The Potomac Falls High wrestling team successfully defended its Dulles District championship with a first-place finish at the postseason competition held at Loudoun County High School last Friday night. The Panthers finished the eight-team meet with 195 points, besting second-place Briar Woods (153.5), third-place Heritage (146.5) and fourth-place Freedom (132.5). Finishing fifth through eighth, respectively, in the district standings were Loudoun County (80), Dominion (70), Park View (60.5) and Broad Run (49).
Potomac Falls earned individual championships from senior Jo Jo Koenig (119-weight class), senior Charlie Haislip (140) and senior Ryan Hagen (152). Koenig defeated Freedom’s Chuong Le in the 119 finals, Haislip won over Freedom’s Mike Surowiec in the 140 title match and Hagen bested Briar Wood’s Jared Beane in the 152 championship.
The winning Panthers had several second-place finishers as well in sophomore Nick Rea (112), senior Paul Rowane (125), senior Ryan Snead (130), junior Michael Oswald (135) and junior Zach Duffin (heavyweight).
Meanwhile, Briar Woods had a stellar showing as five Falcons earned titles including senior Ethan Ochs (heavyweight), senior Mike Girolami (215), senior Mike Fleming (160), senior Thomas Hulcher (130) and senior TJ Julia (112). Briar Woods’ lone second-place finisher was senior Jared Beane (152).
Park View junior Roy Stephens (215) and Park View senior Stephen Penna (112) both earned second-place medals.
Other place finishers who will go on to compete at this weekend’s Region II Championships were Broad Run junior Denis Murray (third at 103), Park View sophomore Tuan Dang (fourth at 103), Park View sophomore Jacob Landmesser (fourth at 119), Broad Run sophomore Brian Cole (fourth at 125), Dominion senior Robert Shaw (third at 130), Broad Run junior Vincent DiRenzo (third at 135), Dominion senior Torey Mazza (fourth at 135), Dominion senior Don Tran (fourth at 140), Potomac Falls senior Josh Belin (third at 145), Briar Woods senior Nik Abi-Najm (fourth at 145), Broad Run junior Andy Montoya (fourth at 152), Potomac Falls junior Aaron Rowane (fourth at 160), Dominion senior Darren Littleton (third at 171), Park View junior Tyler Roberts (fourth at 171), Briar Woods junior Matt Quist (third at 189), Potomac Falls senior David Zedan (third at 215) and Dominion sophomore Alex Ward (third at heavyweight).
<b>THIS IS THE</b> final week of the regular season in Dulles District boys basketball. Dominion High (15-5 overall, 11-1 district) entered the week in first place following a home win over defending district champion Potomac Falls, 66-55, last Friday night. Senior point guard Deandre Albritton scored 25 points to lead the Titans. Also for Dominion, senior guard Greg Smucker, senior forward Aaron Good and sophomore guard Deandre Reaves each scored 10 points. For Potomac Falls, senior guard Kevin Bartnick finished with a game-high 26 points. Panther guard Lukas Mihailovich added 10.
It marked the second time this season in which Dominion, having a remarkable turnaround season after struggling in district play last year, has beaten Potomac Falls. In January the Panthers won at Potomac Falls, 58-52. That victory was considered one of the best ever for the six-year old Dominion program, which moved into first place all alone that night.
Dominion, still holding on to the top spot in the standings, wraps up the regular season with a road game at Dulles rival Broad Run this Friday night. The Spartans will be celebrating their "Senior Night" festivities.
Broad Run (15-4, 7-4) was a 65-53 home winner over Park View (7-12, 5-6) last Friday. The Spartans, who have put together a nice season under first-year coach John Costello, had four players tally double figures in the win. They were senior guard Didier Saidi (15 points), junior forward Kevin McGaughey (13), senior guard Breon Earl (10) and senior center Kevin Sandersen (10). Sophomore forward Taylor Johnson added seven points for the Spartans, who led 27-18 at halftime.
Park View received 23 points from senior center Kenny Smith. Freshman wing Brian McCarter contributed 12 points and junior forward Jordan Owens had eight.
Briar Woods lost its game on Friday to Loudoun County, 73-43. The Falcons (6-11, 2-9) had 12 points from sophomore guard Andre Evans and nine from sophomore forward Curtis Calder. Briar Woods has just one senior player — center Carl Etienne — on this year’s team. It has been a tough season for coach Mike Benson’s squad, although the Falcons are the only team in the district to have beaten Dominion. That 58-57 win came on Jan. 16 at Dominion.
Earlier last week, Briar Woods won its second district game of the season when it edged host Park View, 68-67. The Falcons will host Potomac Falls this Friday night in both teams’ regular season finale.
The district tournament begins next week with first-round games set for Tuesday night.
<b>IN RECENT DULLES</b> District girls basketball action, Broad Run was a 47-43 winner over Park View last Friday night. The Spartans (11-7, 7-3) had a good game from senior center Caitlin Hunter, who scored a game-high 16 points. Also for Broad Run, senior Chelsea Gannt scored nine points and junior guard Kailey Phillips had seven.
Park View (7-8, 3-4), which carried a 32-26 lead into halftime, had three players in double figures — senior guard Megan Barnes (12 points), senior guard Rachael Miller (11) and sophomore guard Christina Sheppard (10).
Going into this week, Freedom (17-2, 11-0) and Loudoun County (17-3, 11-1) were first and second, respectively, in the district standings with Broad Run third.
Briar Woods (11-8, 5-7) gave Loudoun County a strong contest in a 54-46 loss to the Raiders on Friday night. Briar Woods led at halftime 21-19. The Falcons had a big game from junior forward Kim Bell (18 points).
<b>THE DULLES DISTRICT SWIM</b> and dive championships were held Jan. 23 at the Claude Moore Recreation Center. The team champion on the girls side was Potomac Falls High (378 points), which edged second-place finisher Briar Woods (375). Freedom (314) was third.
On the boys side, Broad Run High was the team champion with 447 points, finishing well ahead of second-place Briar Woods (274) and third-place Potomac Falls (249). Dominion (232.5) was fourth place.
For the Potomac Falls girls, Caylin Tate finished first in both the 200-yard individual medley and the 500 free events. She was also a part of the Panthers’ first place, 200 free relay team, which also included Carla Harvey, Bridget Werner and Kirby Shook.
Potomac Falls’ 200 medley girls relay team, made up of Werner, Taylor Ayers, Harvey and Shook, also finished first.
Other Potomac Falls girls to earn first-place finishes were Kirby Shook (50 free) and Bridget Werner (100 back).
Briar Woods had first-place finishes from Elise Guessford (200 free and 100 free) and Alli Haufler (100 fly). The Falcons’ 400 free relay team of Guessford, Diana Farris, Kate Fowler and Haufler finished first.
On the boys side, first-place Broad Run had first-place finishes from Cameron Lucas (200 IM), Brenden Lewis (50 free) and Mark Sarman (100 fly and 100 breast).
Broad Run finished first in three relays: 200 medley of Sarman, Andrew Tram, Lucas and Mike Poltash; 200 free of Alan Horback, Brenden Lewis, Poltash and Jacob Leidy; and the 400 free of Leidy, Lewis, Lucas and Sarman.
Potomac Falls swimmers to earn first-place medals were Devin Bowers (200 free and 100 free) and Cole Jamison (100 back).