A significant milestone occurred when the Washington-Liberty Generals won their one of three games during the George Long Holiday boys basketball tournament.
W-L’s victory over the Osbourn Eagles at Wakefield High School was the 350th of Bobby Dobson’s 30-plus-season high-school career as the head coach of the Generals. Dobson began as W-L’s head coach during the 1993-94 campaign.
Dobson has never paid much attention to such milestones, other than saying the victory total is good for the program, as he credits any success to the players. He has no plans to stop coaching anytime soon.
Washington-Liberty is a young team and has struggled at times this season, with just four victories so far. However, Dobson told ARLnow he expects the Generals to win more once that young talent develops and the team continues to gel.
Dobson grew up in Falls Church, eventually playing high-school basketball for three years at Flint Hill School. He then played in college at Longwood College, becoming a starter as a junior and senior, before graduating in 1989.
As a senior for Longwood, Dobson started all 27 games, leading the team in assists with 136 and steals with 109. He averaged 6.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest. In 18 games as a junior, Dobson led the Lancers with 51 steals and was second in assists with 78.
After college, Dobson began coaching in high school when he was hired as the boys junior-varsity coach at Bishop O’Connell High School by then-athletic director Darrell Snyder.
He coached there one year, then was hired to replace John Phillips as the new head boys varsity coach at W-L. His Generals’ teams have won district championships, advanced far in the region playoffs and earned state-tournament berths.
NOTE: Two other high-school boys varsity basketball coaches in Arlington also could reach significant milestones for coaching victories this season. Bishop O’Connell coach Joe Wootten is within five of reaching 550 wins. Wakefield’s Tony Bentley needs 12 to earn his 400th victory.
