Joel Hutchens could only smile as he watched his younger brother, Tyler, put the finishing touches on a Northern Region championship last February.
But as his brother celebrated a 2-1 decisionin the 119-pound final, one thought crept into Joel Hutchens’ mind: “I guess now I have go out and win, too.”
Not long after, Joel Hutchens did just that, bringing home a region championship of his own in the 135-pound weight class with a 3-2 decision. It was a perfect day for the Hutchens brothers, who are one year apart and have been wrestling since elementary school.
Now, Joel, a senior, and Tyler, a junior, are both intent on repeating as region champs, taking that success to the Group AAA state tournament and helping Westfield break through with a region team title.
“We’ve been knocking on the door of winning a team title since I was a freshman,” Joel Hutchens said. “It’s what we’ve been shooting for. I think we’re all pretty confident we can pull it off.”
The Bulldogs have been close before. In 2004, they finished second with 157 points. In 2005, Westfield was fourth with 135.5 points. Last year it was fifth with 102. But with a full lineup for the first time and a host of key contributors besides the Hutchens brothers returning, the Bulldogs have as good a shot as ever.
Junior 140-pounder Jake Carey (26-5) and senior 145-pounder Paul Grinups, a two-time Concorde District champ, are both region title contenders. Westfield has also enjoyed breakthrough seasons from juniors Lamar Owusu (215) and Brett Sposa (119) and from freshmen Austin Fallon (160) and John Orchard-Hays (112).
“We have a lot of talented underclassmen,” said Westfield coach Chuck Hoskins, who started the program when the school opened in 2000. “We knew those four kids would be there. But the points we’re getting at some of our heavier weights and from some of our freshmen has made a big difference.”
Beware of the Dogs
» No. 2 Westfield is 10-5 in dual meets and on Dec. 9 won the Nova Classic, a 32-team event that featured every top program in Northern Virginia besides No. 4 Hayfield.
» Senior Joel Hutchens is 28-3 at 135 pounds and finished fourth at last weekend’s Eastern States Classic in Freedom, N.Y. Junior Tyler Hutchens is 22-3 at 125 pounds and was eighth at that event. Junior 140-pounder Jake Carey was fifth.
» Westfield has not lost to an area opponent this season and earned a convincing 45-21 win over No. 4 Hayfield at the Battlefield Duals earlier this month.
