Posts
This is the first of a 4-part series as Viva Loudoun editor Dan Sousa takes a look at the 2011-12 high school sports year in Loudoun
(June 27, 2012) - A talented Class of 2012 helped Loudoun County
Public Schools athletes reach new heights in the 2011-12 school year with
success on the individual and team levels. In all, a record 199 LCPS senior
athletes committed to play athletics at the college level and before graduating
many helped their schools raise championship banners on the district, regional
and state levels.
On the team levels, the 2011-12 school year was
about the rise of the two schools opened in 2005 – Briar Woods and Freedom –
and the emergence of Loudoun’s two newest schools opened just two years ago –
Tuscarora and Woodgrove.
Briar Woods cemented its place as a power at the
Virginia High School League AA classification in the state with a third
straight competitive cheer state in the fall and then the Falcons football team
repeated its Division 4 state title.
That football title gave Ashburn area schools
an incredible five state titles in five years with Stone Bridge winning
Division 5 in 2007 and Broad Run taking the Division 4 crown in 2008 and 2009.
Along the way, Briar Woods senior Alex Carter was named the Gatorade Virginia
Football Player of the Year.
South Riding’s Freedom, along with Broad Run, moved
up to the AAA classification with increasing enrollment and the Eagles had
their school’s best ever athletic year with the volleyball, gymnastics and
baseball teams making the state tournament and both soccer teams took Cedar Run
District titles in a breakout spring. In the winter Freedom sent two wrestlers
to the AAA state finals with senior DaQuante Timbers winning the 285 pound AAA
state wrestling title, perhaps one of the tougher state championships to claim
with Virginia’s history of top-notch prep wrestling programs.
While Briar Woods and Freedom had seven years to lay
the banner groundwork, it took Purcellville’s Woodgrove less than two years to
raise a host of banners as the Wolverines had an incredible spring with the
girls soccer and softball teams capturing AA state titles within hours of each
other and both lacrosse teams winning sectional titles and making the state
tournament. Second-year Tuscarora just missed in the spring at its first state
title as the Huskies boys soccer team fell by a goal to Jamestown in the state
finals.
The success of the younger schools didn’t mean that
Loudoun’s more established school’s didn’t have their success and a pair of
dynasties came oh so close to adding another state title as the Broad Run girls
soccer team went on an improbable playoff run and fell in penalty kicks of the
AAA state finals to be denied a fifth straight state championship after winning
four straight at the AA level.
The Loudoun County girls volleyball program also saw
its bid for a fifth straight state title fall short as the Raiders rolled to
Dulles District and Region II titles before falling in the state semifinals.
The Loudoun County boys track and field team
finished runner-up at the AA state track and field meet for a second straight
year as the Raiders came within a heartbreaking two points of becoming
Loudoun’s first ever boys team to stand on top of the podium.
For as well as Loudoun’s teams fared the 2011-12
school year was perhaps best known for some outstanding individual efforts with
Dominion High School junior Sam Stillwell setting the table in October with a
great comeback to win the AA state golf tournament. Stillwell, trailed by five
strokes after the first day of the two-day event, but fired a 66 second round
to become Loudoun’s first state golf champ since Dominion’s Sara Hurwitch won
the girls open title in 2004 and first Loudoun boy to accomplish the feat since
Potomac Falls’ Garrett Pike inn 2001.
In the winter, not only did Timbers win that AAA
title but Potomac Falls’ Batchka Zulkhuu won the 152 title at the AA
tournament. Loudoun had not had a wrestling champion since 2005.
Heritage junior Kaleigh Rosenburg made a splash in
the pool with a 1:03.21 swim to win the 100 breast state title at the A/AA
state meet. Heritage, like Loudoun Valley, moved down in classification in
2011-12 to AA from AAA, rejoining the 9-team Dulles District.
The individual achievements reached their peak on
June 2 as Loudoun athletes brought home seven state titles, including five boys
state titles as the AA state meet. Loudoun County’s Patrick Joseph (800 and
1600 meters) and Heritage’s Marcus Finney (110 and 300 meter hurdles) each won
two state titles with Finney’s 14.10 time in the 110 a new state record.
Loudoun County’s Steven Graham defended his state
title in the 400 meters and the Woodgrove girls quartet of Lydia Cromwell,
Florence Thompson, Alex Juzbasich and Audrey Houghton combined to win the 4x800
meter relay, a first state title ever for Loudoun girls in that event.
Broad Run’s Jonathan Russell claimed the AAA state 300
meters hurdles by nearly a full second after capturing the AA state title in
2011.
Despite the heights reached in 2011-12 it appears
that Loudoun’s rise in athletics on the state – and now the national level –
will continue to elevate as high-profile recruits such as Stone Bridge’s Jon
Allen (Alabama committed) and Ryan Burns (Stanford) and Briar Woods Matt Rolin
(South Carolina) will take the field as seniors in the fall.
And Woodgrove girls soccer state title run was built
partially on the foundation of six juniors with verbal commitments to play
soccer in college and the Stone Bridge girls soccer and softball teams, which
both made it to the AAA state quarterfinals this spring, were powered by
junior-dominated rosters. Also, with
state champions Joseph and Graham returning for their senior years, expect the
Loudoun County boys track and field team to make a third straight run at that
elusive AA state title.
Tomorrow we will take a closer look at the Fall 2011 season.
No comments:
Post a Comment