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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Although they didn’t win, the Wakefield Warriors ended their high-school football season on a high note of sorts.
By rallying late in a 35-32 home loss to the McLean Highlanders in Liberty District action Nov. 7, the Warriors scored the most points in a contest during their seven-game losing streak.
With a lopsided loss in their final regular-season football game Friday night (Nov. 7), the Washington-Liberty Generals finished third in the Liberty District standings.
The host Generals (7-3, 4-2) were blown out by the Langley Saxons, 42-7, in the high-school contest.
There were many open questions about the Yorktown Patriots prior to the start of the high-school football season.
That’s common any time a program undergoes a big head-coaching change, especially when the former team leader steps down after 40 years at the helm, winning hundreds of games and multiple championships.
