Author: Dave Facinoli

Dave Facinoli grew up in Prince George’s County, Md. and attended Friendly High School. After attending Prince’s George Community College and James Madison University, where he covered sports on both college papers, he launched a local newspaper career that included roles as the sports editor of the Alexandria Gazette, the Arlington Sun Gazette and GazetteLeader, and other local papers.

Countywide

Fairfax County girls cap basketball season with all-star games sweep

By Dave Facinoli
Northern Virginia Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Suburban Classic 2025 players and coaches (courtesy of Jo McLane)

Local high school girls’ basketball teams recently wrapped up their winter season with a pair of all-star games as part of the recent 20th annual Northern Virginia Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (NVWBCA) Suburban Classic.

The contests, preceded by a three-point shootout, consisted of seniors from high schools throughout the area. The afternoon classic on Sunday, March 16 was held in front of a sizable crowd at Oakton High School.

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Sports

McLean Little League prepares to open its 70th anniversary season

By Dave Facinoli
McLean Little League opening day (courtesy of MLL)

McLean Little League will kick off the competition for its 70th anniversary season on Saturday, April 5 with the traditional 9 a.m. parade from McLean High School to the league’s three-field complex on Westmoreland Street.

“We are expecting an exciting day of events, starting with the parade,” league official Autumn Price told FFXnow. “It will be a fun morning and day.”

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Sports

West Springfield boys edge out South Lakes for indoor Va. track-and-field title

By Dave Facinoli
The state champion West Springfield team (courtesy of West Springfield athletics)

For three years now, winning state championships or finishing second — all by close margins — has been the norm for the West Springfield Spartans boys’ indoor track-and-field team.

This winter, the Spartans won the Virginia High School League Class 6 state crown by one of the smallest lead possible: a half-point.

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Sports

South County girls win Class 6 indoor state track-and-field title

By Dave Facinoli
The South County state-champion team (courtesy of South County athletics)

Led by a group of sprinters, the South County Stallions sped their way to an indoor track-and-field girls’ state championship.

South County High School in Lorton won the Virginia High School League Class 6 team title in Virginia Beach by a comfortable margin on Tuesday, March 11, amassing 88 points. The Robinson Rams from Fairfax were a distant second with 47.

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Countywide

FCPS might add girls’ flag football to high school sports offerings

By Scott McCaffrey and Dave Facinoli
Football on field (photo by Dave Adamson/Unsplash)

Having successfully integrated boys volleyball and girls wrestling into its offerings, Fairfax County Public Schools appears to be eyeing girls’ flag football next.

There has been conversation among the division’s directors of student activities about potentially moving forward with the sport for the 2025-2026 school year, Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board at its March 13 meeting.

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Sports

South Lakes repeats as the boys Class 6 state basketball champion

By Dave Facinoli
The state champion South Lakes team (courtesy of the VHSL)

The South Lakes Seahawks boys basketball team bookended its 2024-2025 season with victories over the same opponent — the second coming in a state championship game.

At the Siegel Center in Richmond on Saturday (March 15), South Lakes (24-4) rallied in the second half to defeat the C.G. Woodson Cavaliers, 68-60, to successfully defend its Virginia High School League Class 6 state title.

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Sports

George Mason women qualify for NCAA hoop tourney, but men just miss

By Dave Facinoli
The champion George Mason women (courtesy of George Mason athletics)

It has been an exciting winter for George Mason University’s basketball teams. One made history by earning a Division I NCAA tournament berth, while the other just missed making the big March Madness dance.

The women’s team (27-5) received an automatic berth by winning the Atlantic 10 Conference tourney earlier this month as the No. 2 seed. The George Mason men came close to the same feat, but lost in the Atlantic 10 tournament final to Virginia Commonwealth University in a 68-63 heartbreaker on Sunday, March 16.

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Sports

Langley ice hockey team wins fourth straight league title

By Dave Facinoli
The Langley ice-hockey champs (courtesy of Langley ice hockey)

The head coach was new, but the end result was the same — a league championship for the Langley Saxons ice hockey team.

Langley won its fourth straight Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League postseason high-school tournament by defeating Battlefield, 6-4, in the title match at the Ashburn Ice House on Wednesday, March 5.

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Sports

Chantilly boys swim-dive team wins its first state championship

By Dave Facinoli
The 2025 state champion Chantilly team (courtesy of Chantilly athletics)

An already standout season for the Chantilly Chargers became the best ever when the boys swimming and diving team won its first state championship last week.

The Chargers won the Virginia High School League Class 6 title in Stafford with 284 points, 50 ahead of the runner-up and defending champion Langley Saxons.

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