The Connection

<b>Yorktown Football Bounced from Playoffs</b

The No. 6 Yorktown football team lost to No. 3 Hayfield, 34-6, in the opening round of the northern region playoffs on Friday at Robert E. Lee High School.

Yorktown moved the ball early against its National District foe, but had a pair of field goal attempts blocked by Hayfield. The Hawks turned both special teams plays into touchdowns, including returning the first block 90 yards for a score, and took control of the game. The Hawks led 34-0 at halftime.

Hayfield running back Rayshawn Rigans scored on touchdown runs of 67, 6 and 69 yards, respectively. Hawks quarterback Anton McCallum scored on a 35-yard run.

"That’s a nine-point swing," Yorktown head coach Bruce Hanson said of the Hawks returning the first of their blocked field goals for a touchdown. "Instead of us being up three, we’re down 6-0. You can’t overcome that, it’s just too hard."

Senior quarterback Sam Nottingham scored Yorktown’s lone touchdown on a 2-yard run with 2:48 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Hayfield defeated Yorktown, 27-19, during a Sept. 25 meeting at Yorktown High School.

The Patriots finished the season with a 6-5 record. Yorktown dropped four of its first six games but clinched a playoff berth with four consecutive victories, including a 28-10 win over Washington-Lee during the regular season finale.

"We didn’t come out ready," Yorktown senior linebacker Charles Banks said after the playoff loss. "They just clearly wanted it more than we did."

<b>National District Field Hockey Players Honored</b>

Washington-Lee senior defender Kelsey Clark was named field hockey Player of the Year in the National District. Senior teammates Anne Murray (defender), Molly Wolford (midfielder) and Mandy Maggio (goalkeeper) joined Clark on the first team.

Yorktown seniors Hope Barrazotto (forward) and Olivia Shipley (midfielder) were also named to the first team, along with Wakefield senior defender Libby Lyon.

Second-team honors went to Washington-Lee’s Camelia Rubalcava (senior defender), Catherine Pricone (junior forward), Patricia Murray (senior midfielder) and Margaret Duarte (senior midfielder), Yorktown’s Christine Downie (junior forward), Grace Ballou (senior forward) and Molly Adair (sophomore goalkeeper), and Wakefield’s Sara Santos (senior goalkeeper).

Honorable mention accolades went to Washington-Lee sophomores Adrianna Gorsky (forward), Robin Gordon (forward), Raleigh Mills (forward) and Emily Gursky (midfielder), Yorktown’s Maeve Thomassie (junior midfielder), Melissa Hung (sophomore midfielder), Ashley Fredericks (senior defender) and Hannah Madison (junior defender), and Wakefield’s Margo Rodriquez (senior forward) and Jessica Valerazo (sophomore midfielder).

<b>National District Volleyball Players Honored</b>

Yorktown senior Elyse Bush was named National District volleyball Player of the Year. The outside hitter was also a first-team all-region selection.

Joining Bush on the National District first team were Washington-Lee’s Becca Jones and Yorktown’s Ashley Rock.

Second-team honors went to Wakefield’s Lisa Anderson and Mekdes Kebede, Washington-Lee’s Erin Fox and Aliya Winker and Yorktown’s Libby Kane.

Honorable mention accolades went to Wakefield’s Dominique Lopez-Piper.