The start of the new year means it’s rivalry and bragging-rights time among Arlington’s six (three boys, three girls) varsity public high-school basketball teams.
Which girls and boys team will finish with the best record against their rivals after all games, regular season and playoffs, are completed between the Wakefield Warriors, Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots?
Although some events were postponed because of the recent snowstorm, the sports schedule for varsity high-school teams in Arlington is back in full force for the coming week, weather-permitting.
The action begins Friday (Jan. 10) with a full slate of basketball games and swim and dive meets, continues Jan. 11 with a variety of sports, then every day next week is scheduled to be full of games and events.
The district they now play in has changed in recent years, but not the annual rivalry for first place in boys basketball between the Marshall Statesmen and Wakefield Warriors.
The high-school teams are members of the Liberty District for the fourth straight season, and are expected to be contenders for first.
Led by Grace Armitage for the girls and Travon Buckner for the boys, Wakefield High School teams posted strong showings at a recent track-and-field meet.
The boys team placed third and the girls fourth at a multi-team indoor meet at Episcopal High School in Alexandria.
By combining team scores from the girls varsity and boys junior-varsity wrestling squads, the host Wakefield Warriors won the recent third annual Vic Blue Memorial Tournament.
The high-school teams amassed a 158-point total, with Colonial Forge of Stafford finishing second with 146.5. Arlington’s Washington-Liberty Generals were third with 123.
With the holiday breaks over, the sports schedule for varsity high-school teams in Arlington rebounds in coming days, including this weekend with basketball games, wrestling matches and an indoor track-and-field meet.
In one of those boys basektball games, the Yorktown Patriots play on the road against the defending Class 6 state champion South Lakes Seahawks at 7:30 p.m. in a big non-district showdown.
In its 22-year history, the George Long Holiday boys basketball tournament has become a popular annual high-school sporting event in Arlington County — and beyond.
Each season, eight teams from different jurisdictions, public and private, have participated in the three-day event at Wakefield High School, usually beginning Dec. 26 or 27.
They finished fourth with a 1-2 record, suffering two lopsided losses in their own holiday basketball tourney, yet the experience was beneficial, according to the Wakefield Warriors varsity boys head coach.
Host Wakefield (5-4) won its seesaw first game, 55-53, over the West Springfield Spartans in the annual eight-team, three-day George Long Holiday Tournament, now in its 22nd year.
Shane Morrison scored the first points for the Wakefield Warriors boys basketball team on a three-pointer, and then the last of the game on a winning backdoor layup.
In between those baskets, a lot happened in Wakefield’s 55-53 seesaw victory over the West Springfield Spartans in an opening-round boys high-school contest of the George Long Holiday Tournament.
With the Christmas and New Year’s holidays ongoing, the sports schedule for varsity high-school teams in Arlington continue to be limited, but there are basketball and wrestling tournaments that involve local teams.
The Wakefield Warriors are hosting the three-day, eight-team George Long Holiday boys basketball tournament that includes Wakefield and the Washington-Liberty Generals.
The Wakefield Warriors (3-4) defeated the host Westfield Bulldogs, 51-39, in non-district girls high-school basketball action Dec. 19.
Wakefield began strong in the game, taking a 6-0 lead on two three-pointers by Lucy Strawn. Harris added four points in the early going and Ryan Seeley made a three-pointer as the Warriors led 22-9 at halftime.
The Wakefield Warriors (4-2, 1-0) warmed up for their upcoming George Long Holiday Tournament by finishing with a 1-1 record in boys basketball action last week.
Wakefield defeated the Langley Saxons, 59-36, in a Liberty District high-school contest, then lost to the Westfield Bulldogs, 64-42, in non-league play.
