Competitive Cheer: Woodgrove to Host Clinic on Columbus Day

Woodgrove High School 2011 competitive cheer team
(photo courtesy Rhonda Becker)

Purcellville (Sept. 30, 2011) - The Woodgrove High School competitive cheer team will host a clinic on Columbus Day, Oct. 10, at the Purcellville skating rink from 8 a.m. to noon.

The clinic is open to anyone in kindergarten thru 8th grade. It is for beginners as well as advanced cheerleaders. The cost is $50. The clinic will focus on motions, jumps, cheers, chants, stunting and they will learn a sideline dance. Registration can be done online at www.loudouncheer.com via Sportability.

Competitive Cheer Notebook: Briar Woods Wins First Dulles District Meet; Park View Hosts 6th Annual Spiritfest Saturday; SB, BW Finish 2-3 at Cheers Sports Spirit Bowl

Briar Woods competitive cheer is looking for a third straight state title!
(photo courtesy of Tim Sylvester)

(Sept. 29, 2011) - Briar Woods and Stone Bridge high school competitive cheer teams, two programs with a combined six state titles, look good in early meets with the Falcons taking the first Dulles District mini meet earlier this week at Dominion High School.

Last weekend, Stone Bridge -- with four state titles with the last coming in 2008 -- placed second at the Cheers Sports Spirit Bowl behind Stafford. Briar Woods, which has won back-to-back AA state titles, was third.

Also on Saturday, Loudoun  Valley hosed the Spirit Invitational which was won by James Wood with Millbrook runner-up. Loudoun County took third followed by Woodgrove in fourth.

The competitions continue this weekend with Park View High School hosts the sixth annual Spiritfest., starting at 2 p.m. Admission is $5.

The competing teams are:
Westfield JV
Centreville JV
Westfield Varsity
Tuscarora
Park View
Stafford JV
Freedom
Stafford Varsity
Herndon JV
Manassas Park
Loudoun Valley
Liberty
Centreville Varsity
Kettle Run
Sherando
Loudoun County
Stone Bridge JV

Dulles District Mini Meet Results

Dominion finished second to Briar Woods in first Dulles District mini cheer meet
(photo courtesy Dominion High School athletic department)

Final Scores and Ranking
1. Briar Woods 243.5
2. Dominion 200
3. Loudoun County 197
4. Woodgrove 177
5. Heritage 167.5
6. Tuscy 166
7. Loudoun Valley 150.5
8. Park View 145.5
9. Potomac Falls 116

The second Dulles District mini meet is this coming Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Woodgrove High School at 7 p.m. The combined scores from the two mini meets will determine the district's regular season champion and be used for seeding for the postseason district meet.

Second-Year Woodgrove Strong at Loudoun Valley Spirit Invitational

Woodgrove cheer awaits to hear the results at the Loudoun Valley meet
(Photo courtesy of Rhonda Becker)

Woodgrove High School varsity cheer began the 2011 season with a strong showing at the 2nd annual “Loudoun Valley Spirit Invitational” on Saturday, September 24.

Non- District teams James Woods and Millbrook from Winchester took first and second place, while Woodgrove finished in 4th place just one point back of 3rd place Loudoun County Raiders. Host Loudoun Valley finished in 6th place. There were 9 teams in all that participated.

Cheers Sports Spirit Bowl Results

Stone Bridge competitive cheer won state titles in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008
(photo courtesy Stone Bridge athletic department)

In the JV division
1, Stone Bridge
2, Stafford
3, Dominion

In the Varsity division
1, Stafford
2, Stone Bridge
3, Briar Woods
4, Broad Run
5, Dominion
6, Forrest Park
7, Heritage
8, Tuscarora
9, Manassas Park

Briar Woods competitive cheer was voted the VivaLoudoun Team of 2009!

10, Freedom

News: Caroline Harris is Named Foxcroft School's Athlete of the Week

(Sept. 29, 2011) - Caroline Harris, a versatile athlete who distinguished herself in two sports over a seven-day stretch, was named Foxcroft School’s Athlete of the Week for the period ending Sept. 17, Athletic Director Michelle Woodruff announced last week.

A senior from Vienna, Va., and tri-captain of the varsity volleyball team, Harris recorded 15 digs and connected on 93 percent of her serves in Foxcroft’s 3-1 victory over St. Michael the Archangel High School Sept. 8 in Fredericksburg. The win ended a 16-game match losing streak for Foxcroft.

Youth Sports - Cross Country Running Season is Here in Dulles South

Special to VivaLoudoun via Gateway to Loudoun County and Dulles South blog

(Sept. 29, 2011) - The Dulles South Youth Cross Country 2011 Fall season is here - an incredibly well-organized and parent-supported running club for girls and boys grades 3-8 here in Loudoun. The club runs cross country in the Fall, and morphs into a Track and Field club in the Spring - with a very large number of track and field parent alumni helping with practices and race day, training, learning short and long running strategies, exercise and warmup approaches and altogether leveraging what's a surprising volume of track and cross-country experience among the Dulles South communities (South Riding, Stone Ridge, Aldie).

See more photos from this event and coverage of Dulles South here: Gateway to Loudoun County: Dulles South Youth Sports - Cross Country Running Season is Here - Loudoun County VA Blog

News: Stone Bridge Recognizes Football, Competitive Cheer Sponsor Cheers Sports

(Sept. 29, 2011) - Cheers Sports was recognized on the field Friday night at Stone Bridge High School prior to the Battle of the Burn football game with Broad Run. Cheers Sports, a long-time supporter of local athletics, sponsored the football game, which drew nearly 6,000 fans and the competitive cheer meet at Stone Bridge which drew 1,500 fans.

Stone Bridge assistant athletic director Brian Parke: "We would like to thank Cheers Sports one of the best sporting goods distributor is in the D.C. metro area. Thanks again for all that you do for Stone Bridge School and its students. We hope to continue this partnership and look forward helping you at future events."

Cheers Sports is also a big support of VivaLoudoun!

Youth Sports - Girls Basketball: LTT Dynamite to Hold Tryouts for 5th Graders Oct. 2

(Sept. 29, 2011) - The Loudoun Triple Threat (LTT) "Dynamite" 5th grade girls basketball
team (http://loudountriplethreat.org/girlsteams/girls5thgrlttdynamite.html) will hold tryouts at Smarts Mill Middle School in Leesburg on Sunday, October 2 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. The tryouts are for girls who are currently in 5th grade. For more information, please contact Janine
Wilden at jwilden@prospr.com.

Photo Gallery: Football - Heritage at Park View Homecoming Game by Dan Sousa

(Sept. 29, 2011) - Every football game should be played in the daylight ... at least that is what all photographers wish but then again, we don't seem to have a lot of sun in Loudoun these days! Dan Sousa shot the Homecoming game at Park View High School last weekend, including the halftime crowning of the queen and her court! More than 400 photos to enjoy!

Photo Gallery: Youth Sports - Lower Loudoun Football: Jaguars vs. Rams by Scott Shepherd

(Sept. 29, 2011) - If you love youth football and great photography, then please check out this amazing gallery by Scott Shepherd from the Lower Loudoun Boys Football League game between the Jaguars and Rams.

Photo Gallery: Volleyball - Potomac Falls at Heritage by Dan Sousa

(Sept. 29, 2011) - Dan Sousa covered the Potomac Falls girls volleyball match at Heritage where Pride coach Carmel Keilty was honored for reaching 350 career wins! Check out the photo gallery with 200+ photos!

Football: VirginiaPreps.com Releases Consensus Rankings

(Sept. 28, 2011) - VirginiaPreps.com has released a consensus high school football rankings for the state. Briar Woods High School is ranked No. 7 in AA and Tuscarora No. 10. In AAA, Stone Bridge is tied for No. 12 and Broad Run tied for No. 17.

The "Consensus" rankings are computed by using a compilation of the following rankings and polls:
VirginiaPreps.com (rankings)
VHSL Ratings (power points-unofficial tabulation)
AP Polls (media polls)
vhsl-reference (computer rankings)
massey (computer rankings)

In AAA, powerhouse Phoebus is ranked No. 1 and Chantilly, a team that had to rally against Stone Bridge, is ranked No. 4. Two Northern Virginia teams are tied for No. 2 -- Hytlon from Prince William County and Centreville.

In AA, Region II Liberty is No. 3. Check out the full rankings.

Volleyball: Tuesday Night Scoreboard

Viva Loudoun Tuesday Night Volleyball Scoreboard

Cedar Run District
Broad Run def. Patriot, 3-0 (25-6, 25-9, 25-14)
Freedom def. Osbourn, 3-0 (25-7, 25-10, 25-23)
Stonewall Jackson def. Battlefield, 3-2

Dulles District
Loudoun County def. Potomac Falls, 3-1 (25-14, 25-21, 21-25, 25-18)
Loudoun Valley def. Park View, 3-0 (25-14, 25-9, 25-12)
Heritage def. Tuscarora, 3-1 (25-12, 23-25, 26-24, 25-17)

Liberty District
Langley def. Madison, 3-1
TJ Def. Marshall, 3-0

Non-District
Stone Bridge def. Robinson, 3-0 (25-15, 25-24, 25-16)
Oakton def. Fairfax, 3-1
Stuart def. McLean, 3-0
South Lakes def. Washington-Lee, 3-0

Volleyball: Heritage's Christina Kamis to Play Next Year at Washington and Lee University

Leesburg (Sept. 27, 2011) - Heritage High School senior Christina Kamis has verbally committed to play volleyball next year at NCAA Division III Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.

Last year Kamis helped the Pride make the state playoffs for the first time in school history as collected first team All-Cedar Run District and second team All-Northwest Region honors. Currently this season, Kamis has helped the Pride to a 15-1 start with 91 kills, 161 digs, 113 service points and six blocks.

She is also a National Merit Commended Student and in the top five percent of her class at Heritage.

"Christina gives 100 percent every day in practice and is a positive role model on and off the court. She does whatever is needed for the good of the team -- just the consummate team player," said Heritage coach Carmel Keilty.

News: Loudoun Education Foundation Raises $92,000 at Annual Golf Classic

Team Sponsored by Moseley Architects: Stuart Robinson, Ed Hatrick (Loudoun County
Public Schools Superintendent), Mike Ferri, Gary Westfall, Mark Moseley (Redskins alumni)

(Sept. 27, 2011) - The Loudoun Education Foundation (LEF) raised $92,000 at its annual Golf Classic on Monday, September 19, at the 1757 Golf Club.

The Loudoun Education Foundation (LEF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that raises private funds to enhance the quality of education in Loudoun County Public Schools. The Foundation supports projects that stimulate students’ curiosity and create exceptional learning opportunities.

Volleyball: Three Loudoun Players Make PrepVolleyball.com's Top 100 List for Class of 2012

(Sept. 27, 2011) - Three Loudoun volleyball players -- Heritage's Kelsey Hrebenach, Stone Bridge's Alex Heyn and Madeira School's Breanna Atkinson -- have made the PrepVolleyball.com's top 100 in their Senior Aces listing of the top recruits from the Class of 2012.

Heritage's Hrebenach is listed at No. 47. The 6-foot-1 athlete will play next year at Maryland.

At No. 68 is Heyn, out this season for Stone Bridge after shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-4 middle will play at The Ohio State.

Breanna Atkinson, who lives in Loudoun but plays at Madeira School in McLean, comes in at No. 89. She will play next year at Duke.

Are we missing a local athlete on the Senior Aces list -- let us know at dan.sousa@vivaloudoun.com.

Youth Sports - Flag Football: Ashburn-Leesburg i9 Fall League Kicks Off with Over 1,000 Kids

Special to VivaLoudoun
(Sept. 27, 2011) - The i9 Sports 2011 youth flag football fall season kicked off Sept. 17 with over 1,000 kids ages four through 14 taking the fields in Ashburn and Leesburg.

i9 Sports has provided children in Loudoun County a unique offering where different skill level divisions are being offered in the Fall 2011 Flag Football League. The Top Gun NOVA Flag Division allows full team entries with practices held during the week - while the youth recreational division offers individual player registrations with limited practices.

Softball: Stone Bridge Junior Sydney Broderick Makes Early Committment to Play at NCAA D1 BYU

 

Ashburn (Sept. 27, 2011) - Stone Bridge High School junior Sydney Broderick, first team All-Northern Region and Washington Post first team All-Met as a sophomore, has verbally accepted an offer to play NCAA Division softball at BYU starting in 2013-14.

Broderick did not make an error last season while hitting .572 with 36 runs scored and 25 RBIs. She was named first team All-Liberty District and made the district's all-tournament team as well as honorable mention all-state for AAA.

She hit .450 over the summer while playing for the Ashburn Shooting Stars 18U Gold team, which is coached by Bryan Tiplady.



VivaLoudoun College Choice Chart for Class of 2012, Class of 2011 and Class of 2010

News: Katelyn Hall Foundation and Green Mountain Horticulture Sign On as Team Joe Founders

(Sept. 27, 2011) - The Katelyn Hall Foundation and Green Mountain Horticulture have signed on to become Team Joe Charities Founder sponsors. The Team Joe charity was formed in 2007 to raise funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children.

Volleyball: Sept 24-26 Scoreboard

(Sept. 27, 2011) - Stone Bridge High School stopped Loudoun County's 33-match winning streak Monday in five sets, 14-25, 27-25, 25-23, 18-25, 15-12, in non-district action.

Sept. 26 Matches
Non-District
Stone Bridge def. Loudoun County, 3-2 (14-25, 27-25, 25-23, 18-25, 15-12)
Freedom def. Briar Woods, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-22)
Broad Run def. Centreville, 3-0 (25-13, 26-24, 25-17)
Langley def. Potomac Falls, 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 28-30, 26-24, 16-14)

Dulles District
Dominion def. Woodgrove, 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23)

Sept. 24 Matches
Albemarle Tournament
Heritage def. Patrick Henry-Roanoke, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-14)
Loudoun Valley def.Albemarle, 3-2 (13-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-20, 15-10)
Heritage def. Monticello, 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-6)
Loudoun Valley def. Fluvanna, 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 16-25, 25-21)
Heritage def. Loudoun Valley, 3-0 (26-24, 25-14, 30-28)

End of a Streak: Loudoun County had won 33 straight before Monday!
Raiders Run
2010
W - 9.11 - Sherando 3-0
W - 9.14 - Tuscarora 3-0
W - 9.15 - Potomac Falls 3-0
W - 9.21 - Broad Run 3-1
W - 9.23 - Dominion 3-0
W - 9.28 Woodgrove 3-0
W 9.30 Briar Woods 3-0
W 10.4 Robinson 3-1
W 10.5 Park View 3-0
W 10.7 Freedom 3-1
W 10.14 Tuscarora 3-0
W 10.19 Potomac Falls 3-0
W 10.21 Broad Run 3-0
W 10.26 Dominion 3-0
W 10.28 Woogrove 3-0
*W 11.2 Woodgrove 3-0
*W 11.4 Freedom 3-1
*W 11.6 Broad Run 3-0
**W 11.9 Briar Woods 3-1
**W 11.11 Kettle Run 3-1
**W 11.13 Freedom 3-0
*** W11.16 Powhatan 3-0
***W 11.18 Cave Spring 3-0
***W 11.20 Grafton 3-0
*districts
**regionals
***states

2011
W 3-0 at Potomac Falls 8.25
W 3-0 Loudoun Valley 8.30
W 3-1 9.1 Heritage 9.1
W 3-0 Freedom* 9.6
W 3-0 Tuscarora 9.8
W 3-0 at Park View 9.13
W 3-0 at Briar Woods 9.15
W 3-0 Dominion 9.20
W 3-1 at Woodgrove 9.22
L 2-3 at Stone Bridge* 9.26
*non-district contest

On the Sidelines with Dan Sousa: Battle of the (Heart)Burn Lives Up to Hype as Stone Bridge Stuns Spartans with 24-point comeback for 31-30 Thrilling Win in OT

On the Sidelines with Dan Sousa

QBs Connor Jessop (BR) and Ryan Burns (SB) meet after
the Battle of the Burn Friday night, won by SB, 31-30 in OT.
(photo courtesy Steven Holland)

Ashburn (Sept. 26, 2011) - There was so much hype surrounding the "Battle of the Burn" that Friday's football game between Broad Run and Stone Bridge -- the first meeting since 2004 between neighborhood rivals that had combined for seven district, six regional and three state titles in the last four seasons in separate classifications -- that the game couldn't live up to the expectations of an overflow crowd of nearly 7,000 fans.

And the game didn't ... let me explain before sending me nasty tweets: in parts the game was a major letdown for each side. And in parts it was beyond each fan base's wildest expectations. It was the Battle of the (heart)burn for both sides.

And in the end, as the game headed into overtime, the sum of all those parts was a once-in-a-decade or maybe lifetime experience as host Stone Bridge, trailing by 24 points with two minutes left in third quarter, rallied to tie and then win the game in overtime, 31-30.

Photo Gallery: Football - Heritage at Dominion by Dan Sousa

(Sept. 26, 2011) - Dan Sousa shot the Heritage at Dominion High School Dulles District football game on Sept. 10. Enjoy the photos!

Boys Basketball: Stone Bridge Seeks Freshman Coach for Upcoming Winter Season

(Sept. 26, 2011) - The Stone Bridge High School boys basketball program is seeking a freshman coach for the upcoming winter season. If interested, contact varsity head coach Ben West at benjamin.west@lcps.org.

Softball: Potomac Falls Senior Carlyn Hanzel to Play at Cedarville University Next Year

(Sept 25, 2011) - Potomac Falls High School senior Carlyn Hanzel has committed to playing softball next year at Cedarville University, an NCAA Division II school in Cedarville, Ohio.

Hanzel has been Potomac Falls' starting center fielder for the past three years. She led the Panthers this past spring in home runs and RBIs and was selected to the All Dulles District second team as an outfielder. She plays travel softball for the Ashburn Shooting Stars 18U Gold.


Carlyn Hanzel (#10) and Anna Zembar (#9) postgame after a win over Broad Run in 2011

Football: Tuscarora Holds Off Late Surge by Raiders to Win Battle of the Burg

By Owen Gotimer
Heritage High School student journalist

Leesburg (Sept. 23, 2011) - While Stone Bridge High School was packed for the highly anticipated Broad Run versus Bulldog match-up in Ashburn, the Tuscarora Huskies and Loudoun County Raiders met in Leesburg for what turned out to be a colossal Dulles District game. In the season'’s first "Battle of the Burg", Second-year Tuscarora took the victory over Loudoun County, 16-9.

Football: Pyszka Kicks Two Field Goals in Final 3 Minutes to Lift Heritage Over Park View, 34-31

(Sept. 24, 2011) - A power outage may have forced Park View High School's Homecoming game with Heritage from Friday evening to a Saturday afternoon start but there was no shortage of electricity as the two teams took the field for an energetic first half that featured a combined 58 points and 500 yards of total offense.

The second half featured big defensive stands with Heritage stopping the Patriots inside the 2 and Park View senior Dante Absher intercepting a Heritage pass inside the 10 to protect the Patriots, 31-28, advantage. The Pride, however, engineered a late fourth quarter drive that resulted in junior Kevin Pyszka tying the game with a 39-yard field goal with 3:09 left.

When Pride senior Austin Nelson recovered a fumble two plays later, Heritage went on a game-winning drive, capped by Pyszka's 36-yard field goal with just 11.9 seconds remaining. That drive saw Nelson (17-25-1 for 272 yards passing with 3 TDs) connecting with Marcus Finney (10 for 130 yards) for 13 yards on 3rd-and-18 and then Nelson coolly finding Finney again, this time for six yards on 4th-and-5.

After an incomplete pass, Nelson got into Pyszka's comfort range with an 11-yard pass to Nicholas Okoebor. The quarterback stopped the clock with a spike with 16.2 seconds left and Pyszka came on to put Heritage ahead.

Even with 80 yards to go and less than 12 seconds to play, Park View wasn't finished as Alec Dombkowsi (16-24-1 for 250 yards, 2 TDs) hit Daniel Villalobos to start a gadget hook-and-lateral play and speedy senior Dante Absher grabbed the pitch in full stride and streaked down the Heritage sidelines, making it to the Pride 34 before being knocked out of bounds by Nelson.

Opting not to try the 51-yard game-tying field goal on a soft field, Domkowski heaved up a ball into the end zone on the final play of the game with dangerous Ryan McCarter (6 for 91 yards) in the vicinity, Nelson was in the right spot yet again, and batted the ball to the turf.

Heritage (3-0 in Dulles District, 4-1 overall) has now won four straight games. Park View falls to 1-2 and 1-4.

Check back for a longer account of this contest with quotes.


Heritage 34, Park View 31
Heritage 21 7 0 6 - 34
Park View 17 14 0 0 - 31
1 H: Finney 37 pass from Nelson (Pyszka kick) 8:58
1 H: Gerling 39 pass from Nelson (Pyszka kick) 8:46
1 PV: Brooks 1 run (Avila kick) 7:49
1 PV: Avila 29 FG 4:46
1 H: Gerling 35 pass from Nelson (Pyszka kick) 2:17
1 PV: Absher 51 pass from Dombkowski (Avila kick) 2:10
2 PV: McCarter 7 pass from Dombkowski (Avila kick) 9:10
2 PV: Wooten 2 run (Avila kick) 4:38
2 H: Nelson 4 run (Pyszka kick) 1:42
4 H: Pyszka 39 FG 3:09
4 H: Pyszka 36 FG 0:11.9

Rushing
Heritage: Leonard 13-91, Narvaez 11-47, Davis 2-25, Finney 1-1, Bethea 1-0, Westbrook 1-(-4), Nelson 10-(-26), Team 1-(-28). Totals 40-106.
Park View: Brooks 17-103, Wooten 7-47, Absher 0-36, Stanton 4-20, Domkowski 7-10, Plowman 1-4, Argueata 2-3. Totals 38-223.

Passing
Heritage: Nelson 17-25-1 272 yards; Team 0-1-0. Totals 17-26-1 272.
Park View: Domkowski 16-24-1 250 yards.

Receiving
Heritage: Finney 10-130, Gerling 2-74, Okoebor 3-39, Wright 1-21, Narvaez 1-10.
Park View: McCarter 6-91, Absher 3-57, McManus 3-28, Villalobos 2-19, Brooks 1-12, Apple 1-7.

Penalties
Heritage: 3-21.
Park View: 9-90.

First Downs
Heritage 19
Park View 15

Time of Possession
Heritage 27:57
Park View 19:53

Photo Gallery: Football - Stone Bridge vs. Chantilly by Dan Sousa

(Sept. 24, 2011) - Photographer love the day games! Here is a football gallery with 221 shots by Dan Sousa from the Stone Bridge vs. Chantilly game played at Westfield High School earlier this season.