MOSES LAKE – After a year of improvement, the Moses Lake High School wrestling squad is ready to hit the mats once again. Head Coach Jose Tanguma said he gets excited when a new season arrives.  

“We have a good group of kids, a very strong freshman class that came up through our wrestling club, and in these kids, you can see they're very mature for being freshmen, and they're setting high goals for themselves," Tanguma said.  

Tanguma said last season ended on a high note at the 4A state tournament. They finished ninth overall, which was 12 spots higher than the year before, where they finished 21st. His plan of starting slower worked to their advantage as his wrestlers began peaking at the right time.  

Controlling the pace of his wrestlers allows them to see how they are developing throughout the season, he said.  

“I believe it's our practice plan focusing on what technique we're going to use right now,” Tanguma said. “What are they good at? What are they not good at? Then trying to fix that and focus on what they need to improve, to be better wrestlers.”  

Tanguma said he expects wrestlers like Duane Zamora and Eli Anderson to have strong seasons this year. Zamora was a state alternate last season and placed the year before, Tanguma said. He said Zamora has been working since the end of last season to improve his skills to compete in the 144-pound weight class. His efforts to get better have not gone unnoticed by Tanguma.  

“That's just showing me as a coach that he wants it. He wants to be on top, on the state placer board, and his goal is to be a state champ. With his attitude and the effort that he's been putting in, I can see that happening,” Tanguma said.  

Anderson will likely be competing in the 215-pound weight class this season. In the summer, Anderson competed in the Fargo National Championship, which described as a valuable experience for him.  

Tanguma said Anderson has been motivated since his appearance in the state tournament last season. After not being pleased with his performance, he said it appears that it motivated him in the offseason.   

“I know he wasn't pleased with his performance at the state tournament last year, but I see that he has that fire lit up under him, and he knows what he could get if he just puts all of his effort into it,” Tanguma said. 

Tanguma said seeing his wrestlers show a higher level of dedication to development motivates him as a coach to push them to succeed. As they roll into the start of their season, he said footwork will be a key factor in having success this season.  

There is a new scoring system in place this season. For example, takedowns will be worth three points instead of two. Last season, a lot of matches saw wrestlers staying on their feet and avoiding mat wrestling. However, this might change this season, Tanguma said.  

Tanguma also said it will be important for his wrestlers to stay healthy throughout the season.  

“It affects every team all the time. You get injuries, you get the flu bug that comes in. Last year, we had it pretty bad where it would hit a group of kids, and then they'll get another group of kids (sick) the following week, and it just keeps going down the line,” he said.  

Tanguma is confident his lightweight class will also make an impact this season. With two wrestlers from each weight class potentially qualifying for state, he feels that group in particular can score them a lot of points when the time comes.  

The motivation of his wrestlers is contagious and fuels the excitement Tanguma has for this season.  

“I'm just excited for the season. I have a great group of kids right now, and they're motivated to practice, motivated to put in hard work and a lot of them tell me, ‘Coach, I can't wait for you to see me wrestle out there for you,” Tanguma said.  

The Mavericks travel to Kennewick on Dec. 6 for their first tournament of the season. Their first home tournament is on Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. 

    Moses Lake’s Ian Garza was named to the Big 9 all league wrestling first team, one of eight Maverick wrestlers last season. Head Coach Jose Tanguma said staying healthy this season will be important to their success this season.
  

    A takedown and a near fall for Maverick sophomore Cristian Ramos, right, helped secure a 9-3 decision in the 285-pound bout of last season’s dual against Sunnyside, locking up a 38-32 win for Moses Lake.
  

    The Mavs’ Eli Anderson goes for a pin during a dual last season. Anderson has been working on his development in the offseason as he competed in the Fargo National Championship in the summer.