Author: Dave Facinoli

Dave Facinoli grew up in Prince George’s County, Md. and attended Friendly High School. After attending Prince’s George Community College and James Madison University, where he covered sports on both college papers, he launched a local newspaper career that included roles as the sports editor of the Alexandria Gazette, the Arlington Sun Gazette and GazetteLeader, and other local papers.

Sports

Arlington Youth Football Club honors top players as new season arrives

By Dave Facinoli
Group of students and coaches posing on a stage in front of a colorful balloon arch backdrop, some with fists raised in celebration.
The 2025 Arlington Youth Football Club champion Admirals (courtesy Arlington Youth Football)

Coming off a successful season last fall, the Arlington Youth Football Club is looking forward to more good things in the upcoming 2026 campaign as competition begins next month.

Practice began for the league on Aug. 11. Games are scheduled to kick off Saturday, Sept. 12 at Wakefield High School from 3-9 p.m. The season runs until early November.

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Sports

Washington-Liberty will rely on strong offense as it battles for Liberty District crown

By Dave Facinoli
Two football players in white uniforms crouch on a green field as crowds watch from the stands.
Jasper Dennis, left, and Tyler Flint-Steinig, right, return for Washington-Liberty (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

With some key football players returning and others stepping up to replace graduates, the Washington-Liberty Generals are optimistic about having a fourth straight winning season.

The high school team is scheduled to open the 2026 campaign on the road on Friday, Aug. 28 at 4 p.m., facing the Bishop O’Connell Knights in an all-Arlington public-vs.-private-school clash.

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Sports

Freshman golfers help Yorktown squad win invitational tournament

By Dave Facinoli
Five young athletes in matching blue shirts and white caps pose with medals and trophies after a win? holding a cup and plaques in a hallway.
The Yorktown Patriots won the Don Roth Warhawk Invitational golf tournament (courtesy Yorktown golf)

Led by the individual champion and three other golfers placing in the top 10, the Yorktown Patriots won the recent Don Roth Warhawk Invitational tournament.

Yorktown comfortably won the one-day, 18-hole, 17-team high-school golf event at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Clifton with a 295 team score. The host, the Madison Warhawks, placed second with 309.

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Sports

Yorktown varsity football team looking to defend district crown

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown football player in light blue jersey #18 runs downfield during a game on a turf field.
Jack McCorry will be Yorktown's starting quarterback this season (photo by Dave Facinoli)

The Yorktown Patriots are hungry for the 2026 high-school football season to bring more of the same, if not better, under second-year head coach Alec Hicks.

Under Hicks in 2025, the Patriots finished 7-4 overall, won the Liberty District title with a 6-0 record, were 2-0 against Arlington County rivals and earned a region-tournament playoff berth.

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Sports

All six Arlington swim teams earned winning records this summer

By Dave Facinoli
Group of children in a swimming pool with colorful inflatables and pool noodles, posing and smiling.
Arlington Knights of Columbus won the 2026 relay carnival (photo from the Knights of Columbus)

All six Arlington teams emerged with winning records in this summer’s Northern Virginia Swimming League and Colonial Swimming League competition.

Of those, the two Colonial Swimming League squads won division championships with undefeated 5-0 marks.

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Sports

High school football kicks off in Arlington later this month

By Dave Facinoli
Football game at the line of scrimmage: white-uniformed offense facing a dark-uniform defender, players crouched and ready to snap, with fans and a 'WILD WEST' banner in the background.
Ryan Turpin, left, returns as O'Connell's starting quarterback (photo by Dave Facinoli)

High school football in Northern Virginia is set for kickoff later this month.

Arlington’s Bishop O’Connell Knights, Wakefield Warriors, Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots open their 10-game regular-season campaigns, which include a bye week for each, on Aug. 27 and 28.

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Sports

Wakefield HS celebrates two coaches named district and regional ‘Coach of the Year’

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield girls lacrosse coach Tylar Abrams designs a play during a match (courtesy Wakefield lacrosse)

It’s a big deal any time a head coach of a high-school sports team is chosen as Coach of the Year.

But two different head coaches from the same school receiving that recognition during the same campaign by separate organizations? That’s a very rare occurrence — but happened during the 2026 spring outdoor season at Arlington’s Wakefield High School.

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Sports

Athletes from local high schools chosen to spring all-state teams

By Dave Facinoli
O'Connell's Gigi Payne was an all-state selection in softball (photo by Dave Facinoli)

Players from multiple sports for Arlington teams received public and private all-state honors for their performances during the 2026 spring high school season.

Leading the way were the three Bishop O’Connell Knights baseball players chosen to the Division I private school all-state first team.

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Sports

Four Arlington swim teams all win season-opening meets

By Dave Facinoli
The Overlee Flying Fish opened their swim season with a win on June 20 (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The opening week of the summer season resulted in victories for all four of Arlington’s Northern Virginia Swimming League teams on Saturday morning.

The last time all four won in the same week was during the 2015 campaign, while the last time all four won their opening meets in the same season was 2005.

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Sports

Yorktown softball, lacrosse teams end seasons in state tournaments

By Dave Facinoli
Kaya Randall pitches for Yorktown during the playoffs (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Reaching state tournaments this spring season was something familiar for one Yorktown High School team, but a new experience for a second.

Getting there marked a first for the girls softball team, but was old hat for the previous state-champion boys lacrosse squad.

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Sports

Better Sports Club awards banquet celebrates Arlington students, coaches

By Dave Facinoli
Recipients of 2026 Better Sports Club of Arlington awards awards (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The 70th annual Better Sports Club of Arlington awards banquet honored high school student-athletes, along with their coaches and boosters, for successes during the 2025-26 school year.

More than 30 high school seniors received awards for their overall excellence during competition, in the classroom and in the community.

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Sports

Yorktown girls soccer team falls just short of state crown, closing stellar season

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown's Claire Beasley (23) shoots on goal in the state final (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

They had hoped to win a couple of more championships instead of having runner-up finishes. Yet, the Yorktown Patriots still achieved a high-water mark by reaching the championship games of the maximum three post-season girls high-school soccer tournaments this spring.

The most recent was the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state tournament final June 13 in Ashburn. Yorktown lost that game, 1-0, on a late goal off a corner kick to the Independence Tigers on their home field.

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