By Andrew Levine
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, January 20, 2006

Walk into a sparring session between Centreville seniors Mike Waters and Colin Miller, and you probably wouldn't know if you ventured into a wrestling practice or a street fight.

There's Miller, a heavyweight, who regularly sweats through three shirts during a practice, endlessly tussling with the 189-pound Waters, who admits to practically crawling back into the locker room after grappling with his massive partner. On more than one occasion, the two have had to switch mats just to avoid the puddles of perspiration left in their wake.

"We're both buddies and all, but when we get into the wrestling room it's a different story," Waters said. "I'm not really sure how to describe it. But I guess the only word would be 'intense.' "

Those strenuous sessions are only a means to an end. What starts in practice leads to success for both wrestlers. Waters, 42-0, and Miller, 40-0, have provided the perfect complement for each other.

It's a simple formula. For Waters, his opposition seems considerably weaker after training with the 265-pound Miller. For Miller, opponents seem that much slower after scrapping with the fleet-footed Waters all week.

It has been this way for three years now. And after traveling to a weeklong wrestling camp in Boston this summer, they have taken their performances to a new plateau. Together, they present the possibility of bringing home two state titles to a program that is still rebuilding in Joe Radun's second season as head coach.

"We don't openly discuss it like, 'Today we're going to do this and that's to win a state championship,' " Miller said. "We both set our goals at the start of the season and if at the end of the season we can look at each other and smile, we both know we completed our goals."

Having already won two straight Virginia A titles and with a third almost certainly on the horizon, the biggest challenge for Manassas Park's Lam Le is avoiding complacency.

But Cougars Coach Ward Hugh said that won't that be an option for the senior 130-pounder. He has Le train with just about everyone in the wrestling room, including three-time state champion Todd Smoot (135) -- his regular training partner -- and even 189-pounder Anthony Van Kuren.

Le is 28-0, a record that is significantly more impressive considering that the vast majority of his matches have pitted him against AAA and out-of-state competition. His tournament victories include the Garnet Valley (Pa.) Invitational, the Prince William County Invitational and last week's Forest Park Invitational.

"A lot of times guys get so good, they're kind of set in a place where they're okay where they are at," Hugh said. "He's always striving to achieve higher and higher goals. It doesn't seem like he's ever satisfied with where he's at. I've never looked at him once and seen him take it easy."

In the Northern Region, where at least a handful of teams figured to challenge for a title at the start of the season, Westfield has vaulted from the back end of that group and become a front-runner. Behind 119-pounder Tyler Hutchens and his brother, Joel (135), the Bulldogs are 20-4 with wins over No. 8 Hayfield, Robinson and Langley.