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

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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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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