With a strong 3-1 start, including two shutouts, the Bishop O’Connell Knights are seeing their best start in a dozen years.
The Arlington private high-school football team won its third-straight game by blanking the visiting and previously undefeated Northern Virginia Home School Centurions, 48-0, Sept. 26 in non-conference action.
The 3-1 start is O’Connell’s best since winning its first five games of the 2014 campaign. The 2021 season was the last time the Knights won three games in a row, and O’Connell had not shut out two opponents in one season since 2008, when it blanked three teams that fall.
The 48 points are the most the team scored in a single contest since amassing 49 back in 2019.
The Knights won just two games last fall, but their goal is to win many more in 2026.
“This start is all about us progressing, learning, cleaning up mistakes and becoming a better football team,” O’Connell coach Todd Sabatino told ARLnow. “Our defense has been very good all season and not giving up many points, and we are getting better on offense.”
That offense amassed 356 total yards and scored six touchdowns in the win over Northern Virginia Home School. Senior running back Nick Morris led the way with 89 yards rushing and two TDs with runs of 36 and five yards, and junior Pierce Hall ran for 43 and two scores of 10 and two yards.
Senior quarterback Ryan Turpin passed for 91 yards and a touchdown, and Conor Schied threw for 64 yards and a TD. The scoring passes went to Jake Sikra for 20 yards and Ryan Pedone for 29. James Fatzinger had five catches for 49 yards and Sikra and Jon Tyler had two catches each.
Tim Robertson scored a TD on a one-yard fumble return. Jack Wall booted three extra points and Eddie Meckley two.
The Knights made few mistakes (just one turnover) against Northern Virginia Home School.
The offensive line was anchored by Turner Bryce, Leul Robel, Maeta Steele, Karim Ahmed-Alfonso and Andrew Fabian.
On defense, Quinn Thomas, Kaiden Alt and Santi Villanueva also recovered fumbles and Noah Jordan had an interception. Scott Shaw and D.J. Vann were among those with sacks and Bryce, Kian Kaboli-Monfared and Anthony Baynes were among those with tackles for losses and multiple tackles.
In its previous victory, also at home, O’Connell defeated the Washington Patriots of Charles Town, W.Va., 31-20 and blanked St. John Paul the Great, 41-0, the contest before that.
Against Washington, Morris ran for 126 yards and a touchdown, Turpin passed for 153 yards and a TD, and Fatzinger caught two passes for 73 yards and a score. Morris also had two catches, Hall one for 39 and Tyler one for 21.
Kaboli-Monfared scored two defensive touchdowns on a fumble recovery in the end zone and a 31-yard interception return. He also had a sack and forced a fumble.
Take away some costly turnovers and O’Connell was in position to win its season opener, a 35-21 loss to Washington-Liberty.
In other Bishop O’Connell fall sports action to date:
Girls volleyball: In girls volleyball, the perennial power Knights are having a dominating start to the season with a 21-0 overall record, including a 5-0 mark in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
In those 21 matches, the Knights have not yet lost a set, winning with scores of either 3-0 or 2-0. O’Connell has won two tournaments, both with 5-0 records.
Individually, senior Macie Murray, sophomores Carolyn Maria and Kiera Jordan and freshman Nadia Wooten lead the team in kills. Junior Charlotte Nelson is the digs leader, with junior Natalie Hobson and Maria leading in assists.
Girls field hockey: In girls field hockey, the Knights have continued as a perennial power and playoff-championship contender on conference and state levels since Megan Sullivan took over as the head coach five years ago.
So far this fall, O’Connell has a 7-1-1 overall record and stands 3-0 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. In conference play, O’Connell has defeated St. John’s, 3-1, St. Paul VI Catholic, 6-1, and Holy Cross, 9-1.
Key non-league victories have been over Potomac School, 3-0, and National Cathedral, 3-1, and annual public-school power Yorktown, 3-1, in an all-Arlington clash.
At the Max High School Invitational, O’Connell tied Episcopal Academy of Pennsylvania, which is currently ranked eighth in the country.
The Knights have performed so well despite having a young roster that includes only three seniors: captain and goalie Sophia Lianos, captain Anelia Werner and Molly O’Boyle.
Lena Sullivan, the team’s leading goal scorer from last season, is a junior and key returning player. She is also the scoring leader this season with 13 goals and seven assists, and she has committed to play in college at the University of Delaware. She tallied her 100th career point with a goal against Potomac and has a total of 49 career goals.
Junior captain Ysens Mason has six goals and four assists, while sophomore Lucy Paquette has seven goals and one assist.
Girls soccer: The two-time defending Northern Virginia state champion Bishop O’Connell Knights girls soccer team owned a 4-2-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference when this week began.
O’Connell’s conference victories have been over Bishop Ireton, 6-0, and Holy Cross, 3-0.
The Knights are expected to be a top challenger again this season to contend for conference and state-tournament championships. O’Connell has won four of the last five state titles.
Some of the Knights’ top returners this season are Mackenzie Barbato, Elina Krumenacker, Alex Carter, Meeghan Zonavetch, Eliana Moseley, Ashley An, Brooke Flemming, Christina Jimenez, Olivia Axeen, Tara McCarthy, Lily Salva, Reese Baskin and Molly Clark, who scored 12 goals last season.
Boys soccer: In boys soccer, the Knights began the week with a 3-2-3 overall record and were ranked third in the season’s initial Division I private-school state poll.
One of O’Connell’s wins was over Bishop Ireton, 4-2, in a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference match. The Knights tied St. Paul VI Catholic, 1-1, in another WCAC contest. O’Connell’s conference record when the week began was 1-1-1.
Two top returning players are junior Bryan Marin and sophomore Evan Curry. The defenders were honorable-mention WCAC selections last season.
The team’s seniors are Ethan Malagrin, Kevin Colevas, Briggs Demangone, Tommy McBride, Connor Robbins, Micah Sanatjou and Luke Krumenacker.
The roster also includes seven sophomores and three freshmen.
Cross country: In cross country, the defending Division I private school state and Catholic school champion Knights boys team has had some strong individual performances in meets so far from their top runners, brothers Jayse and Landon Brefcynzski.
As far as team results, O’Connell hasn’t finished very high in any meets yet, but the biggest competition is still ahead for the team in the coming weeks.
“We will want to peak and be ready, and we should be in time for those meets,” O’Connell coach Jim Connor said.
At the recent Wolverine Invitational in Purcellville, Landon Brefcynzski placed second in 15:52 and his brother Jayse was 35th. The team was 20th in the standings.
Girls tennis: In girls tennis, the biggest victory for the Bishop O’Connell Knights so far was a 7-2 win over conference and Northern Virginia rival Bishop Ireton.
The team is led by seniors Campbell Costello, Chloe Magielnick, Helena Munoz and Taylor Watson.
