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Westfield head coach Chuck Hoskins remembers what it was like when the Bulldog wrestling program started up 10 years ago.

"We couldn't even get into a stance," he said. "When you look at what it was like the first year and what it's like now, it's a universe apart. Those guys worked hard at laying the foundation."

Standing in the Westfield High School wrestling room after a Thursday practice, Hoskins is surrounded by the success his program has attained since then.

The far wall of the room is littered with names of the champions that have wrestled as Bulldogs -- 36 Concorde District champions, 15 Northern Region champions and three AAA Virginia state champs. Westfield enters the season as six-time defending Concorde District team champion and two-time Northern Region champ.

"It took a while to be competitive," Hoskins said. "Now, we are probably up at the top."

Those looking for a reason for the Bulldogs' success need to look no further than the two wrestlers that remain on the mat with Hoskins. Seniors Nick Grinups and Austin Fallon are two of the four wrestlers to return to the program as defending individual district champs. Both Grinups and Fallon are also defending Northern Region champs. Fallon is the first Bulldog wrestler in the program's history to enter his senior season as a defending AAA state champion.

Hoskins asks Fallon how long he has been wrestling.

"Thirteen years."

What about Grinups?

"Ten years."

How about fellow district champs John Orchard-Hays and Kyle Arnold?

"We all started wrestling around the same time," answers Grinups.

"These guys were on the same boy's club team," Hoskins said. "This is our community. These are home-grown kids from this community. The kids bought in. The parents bought in. If you work with your own kids and you develop them, it can be done. We are really excited about that."

For Grinups, it is more than just community -- it is family. His older brother, Paul, was Westfield's first AAA state wrestling champion, winning at 145 pounds in 2007. Paul finished his four-year career at Westfield with a career record of 157-48 -- earning 44 wins in a season twice.

"He was the first one that showed everyone that it was possible," said Grinups of his brother, who graduated in 2007.

This season, Grinups will look to become the program's first three-time district and region winner. He will also look to match his brother's accomplishment at the state level after placing third last year.

"It seems like, what happens often, the little brother gets the fruits of the older brother's work," Hoskins said. "Paul did a nice job here as well, but Nick is benefiting from his older brother helping him. That's not to take anything away from Nick, because he has definitely put his own stamp on things."

As for Fallon, his AAA state title at 189 pounds last season may have been a surprise, but that does not mean he is satisfied.

"I'm still aiming to win. I want to get as good as I can," said Fallon, who signed with Bucknell University last month. "I'm trying to get better and better every day."

As for feeling pressure to repeat, Fallon says he does not feel any.

"I bet some people would feel like there is pressure, but I don't feel the pressure," he said. "I feel more relaxed. I've been there, I know how it feels."

This season, Fallon and his teammates are looking for more than individual glory. The Bulldogs are looking to improve on their sixth-place finish at the state level last year.

With 10 returning starters, seven of whom placed at the Northern Region meet last season, Hoskins' Bulldogs have a legitimate shot at making some noise at the Virginia High School League AAA state tournament.

"We are looking for big things out of these guys," said Hoskins, who will also start three freshmen and three sophomores. "The excitement level is very high."

Added Fallon: "We are aiming for a state championship. That's what we want."

103 Brent Campbell, Westfield

103 Dallas Smith, Robinson

112 Jake Smith, Robinson

112 Dane Harlowe, Annandale

119 Bob Hauser,

W.T. Woodson

119 Omar Maknassi,

T.C. Williams

125 Jacob Crawford, Robinson

125 Josh Pike, Herndon

130 John Orchard-Hays, Westfield

130 Ryan Forest, South Lakes

135 Roman Perryman, Robinson

135 John Morris, Hayfield

140 Kyle Arnold, Westfield

140 Charlie Vannoy, Robinson

145 Jack Carlson, Chantilly

145 Micky Bennett, Robinson

152 Ross Renzi,

Lake Braddock

152 Ben Stallings, Robinson

160 Nick Grinups, Westfield

160 Stacey Anderson, Annandale

171 Jordan Yost, Fairfax

171 Nathan Young, Yorktown

189 Austin Fallon, Westfield

189 Alex Jabaley,

W.T. Woodson

215 Andrew Embree, Marshall

215 Chris Ryan, Robinson

285 Brian Saravia, J.E.B. Stuart

285 Mehdi Charfi, Edison