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

Five Arlington football players make all-region teams on defense

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty's Ian Crowley and Sean Guffey made first-team all-region on defense (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Five high-school football players, all seniors, and one head coach from Arlington were chosen to 6D North Region first or second teams on defense for their performances during the 2024 fall season.

The first-team all-region selections were lineman Ben Hughes, linebacker Sean Guffey and all-purpose defensive player Ian Crowley from the Washington-Liberty Generals. Those three were leaders in tackles, sacks, deflected passes and other defensive categories for W-L.

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Sports

W-L, Yorktown football players chosen to all-region teams

By Dave Facinoli
Matthew Abramson made second-team all-region (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Seven high-school football players from Arlington were chosen to 6D North Region first or second team on offense for their performances during the 2024 fall season.

The first-team all-region selections were Washington-Liberty Generals senior wide receiver Jon Malatesta and Yorktown Patriots junior tight end Brady Owens  and Yorktown senior offensive lineman Aidan Vroom.

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Sports

Yorktown boys basketball team rallies late to overtake Madison

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown's Austin Barbieri looks to shoot (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The beginning and end of the basketball game were good for the Yorktown Patriots in a comeback victory over the Madison Warhawks.

In between, Yorktown struggled, shooting poorly and turning the ball over in falling behind by as many as 14 points before its eventual 63-60 win in the boys high-school contest Friday night (Dec. 6) at Woodson High School.

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Sports

Rough start to season not a surprise for young W-L hoop team

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty, South County players at the foul line (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

With a young and inexperienced team, longtime coach Bobby Dobson was expecting his Washington-Liberty Generals to have a difficult start to the boys basketball season.

So the recent one-sided losses in the high-school team’s first games against perennially strong opponents, both on the road, were not a big surprise.

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News

Arlington resident still touching lives of many through memorial fund

By Dave Facinoli
Arlington resident Antuon Townsend died in 2021 (courtesy image)

The March 2021 death of Antuon Townsend from colon cancer at age 39 hit many in Arlington hard.

Townsend was known by young and old across the county through a wide array of community involvement. He was a popular personal trainer, instructor and coach of basketball and sports camps in Arlington for youth of all ages.

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Sports

Multiple Arlington football players chosen to all-district teams

By Dave Facinoli
Sam Bekele (55) was a first-team offensive lineman (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Arlington was well-represented, with players from the county’s three public-school teams among those chosen to the 2024 all-Liberty District high-school football teams.

Making first-team on offense were quarterback Matthew Abramson (Washington-Liberty), wide receivers Jon Malatesta (Washington-Liberty) and Finn Luca (Yorktown), tight end Brady Owens (Yorktown), and offensive linemen Sam Bekele (Washington-Liberty) and Aidan Vroom (Yorktown).

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Sports

O’Connell grad makes impact as a college-cross country runner

By Dave Facinoli
Molly Weithman, middle, runs for the College of William and Mary (courtesy of William and Mary athletics)

Molly Weithman made a strong and quick adjustment from high school to collegiate cross-country this fall as a freshman for the College of William and Mary women’s team.

The Bishop O’Connell High School graduate and standout runner wound up as the top-finishing freshman for William and Mary at the recent NCAA Division I Southeast Regional meet. She placed 89th in 22:20.5 in the 6K event, and was the team’s third finisher.

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Sports

Arlington high school sports schedule for Dec. 6-12

By Dave Facinoli
The high-school swimming season is underway (file photo)

Arlington high schools have a full week of sports action starting Friday (Dec. 6) as the winter season is underway following conclusion of fall campaigns.

There are basketball games, a big wrestling tournament, swim-and-dive meets, girls gymnastics action, ice-hockey matches and more coming up.

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Sports

Multiple O’Connell volleyball players chosen to all-state teams

By Dave Facinoli
The O'Connell state championship team (courtesy of O'Connell volleyball)

It’s not unusual for individuals from a team that won a state championship to receive significant postseason accolades.

So it went for the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls high-school volleyball team, which won this fall’s Division I private-school state crown. Five players from that squad recently were chosen to all-state teams.

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Sports

Two W-L football players enjoyed standout seasons on offense

By Dave Facinoli
Matthew Abramson, left, and Jon Malatesta (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Even though their team lost in the region final, Liberty District offensive football standouts Jon Malatesta and Matthew Abramson amassed big numbers in the game, as the seniors often did for the Washington-Liberty Generals during the 2024 high-school season.

At wide receiver, Malatesta had one last hurrah by catching nine passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in W-L’s 48-21 loss to the Madison Warhawks in the 6D North Region championship game Nov. 30.

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Sports

Marymount women’s volleyball team wins third straight tourney title

By Dave Facinoli
The champion Marymount team (courtesy of Marymount athletics)

In front of a big home crowd, the Marymount University Saints women’s volleyball team recently won a third- straight Atlantic East Conference tournament championship.

The top-seeded Saints were 2-0 in the tourney, defeating Gwynedd Mercy University in the semifinals, then Neuman University in the title match, each by 3-0 scores.

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