On Sept. 16, the Mount Vernon football team snapped a 13-game losing streak that stretched back to the 2008. One week later, the Majors find themselves tied atop the National District standings.
Mount Vernon (2-2) defeated Stuart 17-14 on Sept. 24, bringing the Majors into a first-place tie with Washington-Lee at 2-0 in the district. First-year head coach Barry Wells said beating Stuart after opening district play with a win over Edison shows the Majors are making progress, but added the team still has plenty of work to do.
"For the program, it means we’re taking steps in the right direction," said Wells, who took over a program that finished 0-10 in 2009. "I don’t think it validates us as a team. We didn’t play our best against Stuart. … We’re just not there yet. We’ve been opportunistic. In order to move this program along, we’ll need to win some ugly games."
Senior Tre Cooke took over at quarterback near the end of the first half and threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Johnathan Gaddy, giving the Majors a 10-7 advantage. Cooke later scored on a 1-yard sneak. Wells said he would make a decision on Thursday as to whether Cooke or sophomore Robert Decardi-Nelson will start at quarterback for the Majors’ homecoming matchup against Centreville at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 1.
Against Stuart, Dennis Mensah led Mount Vernon with 67 rushing yards. Julien Randolph had three receptions for 51 yards and posted a double-digit tackle total on defense.
Mount Vernon returns to district play on Oct. 8 against defending champion Hayfield, which is off to a 0-2 start.
<b>West Potomac X-Country Competes</b>
The West Potomac cross country teams participated in the Outlands Invitational on Sept. 25 in Leesburg. The boys finished third out of 41 teams and the girls placed fourth out of 33 teams.
Senior Ben Aleixo was the Wolverines top individual finisher in 35th place. Khoki Bernier finished 41st. Sarah Jane Underwood was the girls’ top finisher, placing 10th. Sophia Passacantando finished 28th.
<b>MV Volleyball To Host West Potomac</b>
The Mount Vernon volleyball team will host rival West Potomac at 7:15 p.m. on Sept. 30. The Majors fell to 0-7 with 3-0 losses against Lake Braddock on Sept. 23 and Chantilly on Sept. 27. The Wolverines defeated Falls Church 3-0 on Sept. 20, but dropped their next two matches against West Springfield and South County, respectively.
<b>West Potomac Fall Basketball Clinic</b>
The West Potomac boys basketball program will be offering six co-ed fall basketball clinics on from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday nights from Sept. 28-Oct. 14. Cost is $10 per session or $55 for all six sessions. Contact West Potomac boys basketball coach David Houston at djhouston@fcps.edu or 703-718-2619 for more information.
<b>Running Club on Sundays</b>
The Mount Vernon Milers running club meets at 8 a.m. on Sundays. The group usually meets along the Potomac River, but the exact location is listed in an e-mail sent every Wednesday for the coming week. Distances vary but runners can expect between four and eight miles.
To join the Mount Vernon Milers, send Lee Britton an e-mail at lbritton7@yahoo.com to be put on the e-mail list.
<b>Fort Hunt Basketball Registration</b>
Registration is open for the Fort Hunt Youth Athletic Association winter basketball season. Those interested may register at www.fhyaa.org. The league is for boys and girls ages 6-18. All players must be properly registered and have paid to play.
Registration fee is $75 with a $15 discount for a second basketball player in the family and a $20 discount for a third player. There is a $5.50 Fairfax County field use fee per registrant. A $40 late fee will be assessed to anyone registering after Nov. 1 (except high school age).
Contact Catherine Gorham at gorhamca@aol.com or more information.