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.

Sports

McLean High inducts six new members into Sports Hall of Fame

By Dave Facinoli
The McLean High School Sports Hall of Fame inducted six new members (courtesy of McLean athletics)

McLean High School held its 2024 Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last week, announcing six new inductees during halftime of the Nov. 8 home football game against the Langley Saxons.

The new McLean members are David Daido, Susan South, Alexander Weatherbee, Donald Weatherbee, Ayanna Alexander and Sam Clark.

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Sports

Langley football team blanks McLean, reclaims ‘Rotary Cup’

By Dave Facinoli
Langley players gather with the Rotary Cup (courtesy of Langley athletics)

After being elsewhere for a year, the Rotary Cup is back in possession of the Langley Saxons.

Langley (8-2, 4-2) reclaimed the neighborhood hardware by blanking the host McLean Highlanders, 38-0, on Friday night (Nov. 8) in the final regular-season football game for both Liberty District high school teams.

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Sports

Potomac School girls finish second in Division I state cross country

By Dave Facinoli
The Potomac School girls were second in the state (courtesy of Potomac School cross country)

The Potomac School Panthers girls cross-country team last Thursday (Nov. 7) placed second in Virginia’s Division I private-school competition on the 5,000-meter Panorama Farms course near Charlottesville.

The Collegiate School of Richmond won the high-school meet with 49 points. Potomac School had 98.

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Sports

Madison completes undefeated regular season, looks to region football playoffs

By Dave Facinoli
Graham Gorkowski was a tackling leader for Madison against Centreville (file photo by Deb Kolt)

For the first time in 46 years, the Madison High School Warhawks finished undefeated at 10-0 in regular-season football action.

The Warhawks capped the perfect campaign with a 41-0 blowout victory over the visiting Centreville Wildcats Friday night (Nov. 8). Madison also wrapped up a perfect Concorde District record of 5-0 to clinch the outright league title.

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Sports

Chantilly, Langley cross country-teams win region championships

By Dave Facinoli
The top runners in the girls race near the two-mile mark (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

By a comfortable margin of 17 points and a much closer two, respectively, the Langley Saxons and Chantilly Chargers won girls and boys region cross country-championships on Wednesday (Nov. 6).

Langley scored 61 points and had its top five runners finish among the top 21 in the 2.98-mile 6D North Region girls high-school race at Burke Lake Park. The Yorktown Patriots were second with 88 points.

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Sports

Oakton repeats as region-tournament field-hockey champions

By Dave Facinoli
The region champion Oakton Cougars (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

It was deja vu all over again in the championship match of this season’s girls 6D North Region field hockey tournament, with one difference.

The Oakton Cougars won the title for the second straight year over the Yorktown Patriots, 1-0, but on the road instead of on their home turf. Oakton also won by a one-goal margin, 2-1, over the Patriots in 2023.

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Sports

Potomac School girls, boys soccer teams fall in state semifinals

By Dave Facinoli
Potomac School plays defense (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Championship seasons ended for the Potomac School Panthers girls and boys high-school soccer teams with recent semifinal losses in private-school state-tournament action.

The No. 3-seeded and defending champion girls (12-5) lost to the host and No. 2 seed Bishop O’Connell Knights, 2-0, in the four-team Northern Virginia Independent Schools State Invitational.

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Sports

Madison football team plays Friday for an undefeated regular season

By Dave Facinoli
Madison's Cael Yates heads to the end zone against Oakton (photo by Deb Kolt)

Just one more game stands between the Madison High School varsity football team and an undefeated regular season.

The 9-0 Warhawks visit the Centreville Wildcats on Friday (Nov. 8) in their final game prior to the region playoffs.

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Sports

Top seeds Chantilly, Langley win girls district volleyball tourneys

By Dave Facinoli
Ava Barnett-McKenzie and Rujuta Singh block for Langley (file photo by Deb Kolt)

The top seed Langley Saxons and Chantilly Chargers held serve by winning recent district-tournament volleyball championships.

Langley (23-1) won its third straight girls Liberty District crown and Chantilly (19-2-1) was first in the Concorde District high-school competition.

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Sports

Girls state soccer tournament has grown in stature since 2017 founding

By Dave Facinoli
Potomac School players are in this year's state event (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Seven years after its founding, a small, four-team girls soccer tournament remains the same size but has significantly grown in stature.

The event is the Northern Virginia Independent Schools State Invitational, held for teams that play in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and the Independent School League.

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