Chiefs return to mat with one loss, three victories
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 8 months AGO
Moses Lake High School wrestler Stephen Jackson takes down Izek Perez Rodriguez in Friday’s dual against Eastmont High School.
Joel Martin/Columbia Basin Herald
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | January 25, 2022 1:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake High School Chiefs boys wrestling team returned to the mat last week for the first time in nearly a month, a hiatus head coach Jaime Garza attributed to COVID-19-related cancellations and delays.
The blitz of matches got off to a rocky start Thursday as the Chiefs lost to Sunnyside High School, 56-15. Chiefs Dayton Regan, Derek Grubb, Joey Freidig and Ashton Sanchez won their matches by decision.
“Though we lost, we wrestled with a significant amount of grit and desire,” said Garza. “Sunnyside currently is ranked second in the 4A state rankings and has 12 of 14 wrestlers ranked. I’m pleased with the effort that was displayed.”
Friday’s dual at home yielded better results for the Chiefs, with a 54-18 victory against Eastmont High School. Marcus DuVall’s loss by fall to Dominic Webb was the only defeat the Chiefs weathered. Cody Byers, Adrian Morales, Ashton Sanchez and Stephen Jackson won by fall, while Josh Grubb, Cody Byers, Joey Freidig and Jayro Guzman won by decision.
Saturday saw the Chiefs facing both West Valley and Davis high schools at Davis in Yakima. Moses Lake defeated Davis 40-33 and West Valley 63-12. Marcus Duvall and Joey Freidig beat their Davis opponents by fall, Derek Grubb and Cody Byers won by decision and Bryer Knowles won by major. Against West Valley, Josh Grubb and Adrian Morales won by fall, while Cody Byers won by decision.
“These guys had to make weight three days in a row,” said Garza on Sunday. “They regrouped and wrestled pretty well. There’s some positions that needed some work, and we’ll be shoring up some of the deficiencies this week in preparation for Thursday’s home match against Eisenhower (High School).”
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake author’s book, “A Christian Woman Striving to Live Her Faith in a Man-Controlled World,” takes aim at the role to which many churches relegate the female half of their congregations. “It’s to encourage women in the faith,” Linda Curran said. “A lot of churches say, ‘Teach Sunday school, do this, do that, but don’t (evangelize.)’" In her book, Curran recounts a time when she moved to a new community and joined a church there. She was surprised to learn that, as a new female member, she had been automatically assigned church cleaning duties. When she questioned it, she wrote, she was met with condescension and her objections were brushed aside. In other churches, she said, women who were capable of teaching were relegated to “women’s ministry.”