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

Basketball roundup: Crunch time arrives for Arlington teams

By Dave Facinoli
The Wakefield and Yorktown girls won big games (courtesy of Wakefield athletics)

While the Yorktown Patriots won a second straight Liberty District girls basketball game, on the same date their counterpart boys team lost for the first time in league play this season.

The high-school contests were at different sites against the Marshall Statesmen on Thursday (Jan. 30). The girls won 45-24 on the road. The boys never led, losing at home, 64-49, having a six-game winning streak snapped.

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Sports

O’Connell swim & dive teams each place third in conference meets

By Dave Facinoli
Kalyn O'Hara was top swimmer for Bishop O'Connell (courtesy of O'Connell swim & dive)

The Bishop O’Connell Knights certainly have been consistent with their finishes in postseason swimming and diving meets this winter.

Most recently, the high school girls and boys teams each placed third in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships in Laurel, Md.

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Sports

Arlington Bulldogs to participate in national 4-H Ignite soccer event

By Dave Facinoli
Arlington Bulldogs (courtesy of the Bulldogs)

The Arlington Bulldogs, a recreational boys soccer team, has been nominated and chosen to participate in the national 4-H Ignite competition in March.

The Arlington Soccer Association team’s roster consists of players from mostly Arlington high schools at the under-15 and under-16 age levels.

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Sports

Arlington high school sports schedule for Jan. 31-Feb. 6

By Dave Facinoli
The Liberty District gymnastics meet is Feb. 5 (courtesy of Wakefield athletics)

Some high-school postseason competitions for winter sports teams are on the schedule over the coming week.

Liberty District swimming and diving, girls gymnastics and track-and-field championships involving the Wakefield Warriors, Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots all are on the calendar.

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Sports

Yorktown grad enjoys productive Division I college-football season

By Dave Facinoli
Max Patterson (0) started for the University of Delaware (courtesy of Delaware Athletics)

Max Patterson has several options once his college football playing career ends next fall.

If the Yorktown High School graduate has another good season as a wide receiver for the Division I University of Delaware team and draws interest from a professional team, he will entertain that possibility.

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Sports

Wakefield girls wrestling team enjoys another strong showing

By Dave Facinoli
The Wakefield girls wrestling team (courtesy of Wakefield wrestling)

The Wakefield High School girls wrestling team showcased its talent at the recent Orange County Open tournament.

The competition was hosted by Orange County High School in Orange, Va., and included more than 300 wrestlers. Wakefield entered six wrestlers and finished 15th in the team scoring. There were 54 teams entered.

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Sports

It’s a homecoming for new Washington-Liberty girls soccer coach

By Dave Facinoli
Mike Woods is the new W-L girls soccer coach (courtesy of Mike Woods)

Mike Woods is coming home, where there is so much longstanding family history.

The 1986 graduate of Washington-Liberty High School (then named Washington-Lee) recently was named the new head girls varsity soccer coach for the upcoming spring season.

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Sports

W-L girls basketball team has now won two straight over Yorktown

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty plays tight defense (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The Washington-Liberty Generals drew a little closer with a recent win, but still trail in victories this decade against their top rival Yorktown Patriots in girls varsity basketball action.

Washington-Liberty defeated host Yorktown, 46-33, in that Liberty District high-school meeting. The Generals led 23-17 at halftime, then pulled away a bit more in the second half.

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Sports

O’Connell teams win Catholic swimming and diving meets

By Dave Facinoli
The championship O'Connell teams (courtesy of O'Connell swimming)

After falling just short last year, the Bishop O’Connell Knights had the necessary added incentive to win this season’s Northern Virginia Catholic swimming and diving team championships.

O’Connell won both the girls and boys high-school titles Saturday (Jan. 18) at the 15th annual event, held at Freedom Center in Manassas. The girls won with 400 points and the boys with 404.

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Sports

Arlington high school sports schedule for Jan. 24-30

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield runners will compete at the district meet (courtesy of Wakefield track and field)

Some high-school postseason action for winter sports teams are set to begin, with the Liberty District swimming and diving and track-and-field championships for the Wakefield Warriors, Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots.

The coming week also includes plenty of regular-season basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, ice hockey and track-and-field action for Arlington teams.

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Sports

O’Connell drops two in boys hoops, then bounces back with victory

By Dave Facinoli
O'Connell's Liam Koelsch (photo by Rena Schild)

Home losses in consecutive conference basketball contests over a four-day stretch snapped a six-game winning streak for the Bishop O’Connell Knights boys team.

O’Connell (13-5, 3-2) shot poorly in both outings as it lost to the Bishop McNamara Mustangs, 59-39, then to the Gonzaga Eagles, 56-47, Friday (Jan. 17) in high-school action.

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