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

Yorktown opens boys basketball season hoping to build on success

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown's James Davis (15) grabs one of his 11 rebounds against Lewis (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

There is some of the same, but also much is different, about the Yorktown Patriots’ boys basketball team compared to last season’s record-tying, 20-win high-school squad.

Just one full-time starter returns from a Yorktown team that finished first in the Liberty District standings in 2024-25 before falling in the semifinals of the 6D North Region Tournament.

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Sports

December will be a busy month for local high-school basketball action

By Dave Facinoli
Carmichael Williams, right, is a returning playing for the Washington-Liberty boys (file photo)

The month of December is the busiest time of the long campaign for girls and boys varsity basketball teams across Arlington and Northern Virginia.

During those 31 days, some squads will play as many as 10 to 12 games, including contests in a variety of tournaments.

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Sports

O’Connell girls volleyball team wraps up season with 22-3 mark

By Dave Facinoli
The O'Connell girls volleyball team had another successful season (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The 2025 season was again a success, as usual, for the Bishop O’Connell Knights. But the girls high-school volleyball team fell short in its quest for postseason tournament championships.

O’Connell finished with a 22-3 overall record and advanced as far as the semifinals in both the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and Division I state private-school tournaments.

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Sports

Arlington starting quarterbacks honored for productive 2025 performances

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown's Samson Schneider was a first-team all-Liberty District quarterback (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The starting quarterbacks at Arlington’s four high-school football teams have received all-league honors, rewarding their strong performances during the 2025 fall season.

Three of those players passed for more than 2,000 yards, the other for nearly 1,000. None were starters for any of the Arlington teams in 2024, yet they made a big impact in their initial season.

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Sports

Yorktown’s football announcer welcomes 14-year-old son into the profession

By Dave Facinoli
Riley Williams, left, announces Annandale freshman football game with his father, Chris, spotting (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

A like-father-like-son story with an Arlington connection transpired this fall in two press boxes during football season in Northern Virginia.

At Yorktown High School in Arlington, with his enthusiastic yet professional and calm demeanor, Chris Williams worked his 23rd season as the Friday-night announcer of home varsity games for the Patriots.

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Sports

Arlington football teams combine for 19 victories, down from 22 last year

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty and Yorktown each won seven football games this season (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The 19 combined victories amassed this fall by the four varsity high-school football teams in Arlington were three fewer than during the 2024 campaign.

The drop-off can be attributed to the Washington-Liberty Generals having five fewer wins than a year ago, when the team achieved a single-season program best 12 victories.

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Sports

O’Connell achieves field-hockey milestone with tournament crown

By Dave Facinoli
The O'Connell players hold the WCAC championship trophy (courtesy of O'Connell field hockey)

For a fifth season, the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls field-hockey team continued to find success under the leadership of Megan Sullivan.

This fall, the high school squad won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament for the first time, nipping top seed St. John’s, 1-0, in the championship match.

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Sports

Football season ends for Yorktown with close first-round playoff loss

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown quarterback Samson Schneider runs with the ball against South Lakes (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The 2025 high-school football season began and ended in a similar fashion for the Yorktown Patriots — with bookend losses to the South Lakes Seahawks.

Playing at home, Yorktown fell to South Lakes, 24-17, Friday evening (Nov. 14) in a first-round game of the 6D North Region tournament playoffs.

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Sports

W-L falls to Westfield in first-round region football playoff game

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty receivers caught multiple passes in a playoff loss to Westfield (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The Washington-Liberty Generals were productive enough on offense to win their first-round playoff game of the 6D North Region football tournament.

Defense, though, was another matter — and became the reason W-L lost the Friday night (Nov. 14) high-school contest to the host Westfield Bulldogs, 56-28.

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Sports

Arlington middle schoolers make history with area-wide football crown

By Dave Facinoli
The champion Arlington Admirals (courtesy of the Admirals)

As the team’s nickname indicates, the Arlington Admirals were in command of local youth football action this fall.

In addition to the team of middle schoolers’ undefeated 9-0 record, the Admirals won the Varsity Central Division playoff championship of the Northern Virginia Youth Football League.

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Sports

Yorktown runner caps standout season with second in state meet

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown runners and Washington-Liberty's Maddie Bryss placed at the state meet (courtesy of Yorktown cross country)

Bursting on the high-school cross-country scene by winning her first race as an unknown sophomore runner in early September, Molly Hardwick continues to prove she is no fluke.

The Yorktown High School harrier capped the 2025 campaign with probably her biggest accomplishment and against the toughest competition Saturday (Nov. 8) — a runner-up finish in the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 girls state championship meet.

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Sports

O’Connell boys win first Va. private school cross-country title in 25 years

By Dave Facinoli
The Bishop O'Connell boys hold the state cross-country championship trophy (courtesy of O'Connell cross country)

A cross-country season that began strong and seldom faltered finished with the Bishop O’Connell Knights boys cross-country team winning the Division I private-school state championship for the first time since 2000.

Improving from fifth place in last year’s meet, the Knights brought home the title Nov. 6 on the 5,000-meter Panorama Farms course near Charlottesville. O’Connell finished ahead of second place and defending state champion Potomac School.

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