing no games throughout the season.”

Moses Lake kicks off its season on the road against Ephrata on September 2 at 7 p.m.

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

Schedule

Sept. 2 - @ Ephrata - 7 p.m.

Sept. 9 - vs Kamiakin - 7 p.m.

Sept. 16 - @ Eisenhower - 7 p.m.

Sept. 23 - vs Central Valley - 7 p.m.

Sept. 30 - vs Wenatchee - 7 p.m.

Oct. 7 - @ Davis - 7 p.m.

Oct. 14 - vs Sunnyside - 7 p.m.

Oct. 21 - @ West Valley - 7 p.m.

Oct. 28 - vs Eastmont - 7 p.m.

Roster

1 Corbin Reed, Junior LB/DB

2 Brady Jay, Freshman QB/DB

3 Joel Middleton, Junior WR/DB

4 Iden Bone, Senior K

5 Kyson Thomas, Junior WR/DB

6 Gavin Reyer, Junior LB

7 Jackson Ramirez, Junior WR/DB

8 Julian Moreno, Sophomore RB/DB

9 Noah Hernandez, Freshman QB/DB

10 Hayden Meek, Sophomore QB/LB

11 Carson Hightower, Sophomore WR/DB

12 Tell Rathbun, Senior TE/DE

13 Hayden Throneberry, Junior WR/DB

14 Wyatt Keller, Junior WR/DB

15 Malaki Town, Sophomore RB/LB

16 Ayden Doak, Sophomore WR/DB

17 Brock Clark, Senior QB/LB

18 Hudson Palmer, Freshman WR/DB

19 Demetrius Holman, Freshman WR/DB

20 Joey Fitts, Sophomore DB

21 Bodie Richie, Junior OL/LB

22 Johan Robertson, Junior RB/LB

23 Maddox Gwinn, Senior RB/DB

24 Tyler Prentice, Junior WR/DB

25 Anthony Garcia, Sophomore RB/LB

26 Cayden Holloway, Senior DB

27 Julian Moreno, Sophomore RB/DB

28 Matthew Correa, Junior WR/DB

29 Jacob Goude, Senior LB

30 Alex Cruz, Sophomore RB/DB

31 Josh Grubb, Senior WR/DB

33 Moises Vasquez, Sophomore WR/DB

34 Mason Solders, Junior LB

36 Adrian Flores, Sophomore WR/DB

38 Caiden Hampshire, Sophomore WR/DB

40 Noah Burns, Sophomore RB/LB

42 Riley Gonzalez, Sophomore WR/DB

44 Levi Rustman, Junior WR/LB

46 Carson Huberdeau, Freshman RB/DB

48 Bryson Arohnson, Sophomore RB/DB

49 Kailer Kappel-Baker, Junior LB/DL

50 Ryder Cranston, Junior OL/DL

51 Wesley Davis, Sophomore DL

52 Seth Carlson, Junior OL/DL

53 Ashton Sanchez, Senior OL/DL

54 Alejandro DeLeon, Junior OL/DL

56 Connor Reed, Freshman OL/DL

57 Cylar Meseberg, Sophomore OL/LB

58 Roark Bechtel, Sophomore OL/DE

59 Carlos Nolasco, Sophomore OL/DL

60 Brayden Kast, Sophomore OL/DL

61 Reece Mills, Senior OL/DL

62 Dylan Williford, Sophomore OL/DL

64 Jordan Russell, Sophomore OL/DL

65 Favian Perez, Sophomore OL/DL

66 Gabe Adame, Sophomore OL/DL

68 Jon Beard, Junior OL/DL

69 Camden Stout, Senior OL/DL

70 Vicente Diaz, Senior OL/DL

71 Ivan Delgado, Sophomore OL/DL

72 Christian Lafser, Junior OL/DL

74 David Araiza, Senior OL/DL

76 Hunter Blackmon, Sophomore OL/DL

77 JJ De Leon, Sophomore OL/DL

79 Eddy Uribe, Junior OL/DL

80 Caleb Jones, Junior WR/DB

82 Grant Smith, Freshman WR/DB

84 Kanye McCoy, Senior WR/DB

88 Tyce Miller, Freshman WR/DB

92 Nathan Vlk, Senior LB/DL

99 Holden Hendricks, Junior RB/LB