<b>Tough to Take</b>
The fact was not lost on Chantilly boys’ lacrosse coach Kevin Broderick that 66 other teams throughout the state of Virginia would’ve willingly traded spots with his Chargers late Sunday night at Westfield High School.
Although nobody wearing purple and black was celebrating after a 4-3 overtime loss to Langley in the Virginia AAA state final, Broderick hoped that a night of sleep -- some, anyway -- should help put everything back into perspective.
“Hopefully in the daylight they’ll realize what a great job they did,” Broderick said, “but right now it’s pretty hard.”
Chantilly played even with Langley the entire way and got a goal from Mike Turpyn with 1 minute, 11 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. But only 64 seconds into the extra session, Langley’s Alex Devlin scored to seal the victory.
With the loss, Chantilly wrapped up the year at 16-3. The Chargers were also knocked out of the Northern Region semifinals with a 6-4 loss to Langley, which won its first-ever state title in boys’ lacrosse.
Chantilly’s Jared Golden scored with 1:12 left in the second period to tie the score at one. From the center of the field, Golden threw a left-handed shot from 15 yards out at Langley goalkeeper Galen Kuney. And after Langley scored twice to make it 3-1, Danny Abatemarco came streaking up the left-hand side and beat Kuney again at 11:13 of the fourth.
The loss for Chantilly came in stark contrast to last year’s result when the Chargers won their first-ever state title with a 12-5 victory over Oakton. Broderick lost 16 seniors from that team and estimated that 60 percent of this year’s club was devoid of any previous varsity experience when the season began.
“They worked hard. They fought hard,” Broderick said. “They showed a lot of character. I’m proud that we’re here, and I’m proud of the way we played.”
<b>Honored at NVCA</b>
The Northern Virginia Christian Academy (NVCA) boys’ basketball team went 20-5 this past season and garnered several awards from the National Christian Schools Athletic Association (NCSAA). Head Coach Jerry Cuffee was named the NCSAA’s National Coach of the Year, as he was among 54 coaches nominated for this prestigious award. Junior forward Sam Rattray, who averaged 12.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, made the Small Schools (Division 3) All-American Team. He was a first team selection. Senior point guard Bobak Sharifi and Rattray were both selected to the North East Super-Regional Team. Sharifi averaged 9 points per game, to go along with his other marks of 3.1 assists, 3.5 steals and 3.5 rebounds per contest.
<b>Walk or Run or Both</b>
The 10th Annual Tim Harmon Memorial 5K Run/Walk will be held Saturday, June 13 at 8:30 a.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center. Prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers and the top age-group finishers. More than 100 medals and trophies will be presented. Door-prizes will also be awarded. Register at www.racepacket.com. Entry fee is $21 and participants receive commemorative T-shirts.
<b>Floor Hockey Camp</b>
Get those future professional hockey players off to a good start with floor hockey, a super place for young players with tons of energy. This camp for children ages 6-9 is aimed at developing physical skills and hand-eye coordination. The camp, which runs from July 6-10, will also focus on the fundamentals of hockey, teamwork and sportsmanship. Call 703-397-0555 to register.
<b>Soccer Tryouts</b>
The ODFC South Riding Storm, a girls’ U-13 WAGS soccer team located in Chantilly, is looking to add several experienced and committed players for the fall 2009 season. Coach Jeff Rush (USSF-D License, college and high school coaching and playing experience) emphasizes individual skill development blended with team concepts in a positive learning environment. Contact coach Rush at jeffrush@verizon.net for tryout information or visit the team’s Web site at www.southridingstorm.org.