Arlington high schools have a much less busy week of sports action ahead because of the Thanksgiving holiday and the transition from the fall to the winter sports season.
But there is one big postseason region-tournament football game on tap for the Washington-Liberty Generals. There also will be a few preseason basketball and wrestling scrimmage events, and a girls ice-hockey match.
The Washington-Liberty Generals will be seeking a couple of significant achievements when they host a semifinal football game of the 6D North Region tournament Friday night (Nov. 22) in Arlington.
A win will give the undefeated and Liberty District champion Generals (11-0) a dozen victories in a high-school season for the first time. A win over the Langley Saxons (9-2) also will return Washington-Liberty to a region-tournament championship game for the first time since losing in the 1975 final to the Annandale Atoms, 24-7.
The four-year stretch of success the Yorktown Patriots have enjoyed in field hockey is unprecedented in program history — and at some other levels, as well.
Dating back to the 2021 season, Yorktown has won three Virginia High School League Class 6 state championship, including the 2023 and 2024 crowns. Yorktown finished second in 2022.
The Yorktown High School club ice-hockey team opened its season with a 4-3 win over Loudoun Valley High from Purcellville at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
The teams skated to a scoreless first period. Loudoun Valley scored first early in the second period, but the Patriots responded quickly on a goal from Logan McGraw.
Five members of the Yorktown Patriots were selected to the all-6D North Region girls field-hockey teams for their performances during the high-school season.
Senior Elena Reiser, with 14 goals, nine assists and 60 shots taken through 20 matches, was selected as the Player of the Year and to the first team. Also making first team were senior Olivia Stafford, who had 18 goals and nine assists through 20 matches, and senior Quincy Greene, with 11 goals and four assists.
The fieldhouse at Meridian High School Stadium will receive a $600,000 refresh and upgrade under a proposal unanimously approved by Falls Church City School Board members on Nov. 12.
The appropriation was part of a series of one-time-funding requests approved by School Board members, totaling just under $1.5 million in school funds and $400,000 in city-government funds.
The Yorktown Patriots set a firm goal at the start of the season: Repeat as state field-hockey champions.
And the squad delivered on Saturday (Nov. 16) in Virginia Beach.
Their final record may not indicate so, but the coaching staff for the Bishop O’Connell Knights football team believes the high-school squad made progress this fall compared to last season’s 3-7 mark.
O’Connell finished 2-9 in 2024 with a 1-3 record in the Metro Division of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference to earn a playoff playoff berth. The Knights finished 0-4 in the division last fall, missing the playoffs.
Survive and advance was all that mattered, and it accomplished by the host and No. 2 seed Washington-Liberty Generals in a first-round region football playoff game Friday night (Nov. 15).
Undefeated Washington-Liberty (11-0) blanked their rival and No. 7 seed Yorktown Patriots, 28-0, in the 6D North Region tournament contest.
Through each regular-season football game this fall, Jon Malatesta was a consistent and productive pass-catching and touchdown-scoring wide receiver for the Washington-Liberty Generals.
In recognition of his achievements, the senior recently was chosen as the Liberty District’s Offensive Player of the year for the 2024 high-school season.
Add more first-time accomplishments earned by the Bishop O’Connell Knights field-hockey team this season.
They have become an annual thing since Megan Sullivan took over as head coach four seasons ago.
Arlington high schools have a much less busy week of fall sports action ahead, but there are postseason tournaments still in progress for some teams.
There will be two football playoff games Friday night (Nov. 15) involving three Arlington teams, plus the semifinals of the Class 6 state girls field hockey tournament for the Yorktown Patriots.
