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

W-L boys basketball team finds rhythm with two straight victories

By Dave Facinoli
Carmichael Williams was a top scorer for W-L (photo by Rena Schild)

With two straight significant victories, the Washington-Liberty Generals boys basketball team has entered the conversation as a contender in the Liberty District.

The Generals snapped a three-game losing streak with league wins over the host Langley Saxons, 65-57, then the visiting Wakefield Warriors, 58-44, on consecutive nights.

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Sports

O’Connell swim and dive teams place at National Catholic meet

By Dave Facinoli
O'Connell girls swimmers warm up (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

A victory by one diver and a second by another helped the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls and boys teams enjoy top-10 finishes at the National Catholic Swim & Dive Championships.

O’Connell freshman Raito Detten won the boys diving competition with a 253.46 point total, as the Knights finished seventh in the high-school meet. O’Connell’s Isabel Smith was second in girls diving, helping her team place fifth.

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Sports

Wakefield enjoys a strong showing at girls wrestling tournament

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

Led by standout wrestler Cameron Millsapps, the Wakefield Warriors enjoyed a strong performance at the La Luchadora Classic girls high-school competition.

Millsapps won the individual championship at 152 pounds at the 28-team event. She dominated the weight class with a 4-0 record and four pins.

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Sports

Yorktown takes sole possession of first in Liberty District basketball

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown huddles against Wakefield (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Another consistent and unselfish performance on the basketball court gave the Yorktown Patriots sole possession of first place in the Liberty District with a 3-0 record.

The boys high-school team (11-1) moved into that spot with a 67-32 home blowout victory over its Arlington rival Wakefield Warriors (8-5, 3-1) Tuesday night (Jan. 14).

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Sports

Wakefield nips Marshall in physical boys basketball contest

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield huddles against Marshall (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The Marshall Statesmen and Wakefield Warriors on Monday (Jan. 13) played another of their low-scoring, physical boys basketball games that sometimes resemble a hard-checking NHL-playoff match.

Host Wakefield won the Liberty District seesaw high-school contest, 35-34, when Marshall’s Osteen Fraser failed to sink a baseline jump shot at the buzzer.

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Sports

Wakefield, Marshall’s basketball ‘big men’ battle in the middle

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield's Kooper Odar, left, and Marshall's Anderson Krisko (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

A contest-within-the-contest played out Monday (Jan. 13) when the Wakefield Warriors hosted the Marshall Statesmen in Liberty District boys basketball action.

Wakefield won the physical, low-scoring, seesaw high-school clash, 35-34.

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Sports

W-L has key district games this week in girls basketball action

By Dave Facinoli
Eve Jungman has returned for Washington-Liberty (photo by Deb Kolt)

The Washington-Liberty Generals have a big rest of the week in girls Liberty District basketball with games against two top league rivals in the Langley Saxons and McLean Highlanders.

The Generals enter those high-school contests with an 8-4 overall record and a 2-0 district mark.

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Sports

Yorktown wrestling team busy in dual meet and tourney action

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown's Eli Varona, top, placed in a tournament (courtesy of Yorktown wrestling)

The Yorktown Patriots were busy in recent tournament and dual-match wrestling action — with mixed results.

In a dual high-school meet, Yorktown recorded three pins and two technical falls in a 44-34 loss to the Marshall Statesmen in Liberty District action.

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Sports

O’Connell boys win big in non-conference basketball contests

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

In recent private-school boys basketball games, the Bishop O’Connell Knights (12-3) routed Evergreen Christian, 77-44, and Potomac School, 99-30, in two non-conference high-school contests.

The victories upped the Knights’ winning streak to six.

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Sports

Four O’Connell fall head coaches honored for standout seasons

By Dave Facinoli
O'Connell coaches were fall's best (courtesy of O'Connell athletics)

The standout fall season enjoyed by multiple Bishop O’Connell High School sports teams was highlighted when four different head coaches for the private-school Knights athletic program received Coach of the Year accolades.

Earning Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors were Megan Sullivan for girls field hockey, Chris Jennings for boys soccer and Alerto Starace for girls soccer. Mehdi El Alaoui was the Division I state Coach of the Year for girls volleyball.

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Sports

Wakefield, Yorktown boys teams start 2-0 in district hoop action

By Dave Facinoli
Gabe Henneman shoots for Wakefield (photo by Rena Schild)

The Wakefield Warriors and Yorktown Patriots won in boys high-school basketball action Friday night (Jan. 10) to remain undefeated at 2-0 in the Liberty District.

The Wakefield boys got 16 points from Keyon Tiggle and 10 each from Jeremiah Poole and Koopar Odar in their 55-51 home victory over the McLean Highlanders.

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