Tight games have been the norm in recent years when the Liberty District rivals Langley Saxons and Yorktown Patriots met in high-school football action.
But not during the Friday (Oct. 18) regular-season clash. Host Langley won, 48-14, by taking control right from the start.
Led by the running of Ethan Lebkisher and a punishing ground game, the Marshall Statesmen won big in their latest high-school football game.
The Statesmen (6-2, 3-1) routed the visiting Wakefield Warriors (2-6, 0-4) by a 40-15 score in a Liberty District game Friday night (Oct. 18). Marshall is now tied for second place in the district with the Langley Saxons (7-1, 3-1).
The first statewide Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division I private-school weekly high-school football poll for the 2024 season has been released, with no local teams ranked among the top six.
The Potomac School Panthers (4-2) and Flint Hill Huskies (1-5) received votes, but did not make the VISAA ranking.
It was a game described as “weird” by Oakton Cougars head coach Brian Clay. But he was happy to accept the result.
In a recent non-conference contest highlighted by multiple penalties and unusual situations, visiting Oakton (3-3) defeated the West Potomac Wolverines, 17-14, in overtime. Collin Henriques made the winning and walk-off 18-yard field goal.
With their first road win of the season, the Potomac School Panthers kept their state playoff hopes alive.
The Panthers (4-2) defeated the host Sidwell Friends Quakers, 28-6, Oct. 10 behind a strong defensive performance and, on offense, the production of runningback Lucas Boulter, who ran for 191 yards on 25 carries, including a three-yard scoring run.
The first win of the season was a record-setter for the Flint Hill Huskies.
By defeating the visiting Catholic Crusaders (0-7) from Virginia Beach by a 63-7 score Oct. 12 in non-conference high-school football action, the Huskies (1-5) set a team-high scoring total. The previous mark was 62 points, accomplished four different times over the past 14 years.
The Langley Saxons were outgained by a hundred total yards, but not outscored, in their Oct. 10 Liberty District road victory over the host Wakefield Warriors.
Langley (6-1, 2-1) rallied from a 17-7 second-quarter deficit to win the high-school football game, 42-30, bouncing back from their lone loss of the season a week earlier.
The running game was significant on both sides of the ball for the Marshall Statesmen in Thursday (Oct. 10) football action.
On defense, the Statesmen allowed 303 yards rushing to the host and undefeated Washington-Liberty Generals, while gaining a modest 125 in their 42-13 loss in a Liberty District high-school game.
For one dominant local football team, its most recent success can be summed up in two words: Knicely done.
Trailing a couple of times in a Concorde District high-school football game against the visiting Westfield Bulldogs, the Madison Warhawks’ star runningback and kick returner, Dominic Knicely, responded with different types of touchdowns to rally his undefeated team for a 26-21 victory Oct. 10 in Vienna.
There will be no “Friday-night lights” for local public high-school football teams this weekend.
Instead, contests will be played a night earlier on Thursday (Oct. 10) at the traditional 7 p.m. starting time, in order to accommodate the observance of Yom Kippur.
