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 defeats Wakefield for 29th straight time in annual football showdown

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown quarterback Samson Schneider looks to run against Wakefield (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The end result was a familiar story when the Wakefield Warriors and Yorktown Patriots met in their annual all-Arlington high-school football showdown.

With the bleachers full on both sides, Yorktown won for the 29th straight time over Wakefield with a 45-6 victory Friday night (Oct. 17) on the Warriors’ home field in Liberty District action.

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Sports

O’Connell soccer coach and player inducted into Arlington Sports Hall of Fame

By Dave Facinoli
Kika Toulouse and Alberto Starace are the newest Arlington Sports Hall of Fame inductees (staff phtoto by Dave Facinoli)

The latest two inductees in the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame are the first from any high-school soccer team, girls or boys, in the local sports pantheon’s nearly 70-year history.

The Oct. 8 induction dinner, held at the Knights of Columbus on Little Falls Road, enshrined Alberto Starace and Gabriella “Kika” Toulouse as the latest honorees in a hall of fame that stretches back to the 1950s.

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Sports

After 56-7 loss, Wakefield football team looks to Yorktown matchup

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield coaches and players face Arlington rival Yorktown their next game (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

With their worst game of the season behind them, the Wakefield Warriors won’t dwell on the lopsided setback, because the high-school football team has an Arlington rival next up on the schedule.

Wakefield (3-3, 0-2) lost to the host Langley Saxons, 56-7, in Liberty District action Friday night (Oct. 10). Next up on its home field Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m., Wakefield hosts the district-leading Yorktown Patriots (4-3, 3-0).

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Sports

O’Connell holds off Ireton, 33-28, to win annual football showdown

By Dave Facinoli
Xavier Reid catches a ball over the middle for Bishop O'Connell (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Although neither high-school football team has won many games in recent seasons, the Bishop O’Connell Knights and Bishop Ireton Cardinals still play their version of a Super Bowl each fall.

The annual contest pits the longtime Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) private-school rivals each year in a regular-season clash. A victory earns 12 months of bragging rights and, usually, a berth into the WCAC Metro Division playoffs.

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Sports

W-L again routs Marshall for latest victory in district football

By Dave Facinoli
Washington-Liberty's Brayden Black, left, ran for four touchdowns against Marshall (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The Washington-Liberty Generals continue their winning ways against Liberty District opponents.

And for the fourth straight high-school football season, the Marshall Statesmen have been on the lopsided end of losses against W-L.

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Sports

Winning streak ends at three games for Yorktown football team

By Dave Facinoli
The Yorktown defense gang tackles a West Springfield wide receiver (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The three-game winning streak for the Yorktown Patriots came to an end Friday night (Oct. 10) in high-school football action.

Host Yorktown (4-3) fell to the West Springfield Spartans, 31-7, the squad’s third consecutive loss to the Patriot District team.

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Sports

O’Connell finds challenge, if not always success, in meeting nearby football rivals

By Dave Facinoli
NIck Morris, left, runs the ball for O'Connell (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

They haven’t won any of the games, but Bishop O’Connell’s high-school football schedule the last three seasons has included the addition of a trio of nearby opponents.

The Knights have played the Flint Hill Huskies and Potomac School Panthers for the first time ever in private-school contests, and resumed an all-Arlington rivalry with the public-school Washington-Liberty Generals.

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Sports

O’Connell boys, Yorktown girls win countywide cross-country titles

By Dave Facinoli
The Arlington County champion Yorktown High School girls team (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Four new champions — two individuals and two teams — were crowned at this year’s Arlington County high-school cross-country meet, held Sept. 29 at Bluemont Park.

Among those was a rookie in the race: Molly Hardwick, a sophomore for the Yorktown Patriots, who helped her squad win the girls team crown. Hardwick was running the Bluemont Park course for the first time, briefly making a wrong turn, but still winning in 17:51.

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Sports

Washington-Liberty golf team wins region championship for first time

By Dave Facinoli
The Washington-Liberty Generals hold the region championship trophy and banner (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

A close but still disappointing runner-up finish in last year’s region golf tournament helped motivate the Washington-Liberty Generals to win this fall’s event.

The Generals captured the 36-hole 6D North Region tourney by carding a two-day score of 298-319–617 on the par-72 Bristow Manor Golf Club near Manassas.

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Sports

Winning formula continues for Yorktown football in team’s third straight victory

By Dave Facinoli
The Yorktown defense had another strong performance in the team's third straight win (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The McLean area has seen enough of the Yorktown Patriots  this season.

In games the past three Friday nights, Yorktown has defeated a trio of Liberty District public-school rivals from that area. In order, the Patriots downed the Langley Saxons and McLean Highlanders, then on Oct. 3 routed the host Marshall Statesmen — located on the McLean/Falls Church border — 42-14.

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Sports

W-L holds off Wakefield in first Arlington rivalry clash of football season

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield's defense had a strong game in the loss to Washington-Liberty (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Crowds were big and boisterous and marching bands played loudly in anticipation of the first all-Arlington public high-school football showdown this season — and the action on the field did not disappoint.

In a close game throughout, the Washington-Liberty Generals first rallied then held off the Wakefield Warriors to win 14-10 in a Liberty District battle.

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Sports

Intra-county rivalry games set to begin for Arlington football teams

By Dave Facinoli
The Wakefield Warriors kick off the annual Arlington football rivalries this weekend (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

There may be no trophy awarded to the winner of the unofficial Arlington County high-school football championship, contested each year between the jurisdiction’s three public-school teams.

But the Wakefield Warriors, Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots compete hard for bragging rights each fall.

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