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

Wakefield, W-L combine for three wins in holiday basketball tournament

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield's Zak Amadou takes a shot against South Lakes (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Of the two Arlington squads that played in the annual eight-team George Long Holiday Hoops Tournament, the host Wakefield Warriors placed highest.

The boys high-school basketball team (8-2 overall) ended up in fifth place with a 2-1 record, playing in three close games in the popular 23-year-old holiday event, the only one of its kind in the county.

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Sports

W-L first-year center chosen first-team all-state in Class 6 football

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty center Grant Siebert was chosen first-team all-state (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Grant Siebert didn’t realize at the time that learning to play center in youth flag football would pave the way for significant achievements as a high-school senior.

The Washington-Liberty Generals’ captain recently was chosen to the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 first-team on offense as the lone center. He is the first W-L offensive lineman chosen first-team all-state at any position in Josh Shapiro’s 19 seasons as the Generals’ head coach.

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Sports

Wakefield boys basketball coach Tony Bentley earns 400th career victory

By Dave Facinoli
Tony Bentley coaches Wakefield during a timeout (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

After the Wakefield Warriors went 0-3 to open the 2002-03 boys basketball season, new head coach Tony Bentley grew increasingly anxious about getting his first victory.

In the squad’s fourth game of the season, the Warriors managed to eke out a win over the Marshall Statesmen, 61-60.

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Sports

Holiday boys basketball tournament to begin at Wakefield on Friday

By Dave Facinoli
The Wakefield Warriors will host the annual George Long Holiday Hoops Tournament (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

A holiday boys basketball competition is set to tip off in Arlington this Friday at Wakefield High School.

The eight-team George Long Holiday Hoops Tournament, which will run through Monday, Dec. 29, is under the leadership of Warriors’ head coach Tony Bentley. He founded it and has served as event director the past 23 years.

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Sports

W-L girls, Yorktown boys win neighborhood hoop showdowns

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty’s Eve Jungman (34) is surrounded by Yorktown defenders (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The rivalry is decades old, but there was something brand new in this season’s first of two regular-season all-Arlington girls neighborhood basketball clashes between the Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots.

The head coaches of both high-school teams are brand new this season as they led the Dec. 19 showdown at Washington-Liberty.

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Sports

Standout Yorktown tight end earns football scholarship to Rutgers

By Dave Facinoli
Brady Owens gets set to start a receiving route (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Having first learned to play the precision football position of a long snapper, Brady Owens found himself developing into a talented tight end.

Owens honed those skills into becoming a standout player during his four-year high-school career playing for Arlington’s Yorktown Patriots.

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Sports

Arlington boys basketball teams get off to best start in 35+ years

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown's Walton Butler heads to the basket, guarded by Wakefield's Jeremiah Poole (photo courtesy Jennifer Snow Butler)

Added together, Arlington’s four boys high-school varsity teams are enjoying their collective best start of a basketball season in decades.

Through Dec. 13 action, the squads had a cumulative 20-3 overall record. One of those three losses was inevitable, as it came in a neighborhood rivalry contest between the  Wakefield Warriors and Yorktown Patriots. Yorktown came away with the victory.

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Sports

Yorktown wins opening county rivalry game of basketball season

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield moves the ball against Yorktown’s defense (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Between them, girls and boys varsity public high-school basketball teams in Arlington have six regular-season rivalry games scheduled this season.

The first contest was a boys clash Thursday night, Dec. 11, when the host Wakefield Warriors (3-1) lost to the Yorktown Patriots (4-1) by a 73-41 score in Liberty District action.

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Sports

W-L girls basketball team starts strong with first-year coach, new players

By Dave Facinoli
Kathryn Wagener takes a foul shot for Washington-Liberty (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The Washington-Liberty Generals girls varsity basketball team is adjusting well to a new coach, the loss of key players and the arrival of new faces.

In addition, first-year coach Horace “Buck” Willis is adapting to the new experience of leading a girls squad.

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Sports

Numerous football players from county schools chosen all-region

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield middle linebacker Sean Perry (99) was selected first-team all-region (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

A total of 17 players from Arlington’s three public high-school varsity football teams were chosen all-region for their performances during the 2025 season.

The two players chosen 6D North Region first-team on defense were seniors, who coincidentally wore uniform number 99. One was middle linebacker Sean Perry of the Wakefield Warriors and the other was lineman Bobby Shea of the Liberty District champion Yorktown Patriots.

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Sports

Wakefield boys basketball team opens with limited experience, big win

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield's Dyson Beaty, left, and Jeremiah Poole (3) run the offense (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

With only two players with significant experience returning, questions proliferated for the Wakefield Warriors when the squad opened the boys high-school basketball season Tuesday night (Dec. 2).

Senior guards Jeremiah Poole and Dyson Beaty — a starter and top substitute, respectively, from last season — are those top returners. The duo and their teammates began answering those concerns when Wakefield routed the visiting Falls Church Jaguars, 70-39, in its first contest.

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Sports

O’Connell hosts unique baseball camp for youth over Thanksgiving weekend

By Dave Facinoli
Campers participate in hitting drills (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

It’s nearly winter and the local prep basketball season has just begun. Yet the sport of baseball was front and center in a unique event held Nov. 30 at Bishop O’Connell High School.

Despite chilly and rainy weather, some 60 players ages 11 to 14 from throughout the metro area gathered at the Arlington private school for a free Thanksgiving-weekend instructional camp.

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