Photo Gallery: Football - Northern Region Title Game - Hayfield vs. Stone Bridge by Craig Sterbutzel

(Nov. 28, 2010) - Click on any photo to view all 47 shots by Craig Sterbutzel from the Northern Region Division 5 football title game Friday at Stone Bridge, won by the Bulldogs, 35-7 over Hayfield.

Photo Gallery: Football - Region II Finals - Broad Run at Briar Woods by Craig Sterbutzel

(Nov. 28, 2010) - Click on any photo to view the full gallery with 53 shots by Craig Sterbutzel from the Region II Division 4 football final Friday at Briar Woods where the Falcons beat rival Broad Run, 24-21.

Photo Gallery: Football - Region II Finals - Broad Run at Briar Woods by Jeff Scudder

(Nov. 28, 2010) - Click on any photo to view the full gallery with 123 shots by Jeff Scudder from the Region II Division 4 football final Friday at Briar Woods where the Falcons beat rival Broad Run, 24-21.

Football: VHSL State Semifinal Pairings, Complete Regional Scores

DIVISION 6

VHSL State Semifinal Match-ups
Sat. Dec. 4
Division 6
Hermitage (12-0) at Bayside (13-0)
Battlefield (11-2) at Lake Braddock (12-1)

Division 5
Phoebus (13-0) at Dinwiddie (12-0)
Stone Bridge (13-0) at Osbourn (12-0)

Division 4
Courtland (8-4) at Briar Woods (11-2)
Harrisonburg (12-0) at Christiansburg (12-0)

Division 3
Handley (9-4) at Poquoson (11-1)
Richlands (12-0) at Brookville (12-1)

Division 2
King William (11-1) at Grenta (11-1)
Gate City (10-2) at Radford (9-3)

Division 1
Riverheads (11-1) at Franklin (11-1)
Eastern Montgomery (12-0) at Clintwood (12-0)

Complete Regional Scores

Division 6
EASTERN REGION
Quarterfinals
Bayside 26, Cox 15
Oscar Smith 35, Landstown 0
Salem 27, Ocean Lakes 17
Woodside 33, Grassfield 18

Semifinals
Bayside 33, Woodside 13
Oscar Smith 48, Salem 7

Championship
Bayside 42, Oscar Smith 40

CENTRAL REGION
Semifinals
L.C. Bird 36, Highland Springs 0
Hermitage 28, Varina 3

Championship
Hermitage 17, L.C. Bird 14

NORTHERN REGION
Quarterfinals
Lake Braddock 34, Langley 10
Centreville 24, Fairfax 7
Chantilly 7, Westfield 0
Robinson 14, Oakton 5

Semifinals
Lake Braddock 24, Robinson 23
Chantilly 30, Centreville 13

Championship
Lake Braddock 56, Chantilly 18

NORTHWEST REGION
First Round
Battlefield 17, Gar-Field 14
Franklin County 17, Woodbridge 14

Semifinals
Colonial Forge 43, Franklin County 19
Battlefield 48, C.D. Hylton 14

Championship
Battlefield 42, Colonial Forge 14


DIVISION 5
EASTERN REGION
Quarterfinals
Phoebus 49, Lake Taylor 0
Hampton 36, Lake Taylor 7
Norcom 24, Churchland 18
Great Bridge 49, Booker T. Washington 20

Semifinals
Phoebus 35, Great Bridge 6
Hampton 24, Norcom 0

Championship
Phoebus 12, Hampton 7

CENTRAL REGION
Semifinals
Hanover 56, Petersburg 26
Dinwiddie 43, Clover Hill 21

Championship
Dinwiddie 28, Hanover 21

NORTHERN REGION
Quarterfinals
Stone Bridge 55, JEB Stuart 0
Washington-Lee 28, Yorktown 7
Hayfield 34, McLean 3
South Lakes 39, Mount Vernon 0

Semifinals
Stone Bridge 36, South Lakes 15
Hayfield 28, Washington-Lee 7

Championship
Stone Bridge 35, Hayfield 7

NORTHWEST REGION
First round
Massaponax 52, Brooke Point 45
Loudoun Valley 27, Stafford 9

Semifinals
Osbourn 41, Loudoun Valley 21
Mountain View 18, Massaponax 12

Championship
Osbourn 48, Mountain View 7


DIVISION 4
REGION I
Semifinals
Eastern View 31, Powhatan 13
Courtland 14, Grafton 13

Championship
Courtland 31, Eastern View 10

REGION II
Quarterfinals
Louisa 34, James Wood 7
Briar Woods 53, Orange County 7
Liberty-Bealeton 49, Fauquier 27
Broad Run 49, Sherando 26

Semifinals
Broad Run 39, Louisa 21
Briar Woods 7, Liberty-Bealeton 0

Championship
Briar Woods 24, Broad Run 21

REGION III
First round
Broadway 26, Heritage 7
Staunton River 21, E.C. Glass 10

Semifinals
Harrisonburg 45, Staunton River 13
Amherst County 47, Broadway 13

Championship
Harrisonburg 28, Amherst County 23

REGION IV
First round
Magna Vista 42, Abingdon 3
Carroll County 39, Bassett 21

Semifinals
Christiansburg 56, Carroll County 0
Magna Vista 48, Salem 35

Championship
Christiansburg 41, Magna Vista 27

DIVISION 3
REGION I
Semifinals
Poquoson 27, Nottoway 6
James Monroe 23, Bruton 9

Championship
Poquoson 42, James Monroe 7

REGION II
Quarterfinals
Handley 30, Western Albemarle 7
Warren County 29, Dominion 26
Park View-Sterling 33, Millbrook 28
Monticello 20, Goochland 17

Semifinals
Handley 19, Monticello 0
Warren County 14, Park View 0

Championship
Handley 49, Warren County 20

REGION III
First round
Brookville 42, Stuarts Draft 18
Alleghany 35, Robert E. Lee-Staunton 25

Semifinals
Liberty-Bedford 24, Alleghany 13
Brookville 12, Northside 10

Championship
Brookville 26, Liberty-Bedford 9

REGION IV
First round
Grundy 45, Tunstall 14
Martinsville 27, Marion 0

Semifinals
Richlands 63, Martinsville 19
Cave Spring 50, Grundy 14

Championship
Richlands 36, Cave Spring 23

DIVISION 2
REGION A
Semifinals
King William 60, Nandua 21
Lancaster 35, Essex 6

Championship
King William 36, Lancaster 7

REGION B
Semifinals
Gretna 41, Manassas Park 7
Buckingham 7, Clarke County 0

Championship
Gretna 42, Buckingham 41

REGION C
First round
Fort Chiswell 28, Floyd 13
George Wythe-Wytheville 21, Grayson County 14

Semifinal
Radford 26, George Wythe 0
Chilhowie 28, Fort Chiswell 14

Championship
Radford 14, Chilhowie 6

REGION D
Semifinals
Gate City 56, Coeburn 0
Honaker 19, Powell Valley 13

Championship
Gate City 53, Honaker 6

DIVISION 1
REGION A
Semifinals
Franklin 45, Colonial Beach 12
Sussex Central 52, Charles City 44

Championship
Franklin 26, Sussex Central 20

REGION B
Semifinals
Riverheads 47, Amelia 21
Altavista 30, Madison County 22

Championship
Riverheads 42, Altavista 14

REGION C
First round
Galax 55, Rural Retreat 21
Covington 21, Craig County 7

Semifinals
Eastern Montgomery 41, Covington 8
Galax 21, Bath County 7

Championship
Eastern Montgomery 41, Galax 28

REGION D
Semifinals
Clintwood 42, Twin Springs 7
J.I. Burton 24, Hurley 6

Championship
Clintwood 27, J.I. Burton 14

Football: Briar Woods and Stone Bridge Semifinal Opponents Lined Up

(Nov. 28, 2010) - Briar Woods and Stone Bridge football teams have a week to prepare as they learned their VHSL state semifinal match-ups on Saturday. Region II champion Briar Woods will host Region I champion Courtland Saturday tentatively at 1:30 p.m. in the Division 4 semifinals, and Northern Region champion Stone Bridge will travel to Northwest Region champion Osbourn Saturday tentatively at 1:30 p.m.

The game time for the Manassas contest is up in the air due to an annual holiday parade scheduled in Manassas at the same time.

Briar Woods (11-2), advancing to the first time this far in the postseason, will host Courtland (8-4), a team that started the year 0-4 but has now won eight straight games including a 31-10 win over Eastern View Saturday in the Region I title game. Briar Woods started the year 2-2 and since won nine straight including the first three playoff games in school history, including a 24-21 win Friday over rival and two-time defending state champion Broad Run.

Stone Bridge (13-0) advances to the state semifinals for the fourth straight year and will face Osbourn  (12-0)  in a match-up of unbeaten teams as the Eagles stopped Mountain View Saturday, 48-7, and the Bulldogs beat Hayfield on Friday, 35-7.

More on Courtland's win over Eastern View from the Freelance Star
More on Osbourn's win over Mountain View from the Potomac News.
More on Dominique Terrell, Osbourn's top player from the Potomac News.

Football: Briar Woods Beats Broad Run, 24-21, in Backyard Brawl 2 to Claim School's First Regional Title

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor

Ashburn (Nov. 26, 2010) - It was the rematch that everybody wanted and "Backyard Brawl 2" did not disappoint Friday night as Briar Woods and Broad Run hooked up in an air show that saw Falcon freshman quarterback Trace McSorley and Spartan junior Connor Jessop combine for 532 yards passing and five touchdowns.

In the end, however, the Region II Division 4 title game came down to a pair of Scott Rolin touchdown receptions and the leg of Briar Woods junior kicker David Clements as his 27-yard field goal with 7:44 gave the Falcons a 10-point cushion and turned out to be the margin of victory in the 24-21 Briar Woods win after Jessop struck for his third TD pass of the game with 3:59 left.

Briar Woods (11-2) will host a state semifinal next Saturday at 1 p.m. Broad Run (11-2) suffered its first playoff defeat in 11 games and ends the year with two losses, both against rival Briar Woods.

On a night when neither team could establish the run game, Briar Woods senior Michael Brownlee picked up 15 of his 68 yards as the Falcons ran the clock out, not allowing Jessop a chance to play the hero. The keys plays that allowed Briar Woods to drain the final 3:59 included a McSorley 11-yard completion to Cameron Serigne on 3rd-and-6 and then a determined second effort by Brownlee on 3rd-and-1 after he was hit initially in the backfield by multiple defenders.

As expected it was an even match with the Briar Woods picking up 319 total yards to Broad Run's 302. While Jessop was striking for 276 yards on 21 of 38 passing, McSorely threw for 256 yards on 16 of 25 Both quarterbacks hooked up twice with the same receiver on spectacular touchdown plays with McSorley finding Rolin twice, the first an all out diving grab for a 19-yard score in the second quarter and the second a 64-yard game-changer just three plays into the second half that erased 14-13 Broad Run halftime lead.

Jessop found Matt Preziotti twice, the first a 28-yard circus grab in the second quarter that saw the Spartan junior receiver bounce into the long jump pit near the end zone but hold onto the football and the second time was in the final minutes of the game when Broad Run fought to keep their hopes of a third consecutive state title alive.

It was not an error free game as both teams had an interception and the Falcons also lost a fumble while Broad Run had a 7-yard punt in the first quarter that set a short 26-yard drive for the Falcons first touchdown of the game.

The Brair Woods defense did not allow the Spartans running game to get going, holding Broad Run to 26 yards on the ground on 22 attempts. While Jessop threw for 276 yards he was under constant pressure, scrambling wildly at times such as the broken play at the end of the half that saw Jessop find Michael Stratton in the end zone with 18 seconds left that gave the Spartans their only lead of the game, 14-13.

Briar Woods erased that quickly in the third quarter as McSorley spotted Rolin across the middle on 3rd-and-8 from the Falcon 36 and the senior WR, picked up a block from Jamal Hill and sprinted untouched into the end zone. McSorley then hit DeVontae O'Bannion for a 2-point conversion to make it 21-14 with 10:58 left in the third.

It appeared that the Spartan defense would get their offense back in the game when Broad Run pinned Briar Woods back to their own 7 late in the third quarter. Taking over at the Falcon 32 after a short punt, Broad Run could not use the field position as two plays later Briar Woods junior linebacker Mark Leith read a Jessop pass perfectly and stepped in front of a receiver for an interception.

After the two teams traded punts, Briar Woods increased their lead to 10 points on a drive that showed good balance as Brownlee, who missed most of the regular season after breaking his foot on the first carry of the year, had runs of 5, 6 and 18 and McSorely had a huge completion to Alex Carter for 33 yards. Broad Run's defense held in the Red Zone but Clements squeezed his 27-yard field goal attempt from the right hash mark just inside the left uprights with 7:44 to play, making it 24-14.

Jessop, who missed most of the regular season with a broken collarbone but had a spectacular postseason, rallied the Spartans with a 59-yard drive that cut the lead to 24-21 with just under four minutes to go but the Falcons would not allow Jessop back on the field and celebrated the school's first ever regional title.

Briar Woods controlled the game early but the Falcons first foray into the Spartans Red Zone came up empty when Spartan linebacker Danny Gallagher intercepted a deflected pass at the Spartan 14 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.

After three straight incompletions and a 7-yard punt, the Falcons were right back in business. The Spartans held, forcing a 39-yard field goal which Clements drilled but the Spartans were flagged for roughing the kicker and BW coach Charlie Pierce took the points off the board and took the ball at the 11. It took Brownlee just two runs to get into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Broad Run put together a 9-play drive that appeared to be going somewhere when Jessop scrambled for a first down inside the Falcon 30 on 4th-and-6 but the Spartans were called for holding on the play and forced to punt.

Briar Woods used a 50-yard McSorley to Serigne connection to move down to the Spartan 30 but an intentionally grounding call on the freshman quarterback on 2nd-and-8 halted the drive. Broad Run then drove 81 yards on eight plays with Jessop buying time with a long scramble before spotting Preziotti open in the right corner of the end zone to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:33 left in the first half.

With the Spartans keying on Brownlee, McSorley went to work, completing five straight passes to move the ball to the Spartan 14. On 3rd-and-15, McSorley threaded the needle on the post pattern with a well-covered Rolin stretching out in the end zone for a diving catch. The point after was blocked to put Briar Woods up 13-7 with 2:57 left in the half.

The Falcons then recovered a squib kick that hit a Broad Run defender and bounced back and into the arms of Clements but three plays later the Falcons fumbled at midfield and Jessop too advantage, completing five passes in a two-minute drill and hitting Stratton after a long scramble to make it 14-13 with just 18 seconds to play.

Box
Broad Run     0 14 0 7 - 21
Briar Woods  7  6  8 3 - 24

1 - BW: Brownlee 5 run (Clements kick) 3:50
2 - BR: Preziotti 28 pass from Jessop (Ohneiser kick) 6:33
2 - BW; Rolin 19 pass from McSorley (kick blocked) 2:57
2 - BR: Stratton 24 pass from Jessop (Ohneiser kick) 0:18
3 - BW: Rolin 64 pass from McSorley (O'Bannion pass from McSorley) 10:58
4 - BW: Clements 27 FG 7:44
4 - BR: Preziotti 14 pass from Jessop (Ohneiser kick) 3:59

Rushing
BR: Thomas 10-28, Taggart 3-4, Earl 2-4, Jessop 7-(-10). Total 22-26
BW: Brownlee 24-68, Carter 1-21, McSorley 7-(-20), Team 2-(-6).  Total 34-63

Passing
BR: Jessop 21-38-1 276 yards.
BW: McSorely 16-25-1 256 yards.

Receiving
BR: Preziotti 5-67, Stratton 4-76, Price 4-24, Duncan 3-54, Lindsey 2-24, Barnes 1-17, Earl 1-10, Thomas 1-4.
BW: Carter 6-58, Serigne 4-83, Rolin 3-89, Logan 2-14, Hill 1-12.
 

Football: Stone Bridge Captures 4th Straight Northern Region D5 Title with 35-7 Win Over Hayfield

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor

Ashburn (Nov. 26, 2010) - It took Stone Bridge High School exactly one touch of the football Saturday to establish its unprecedented run to a fourth straight Northern Region Division 5 football title as senior Kyle Gouveia fielded the opening kickoff and sliced his way through Hayfield's return team for an 83-yard score.

After a 3-and-out by a Bulldog defense that yields less than a touchdown a game, Stone Bridge quickly marched 52 yards in seven plays with Brian Rody hooking up for the first of two touchdown passes to Spenser Rositano on the afternoon. While the rest of the game may have almost been pedestrian by playoff standards, the 35-7 Stone Bridge win led to another regional title celebration -- the Bulldogs fifth since moving up to AAA in 2005 and seventh regional crown since 2002.

Stone Bridge will travel to the winner of Saturday's Osbourn vs. Mountain View game in next week's state semifinals.

Kyle Gouveia is all along as he returns the opening kick for a score Friday

Hayfield kept the Bulldogs attention with a 12-play touchdown drive to cut the lead to 14-7 but Stone Bridge answered with its own long drive, this one for 13 plays with Marcus Harris scoring from the 1 to make it 21-7 and that is where the score stood at the half.

The Hawks actually killed the clock for the Bulldogs in the third quarter with a monster drive of 18 plays that ate almost eight minutes but the Bulldog defense held at the 21. Stone Bridge then quickly put things out of reach with Adrian Thomas scoring on an 11-yard reverse after a quick six play drive highlighted by Ryan Lowdermilk's 37-yard reception.

Leading now 28-7, the Stone Bridge defense pinned Hayfield back on their 2, forcing a punt, and the short field resulted in another scoring drive with Rositano hauling in a 14-yard score to make it 35-7 with 9:44 left in the contest.

Harris finished with 127 yards rushing for SB on 22 carries. Rody threw for 108 yards on 7 of 12 passing.

Box
Hayfield          7 0 0 0 - 7
Stone Bridge 14 7 7 7 - 35

1 - SB: Gouveia 83 yard kickoff return (Jamison kick) 11:47
1 - SB: Rositano 7 pass from Rody (Jamison kick) 7:28
1 - H: Stewart 1 run (Schwartz kick) 2:02
2 - SB: Harris 1 run (Jamison kick) 9:19
3 - SB: Thomas 11 run (Jamison kick) 1:43
4 - SB: Rositano 14 pass from Rody (Jamison kick) 9:44

Rushing
H: Marshall 15-50, HKnudson 2-24, Lynch 15-22, Sesay 1-18, Ross 1-0, Stewart 8-(-20). Total 42-94.
SB: Harris 22-127, Thomas 4-35, Rody 2-21, Gouveia 1-15, Manning 2-1, team 4-(-24). Total 35-175.

Passing
H: Steart 6-13-0 104 yards, EKnudson 0-3-0, Team 0-2-0. Totals 6-16-0 104 yards.
SB: Rody 7-12-0 108 yards.

Receiving
H: Townsend 3-57, Dill 2-42, Sesay 1-5.
SB: Lowdermilk 2-46, Rositano 2-21, Johnson 1-23, Gouveia 1-12, Harris 1-2.

News: Cheers Sports and VivaLoudoun Athletes of the Month - October 2010

Cheers Sports Athletes of the Month: Oct. 2010
(photo taken at Lifetime Fitness)

Ashburn (Nov. 26, 2010) - Cheers Sports and VivaLoudoun.com released their Athletes of the Month for October 2010. Each month VivaLoudoun chooses athletes of the month from the 12 public high schools in Loudoun and the athletes are featured in a photo shoot shot. This month's photo shoot took place on Nov. 21 at Lifetime Fitness.

"We appreciate Cheers Sports continued support of this Athletes of the Month program as well as their general support of all athletics in Loudoun," said VivaLoudoun editor and founder Dan Sousa. "We also want to give Lifetime Fitness a big "shout out" for letting us shoot the Athletes of the Month photos at their amazing facility."

Check out all the photos from our photo shoot this month at Cheers Sports here!

October 2010

Football
Scott Rolin, Briar Woods
Derril Thomas, Broad Run
Trey Baxter, Dominion
Nathan Cironi, Loudoun Valley
Eric Palma, Park View
Kyle Gouveia, Stone Bridge

Scott Rolin

Derril Thomas

Nathan Cironi

Eric Palma

Volleyball
Chelsea Kaser, Briar Woods
Mallory Brickerd, Broad Run
Jenna Flanigin, Freedom
Stephanie Yokoyama, Heritage
Gabby Serafin, Loudoun County
Amanda Miller, Stone Bridge

Chelsea Kaser

Jenna Flanigin

Stephanie Yokoyama

Amanda Miller

Golf
Shelby Shote, Dominion
Ryan Douglass, Heritage
Kevin Cook, Loudoun County
Sam Early, Loudoun County
Scott Davidson, Loudoun Valley

Sam Early

Scott Davidson

Boys Cross Country
Zach Kish, Broad Run
J.T. Duke, Dominion
Patrick Joseph, Loudoun County
Benjamin Walker, Loudoun Valley
Juan Campos, Potomac Falls

Patrick Joseph

Girls Cross Country
Jackie Deffer, Briar Woods
Callie O'Connell, Freedom
Siobhan O'Toole, Freedom
Sarah Dillistin, Potomac Falls
Alex Juzbasich, Woodgrove

Callie O'Connell

Siobhan O'Toole

Sarah Dillistin

Competitive Cheer
Amanda Swindle, Briar Woods
Alex Buckner, Broad Run
Briana Moody, Dominion
Mallory Griffith, Loudoun County
Kasey Fletcher, Loudoun County
Nanaosaa Owusu, Stone Bridge

Alex Buckner

Briana Moody

Mallory Griffith and Kasey Fletcher

Visit Cheers Sports and thank them for supporting VivaLoudoun!

Football: Regional Title Games in Ashburn Today and Tonight

(Nov. 26, 2010) - Ashburn is home to two regional title football games today ... take your pick or enjoy both of them as Stone Bridge High School hosts Hayfield in the Northern Region Division 5 title game at 1:30 p.m. and Briar Woods takes on Broad Run in the Region II Division 4 title game at 7 p.m.

It may be a little damp out this morning but Bulldog athletic director Dave Hembach says all things are a "go" for 1:30 p.m. at Stone Bridge or as he put it: "as long as the officials show up and we have two teams ... we are playing."

Expect standing room only tonight in Brambleton for Backyard Brawl 2 as Briar Woods and big brother Broad Run tangle. The Falcons ended the Spartans 33-game winning streak back in October. Broad Run is looking for a third consecutive state title while Briar Woods is looking to extend its best postseason since the school opened in 2005.

Football: Beat the LoCo Experts - Playoff Week 3 - Still a Tie at the Top for the "Big Money"

(Nov. 24, 2010) - We are getting down to crunch time in the Beat the LoCo Experts football picks contest. At the top of our fans leaders chart, Plankster and Michael, both from Ashburn, continue to hold the lead in the race for $100.

They are both 84-15 on the season after going 5-0 last week. They were just two of 18 fans that went unbeaten in this playoff week with Joe of Leesburg taking home the t-shirt as he had the closest tiebreaker score (21-14 Warren County in the actual 14-0 win with most of you thinking it would be a high-scoring affair and none of you saw the Pats getting shut out!) ...

For the record, perfect last week: BobL of Ashburn, Captain Kirk of Leesburg, Cocky Bobcat of Leesburg, Ed of Sterling, Fratt of Ashburn, Jason of Sterling, JB of The Burn, Jungle Jane of Ashburn, Llama Lover of Sterling, Machine Gun Kelly of Broadlands, Ryan of Sterling, Sarah of Winchester, TBonz of Ashburn, Tim of Potomac Falls and valleyvikes2011 of Lovettsville.

Of this group, Tim of Potomac Falls is two games back of the leaders and has a shot at catching them as the season winds down, especially with a coin flip pick of game coming up this week: Broad Run at Briar Woods!

Only 2 games to play this week ... enjoy! Complete the form below and the fan closest (we will be going to the tiebreaker for sure this week!) to the right score in the tiebreaker (as well as going 2-0!) will win a VivaLoudoun t-shirt.

Plankster and Michael continue their battle to win $100 end of the year prize money from the VivaLoudoun Fox under-the-mattress bank account.

Fine print: Over the Greenway, through the construction, to grandmother's townhouse we-a-go ... concerned about parking at Briar Woods for this Friday, I left my car at the school last Friday and walked home ... of course, now I need a ride to the game ... LTM sports editor Carl Lukat was a triple threat in high school if you count the banjo ... WashPost reporter Matt Brooks is actually 2 credits shy of graduating from UNC and the school promised him his diploma after 1,000 tweets about the Tar Heels ... If McDonald's is open on Thanksgiving, shouldn't they at least serve Turkey Nuggets ... Last year I went shopping at Wegman's for Thanksgiving and made it home in time for Christmas ... The LoCo Sheriff's Office will set up tryptophan checkpoints across the county tomorrow ...   Back in 1997 when there were 10 homes in the Brambleton area, I actually broke up the first "Brawl in Brambleton" but it was actually at Winnie-the-Pooh Preschool on Belmont Ridge Road and involved a Fischer Price baseball bat and a headless Barbie doll ... For next week: email in your own lines for the Fine Print: dan.sousa@vivaloudoun.com ... 




Go to the complete results to see each week!

Volleyball: A Look Back at Saturday's State Title Games

Loudoun County: AA state title match press conference - Part 1

Loudoun County: AA state title match press conference - Part 2

Stone Bridge: AAA state title match press conference - Part 1

Stone Bridge AAA state title match press conference - Part 2


On the Sidelines with Dan Sousa

(Nov. 24, 2010) - The Loudoun County High School girls volleyball team is rewriting the VHSL record books as the Raiders became the first team to ever win four straight state titles. And there isn't any reason why the Raiders -- with the top AA player in the state returning in Jenna Strange -- can't do it again next year.

Covering the Raiders -- as I have had the pleasure of four straight trips to Richmond to witness the state titles and I missed the trip in 2006 when County fell in the finals -- is like covering the New York Yankees during the 1920s or the Boston Celtics during the 1960s or the Roman Empire during the second century. You marvel at the winning. You marvel at the program.

Year-after-Year, Raiders coach Jenica Matthias and her brother, assistant coach Jarod Brown, along with the rest of their talented staff, are able to put forth total effort from August thru November.

37 Raiders have celebrated on the Siegel Center court since 2007 with Strange a chance to become the first ever County girls to win four straight state titles and probably won of the few in VHSL history.

On Saturday for County it was almost like another day at the office as Grafton, trying perhaps too hard to control their own destiny, went for it ... scoring some nice winners but way too many errors and you can't make an error when you are facing Goliath ... you better make every pebble count and the Clippers didn't.

When County did waiver a point here or there, Strange was on hand to get the serve back with a kill. And seniors Kathleen Horvath, Rachel Arigo and Sammy Dormio finished out as 3-time champions as they showed calm and maturity. Dormio had tears of joy in her eyes after as she poised for photos with the state title trophy.

And the rest of the state must surely shake their head when they see that the Raiders return Strange and another big hitter in Katrina Kirby as well as Libero Gabby Serafin and one of their top servers in Jordan Leiter as well as impressive young talent such as freshman Maggie Phillips and sophomore Taylor Huewe.

In the second game Saturday, Stone Bridge surely thought going in that they would make it a Loudoun back-to-back state title night, just like in 2009 when County and Valley did the trick, but the Kellam team that showed Saturday was not the team the Bulldogs scouted Thursday.

Kellam had just a bit more depth with their service game in top form from every spot and their block and defense were almost perfect as they stopped the senior-led Bulldog group. Stone Bridge's only loss prior to Saturday was to County early in the season.

It was a sad ending for senior setter Amanda Miller and senior Libero Amy Christensen and senior big hitter Christine Beckham who attended the postmatch press conference with coach Jill Raschiatore. Hurting as much as they were, this trio of girls and their coach showed courage and class and made me proud to be a Loudoun journalist. We will miss covering them next year.

The trick now for Stone Bridge, is can the Bulldogs quickly rebuild around the 6-foot-4 middle blocker Alex Heyn and booming outside hitter Ryan Ackermann and super server Mariah Brantley as well as promising sophomore middle Haley McClure.

County somehow has perfected the blueprint for reloading instead of rebuilding. Next year, the biggest challenge for the Raiders might not come in the region or the state but from within their own district as premier programs Heritage and Loudoun Valley return to the Dulles District.

For me, the next prep volleyball season can't come fast enough. Follow the jump for state title match stats as well as a look at the girls who have won rings for the Raiders the past four years!

Volleyball: Loudoun County's 5-Year Run of Excellence - Historical Look

(Oct. 22, 2010) - Loudoun County High School wrapped up over the weekend a record fourth consecutive AA girls volleyball state title, and the Raiders have made five straight trips to the state finals. We thought we would take a look at those five years of Raiders excellence.

5-Year Record: 137-8
5-Year Postseason record: 43-2
5-Year Record at VCU's Siegel Center: 9-1

District titles: 5
District tournament titles: 4
Region II titles: 5
AA state titles: 4

Total titles won: 18

Raider Run: 5 Years of Excellence
2006: 27-3 record
Dulles District regular-season co-champs
Dulles District tournament champs
Region II champs
AA state runner-up

2007: 28-0 record
Dulles District regular-season champs
Dulles District tournament champs
Region II champs
AA state champs

2008: 28-1 record
Dulles District regular season co-champs
Dulles District tournament champs
Region II champs
AA state champs

2009: 26-3 record
Dulles District regular-season co-champs
Dulles District tournament runner-up
Region II champs
AA state champs

2010: 28-1 record
Dulles District regular-season champs
Dulles District tournament champs
Region II champs
AA state champs

***So who are those lucky eights teams to actually beat a LC volleyball team over the past five years? Loudoun Valley, Heritage and Cave Spring in 2007; Heritge in 2008; and Flint Hill and Broad Run twice in 2009; and Kettle Run in 2010.

Year-by-Year (click read more to view)

Photo Gallery: Volleyball - AAA State Finals - Stone Bridge vs. Kellam

(Nov. 23, 2010) - Click on any photo to see the entire gallery from the VHSL AAA girls volleyball state finals between Stone Bridge and Kellam.

Photo Gallery: Volleyball - AA State Finals - Loudoun County vs. Grafton by Dan Sousa

(Nov. 23, 2010) - VivaLoudoun editor Dan Sousa returned from Richmond with 296 shots of Loudoun County High School volleyball winning its fourth straight VHSL AA state title. Click on any photo to enjoy the full gallery!

Youth Sports - Gymnastics - APEX Teams Finish 2nd and 3rd in Super Team Competition

(Nov. 23, 2010) - The APEX Gymnastics teams finished second and third in the Super Team Gymnastics competition at the Commonwealth Cup on Nov. 21-22. The Level 5 and 6 teams combined for a third place finish and $250 in prize money and the Level 7–10 teams combined for a second place finish and $500 in prize money. Many additional gymnasts qualified to their respective sectional and state meets.

Highlights included:

Football: Complete VHSL Regional Championship Schedule - 24 Games

VHSL football regional championship schedule

All games Fri. Nov. 26 unless noted

Division 6
Central Region
Hermitage (11-0) at L.C. Bird (11-0), 7:30 p.m.

Eastern Region
Oscar Smith (10-1) vs. Bayside (11-0) at Virginia Beach SportsPlex, Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Northern Region
Chantilly (10-2) at Lake Braddock (11-1), Sat. Nov. 27, 1:30 p.m.

Northwest Region
Battlefield (10-2) at Colonial Forge (11-0), Sat. Nov. 27, 1 p.m.

Division 5
Central Region
Dinwiddie (11-0) at Hanover (11-0), 7:30 p.m.

Eastern Region
Hampton (11-1) vs. Phoebus (12-0) at Darling Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Northern Region
Hayfield (8-4) at Stone Bridge (12-0), 1:30 p.m.

Northwest Region
Mountain View (8-3) at Osbourn (11-0), Sat. Nov. 27, 1:30 p.m.

Division 4
Region I
Eastern View (8-3) at Courtland (7-4), Sat. Nov. 27, 1:30 p.m

Region II
Broad Run (11-1) at Briar Woods (10-2), 7 p.m.

Region III
Amherst (9-2) at Harrisonburg (11-0), 7 p.m.

Region IV
Magna Vista (11-1) at Chistiansburg (11-0), 7:30 p.m.

Division 3
Region I
James Monroe (9-2) at Poquoson (10-1), Sat. Nov. 27, 1:30 p.m.

Region II
Warren County (9-3) at Handley (8-4), Sat. Nov. 27, 1 p.m.

Region III
Brookville (11-1) at Liberty-Bedford (10-1), 7 p.m.

Region IV
Cave Spring (8-3) at Richlands (11-0), 7:30 p.m.

Division 2
Region A
Lancaster (10-1) at King William (10-1), Sat. Nov. 27, 1 p.m.

Region B
Buckingham (10-1) at Gretna (10-1), 6 p.m.

Region C
Chilhowie (9-2) at Radford (8-3), 7:30 p.m.

Region D
Honaker (7-4) vs. Gate City (9-2) at UVA-Wise, Sat. Nov. 27, 12:30 p.m.

Division 1
Region A
Sussex Central (8-3) vs. Franklin (10-1) at Franklin Armory, Sat. Nov. 27, 1 p.m.

Region B
Altavista (10-1) at Riverheads (10-1), 7:30 p.m.

Region C
Galax (9-3) at Eastern Montgomery (11-0), 7:30 p.m.

Region D
J.I. Burton (10-1) vs. Clintwood (11-0) at UVA-Wise, Sat. Nov. 27, 4:30 p.m.

Visit Cheers Sports and thank them for supporting VivaLoudoun!

Football: Briar Woods Helps at Local Food Bank

Ashburn (Nov. 22, 2010) - The Briar Woods High School football took some time out of its preparation for Friday's Region II Division 4 title game against rival Broad Run, to assist the Loudoun Interfaith Relief Organization in packing up food for upcoming Thanksgiving.

The organization helps feed individuals and families that are in need of assistance this Thanksgiving. The team would like to thank Lisa Karl and Pam Ritmiller, Volunteer Coordinator for LIR, for allowing them to assist Loudoun Interfaith and help those who are less fortunate.

Visit APEX Gymnastics and thank them for supporting VivaLoudoun!

Photo Gallery: Football - Region II D4 Semifinals - Briar Woods vs. Liberty

(Nov. 22, 2010) - VivaLoudoun editor Dan Sousa shot the Region II Division 4 semifinal playoff football game Friday night at Briar Woods where the Falcons won in exciting fashion, 7-0, on a fourth quarter TD. Click on any photo to see the entire gallery. 136 photos total!