The Yorktown Patriots won the Liberty District crown with the squad’s biggest victory of the high-school football season Thursday night (Oct. 30).
The host Patriots defeated two-time defending district champion and county rival Washington-Liberty Generals, 31-24, in a seesaw offensive clash that went into overtime.
The win ended the regular season for Yorktown with a 7-3 overall mark, 6-0 in the district, and three-game winning streak.
The district title is the team’s first since 2021. The win also snapped Yorktown’s three-game losing streak against W-L over three seasons.
The loss ended W-L’s 14-game winning string against district opponents.
For Yorktown, the victory cemented lofty ambitions that appeared at risk during a sluggish start.
“Our players had three goals this season,” first-year Yorktown head coach Alec Hicks told ARLnow. “They wanted to have a winning record, win the district and win the county championship.”
They did all three.
By defeating W-L, Yorktown also claimed the unofficial Arlington football championship with a 2-0 record this fall against public-school county rivals. Yorktown routed the Wakefield Warriors earlier this season.
In the Oct. 30 game, Yorktown led 14-0 at halftime. The second half included two ties and as many lead changes, with a total 41 points scored. The teams combined for 663 total yards in the contest, with Yorktown having a slight advantage with 351.
Both squads converted on key third- and-fourth-down situations.
Washington-Liberty’s lone lead in the second half was 21-17. After Yorktown went ahead 24-21, the Generals tied the score at 24 on a 22-yard field goal by Landon Jones with a second to play, forcing overtime.
“They would take the lead or tie it, but our guys kept fighting and coming back every time,” Hicks said. “They kept executing.”
Yorktown’s winning touchdown came on its only possession of the extra period when quarterback Samson Schneider threw an eight-yard scoring pass to Alex Hans in the right corner of the end zone. Max Yoon booted the extra point for the 31-24 lead.
Washington-Liberty’s sole overtime possession ended when Yorktown’s Nicky Palma intercepted a fourth-down pass in the middle of the end zone. It was the senior linebacker and captain’s first high-school interception.
“I knew they were coming over the middle with that pass, so that was my play,” Palma said of the interception. “I knew where they were throwing it.”
The previous play was a pass broken up in the end zone by defensive back Justin White, who also had a tackle for a loss. The two plays before that resulted in negative yardage on runs.
Palma was among Yorktown’s leading tackles along with Bobby Shea. Henry Midberry and Andrew Ellington had sacks.
Schneider led the Yorktown offense. He was 20 of 29 passing for 270 yards and threw three scoring passes. He also ran for 36 yards on nine carries.
Schneider’s other two scoring throws went to Boston Izzo for 25 yards and Brady Owens for 14.
Colt Monticello had a five-yard scoring run and Yoon kicked four extra points and a 25-yard field goal.
Hans, Owens and Sammy Keiser all caught five passes, Izzo caught three and Monticello two. Nate Randles rushed for 40 yards for Yorktown.
The Generals (7-2, 4-1) have one regular-season game remaining, at home Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. against the Langley Saxons (7-2, 4-1) in district play. The teams are tied for second in the league.
As for the showdown against Yorktown, W-L coach Josh Shapiro told ARLnow:
“It was a game of conflicting styles. We ran the ball well and they passed well. Yorktown played well and their quarterback is legit. He beat us with his legs and passing.”
The Generals’ offense was led by the running of Brayden Black. He rushed for 162 yards on 24 carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of four, 11 and 25 yards. He also caught four passes for 17 yards.
“Having Brayden playing and running well is very important because he is so physical,” Shapiro said. “Without him, that puts a lot of pressure on us in different areas.”
Black entered the game with two sore shoulders, but played anyway.
Washington-Liberty quarterback Tyler Flint-Steinig was 18 of 23 passing for 140 yards. David Toepel had seven catches for 48 yards, and Trevor Fullen and Gavin England caught three each. Jones kicked three extra points.
On defense for Washington-Liberty, Henry Fonseca-Cruz, Miles Whitaker, Lando Reed, Peter Manouilidis, Gabe Salmeron (sack) and Matthew Heim were tackling leaders. Toepel had an interception.
Penalties played a significant role in the game. Yorktown was flagged 11 times for 125 yards, including multiple personal fouls, and W-L had nine for 91.
A mistake that hurt W-L came in the first half, when the Generals failed to convert a field-goal attempt when the snap was dropped by the holder.
Both Washington-Liberty and Yorktown already have clinched berths into the eight-team 6D North Region playoffs. Yorktown will be the top seed from the Liberty District, while W-L will be the second or third.
NOTE: There is no trophy awarded to the Arlington squad that defeats both county rivals and wins the county crown. Yet, for decades, the players and coaches of the unit that finishes 2-0 claim being the Arlington football champs, as the Generals were the past two seasons and Yorktown is for 2025.
