<b>Two Titans Meet Again</b>
Behind a pair of dominant rushing performances last Friday, the Westfield and Chantilly football teams produced a redux of the area’s biggest rivalry when the two teams meet this week in the Northern Region Division 6 semifinals.
Senior running back Torrian Pace accounted for 421 total yards of offense (368 rushing, 53 receiving) and five touchdowns when the No. 3 Chargers’ (8-3) topped Annandale, 47-38. Meanwhile, Westfield’s Jordan Anderson, also a senior running back, totaled 279 rushing yards and scored four times as the No. 2 Bulldogs (9-2) turned back Herndon, 41-22.
Friday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Westfield will surely conjure up memories from Week 4, when the Bulldogs cruised to an easy 32-7 win. In front of a packed house at Chantilly, Anderson needed only 105 yards and two scores because Westfield’s defense held Pace (15 carries, 118 yards) mostly in check.
Westfield holds an 8-1 advantage in the series, and the only Chantilly win came in the 2006 region title game. The Bulldogs regrouped with a region crown in 2007, beating West Springfield, 58-34, en route to a 15-0 season and the school’s second Virginia AAA state title.
In the other Division 6 semifinal matchup, West Springfield (8-3) will travel to Oakton (11-0).
<b>Belief from the Beginning</b>
In August, nobody except those 27 folks wearing black and gold believed the Westfield field hockey team would reach the Northern Region title game.
But that’s where the Bulldogs were last Wednesday, squaring off with Lake Braddock.
“I don’t think that anybody had us slated to go this far,” said Westfield coach Terri Towle, whose team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Lake Braddock but will advance to this week’s Virginia AAA state tournament in Virginia Beach. “We earned the right to be there.”
The Bulldogs (19-4) will hope to regroup when they take on undefeated Thomas Dale (Central Region champion) on Thursday at 1 p.m.
Westfield’s Amanda O’Sullivan has scored two of her five goals this season during the Concorde District and regional tournaments.
Kayla German, Blair Duncan and Annie Martello lead the Bulldogs with six goals apiece, while Kat Kendrick has totaled 14 assists and goalkeeper Nicole Ficarra has 13 shutouts.
“We’re definitely stepping up our field hockey to a higher level, faster-paced game down at Virginia Beach,” Towle said. “It’s going to be a new challenge for us, and we’re excited about it.”
<b>CYA U-11 Boys Soccer Tryouts</b>
The CYA U-11 Scorpions are looking for talented and dedicated players for their upcoming spring season. The Scorpions play year round and are currently in the NCSL Division 2. Adam Baumgardner coaches and professionally trains this young group. Contact coach Baumgardner at cyascorpions@yahoo.com for tryout information.