A number of graduates of Fairfax County high schools are members of the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport University women’s basketball team that is scheduled to play a game in Northern Virginia this week.
The 14-1 Captains from Newport News will travel to Arlington and compete against the host Marymount University Saints in a Division III game.
If an undefeated record over the course of a dozen games qualifies as a strong start — and it does — the Oakton Cougars are off and running in the girls high-school basketball season.
Two lopsided victories in recent days and a 3-0 mark in its own holiday tournament give the Cougars a 12-0 record, the team’s best start since beginning 13-0 in the 2021-22 campaign.
Boys volleyball players from three different district-championship squads in Fairfax County recently were chosen to Virginia High School League Class 6 all-state teams.
From the Liberty District and region-champion McLean Highlanders team, senior Evan Li made the first team and senior Luke Cowan was selected to the second.
The annual Cassel’s Holiday Classic at Oakton High School is scheduled for Dec. 27, 28 and 30, with six girls basketball games each day.
The Oakton Cougars (8-0) are the host team. Games begin at 11 a.m. and end with a 7:45 p.m. contest, which will always include Oakton.
It’s no surprise that the Oakton Cougars girls basketball team is off to a strong start this season.
With three returning starters from last winter’s Concorde District champion and 6D North Region tournament runner-up squad, the high-school unit (22-7 last fall) is expected to be a contender for those titles again this year.
It was as if a switch turned on at halftime for the Oakton Cougars.
In the second half, the boys basketball team seemed to play harder and with more purpose, rallying to score a victory.
Three players from the state-runner-up Oakton Cougars girls field-hockey team were chosen to the Virginia High School League Class 6 all-state first team, as were three from Fairfax High School.
Oakton senior forward Avery DeKoven, junior midfielder Marisa Rubano and freshman defender Daniella Rubano were Oakton’s first-team selections.
For each of the past two seasons, the McLean Highlanders have been dominating and undefeated in winning boys volleyball championships.
And they have done so at two different levels of competition.
Last season had been the most successful in program history for the Oakton Cougars as the girls field-hockey team won district and region titles and reached the state-tournament semifinals.
This fall was even better. Oakton (22-3) won the same two championships, then advanced to the Virginia High School League Class 6 state tournament-title match.
By matching their most lopsided victory of the season, the Oakton Cougars won their opening match of the state field-hockey tournament.
Oakton (21-2) routed the visiting North Stafford Wolverines, 7-0, in that Virginia High School League Class 6 girls contest. The victory was the 13th in a row this season for a team that already has won Concorde District and 6D North Region tournaments this fall and is now 6-0 in the postseason.
