Last spring, the Washington-Liberty Generals went undefeated until the boys’ soccer region semifinals, where they fell, 3-0, to eventual Virginia state champion Langley.

It was a strong season for a program consistently viewed as one of the better teams in Northern Virginia. After losing 11 seniors, the Generals entered this season with a talented but inexperienced roster.

It didn’t take long for the group to realize this year would not go exactly like last year. The Generals fell to Hayfield, 2-0, in their season opener.

“It was a bit like the deer in the headlights,” Coach Jimmy Carrasquillo said. “We were trying some new things, so it wasn’t just the inexperience. We were trying a few things and trying to get everyone some experience, and we just ran into a pretty good team.”

After the game, the scene reminded Carrasquillo of a playoff loss, with several players getting emotional. After years of success, he knows the pressure his players can feel from year to year.

Advertisement

But the coach felt that result taught his team a valuable lesson.

“Just putting on the jersey doesn’t mean you’re going to win games,” he said. “And you have to expect that you’re going to get everybody’s best game because of what type of program we are.”

In the five matches since, the group has settled on a formation and the players have gradually gotten more comfortable in their roles. They have gone 4-0-1, looking more and more like last year’s deep and dangerous Generals team.

— Michael Errigo

Tennis

It’s freshman Eric Wu’s first season on Churchill’s squad, but his transition from tournament to high school play couldn’t have gone more smoothly.

The first doubles player is 4-0 along with partner Aaron Han, and he already has his sights set on moving up the team lineup on the singles side. Coming from strong individual tournament competitions before high school, Wu said playing with a team brings a new level of energy to the court.

Advertisement

It doesn’t hurt that Andrew Wu, his older brother and the first singles player, is there to give pointers on how to adapt to the cooperative environment of team play.

“He’s been helping me practice and prepare,” Eric Wu said. “He gives me tips for how to move, how to play the ball and where to place the ball right after you move.”

It’s not easy for a freshman to jump right into the top of any team’s lineup, something Wu, who is ranked 23rd among Maryland ninth-graders, knows firsthand. He has been playing tennis for eight years, but the main factor that prepared him to join the Bulldogs was learning to control his footwork and positioning, focusing less on his opponents’ playing style and more on his own.

Churchill is coming off a 7-0 win against Bethesda-Chevy Chase last week. The Bulldogs are off for spring break, but Wu is making sure to stay in shape by hitting with his brother before facing Richard Montgomery next week.

Advertisement

— Aaron Credeur

Golf

Ahead of the season, longtime Georgetown Prep coach Bob Barry stumbled upon an old photograph in the school’s archives of five players identified as the 1924 golf team. Barry later learned they began the team as a club.

Almost 100 years later, that small club has spawned into a golf program with close to 40 players across two teams.

“What I ought to consider doing is make a patch they can put on their bag commemorating 100 years,” Barry said. “They are the descendants of these kids who decided to make a team.”

Learning the history behind the Little Hoyas was especially important to Barry, who has been at the school for more than 50 years. While he’s still in the digging process to uncover more about the history of the program and about the identity of the five founding golfers, Barry is excited for this season.

Advertisement

This year’s squad has six seniors — three of whom are committed to play golf at the collegiate level. Interstate Athletic Conference play was set to begin Tuesday, and the Little Hoyas will take on St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes at Belle Haven in Alexandria.

— Hayley Salvatore

Lacrosse

Griffin Ambuhl played baseball until his freshman year at Riverside, when he didn’t make the team and sent Coach Nick Worek an email inquiring about lacrosse. Worek thought the former shortstop — and quarterback — could be a good fit between the pipes.

After learning behind Ethan Lakis and the back-to-back Virginia Class 5 champion’s strong goaltending corps, Ambuhl took the reins in his junior year.

“We knew he was going to be the guy,” Worek said. “He worked his rear end off all summer long, into the fall, and was a leader the whole time. He’s working every single day, and it’s really showing.”

Advertisement

Ambuhl is part of a young roster for the Rams (4-2, preseason No. 10), who graduated 16 seniors from last year’s squad. Several freshmen have been starting, including long-stick midfielder Sebastian Quintana and defenseman Bennett Wolfe.

“We’re really starting to mesh together well,” said attackman Chase Paschuck, one of two seniors in Riverside’s starting lineup. “You’d never know these guys are freshmen; they’re out there playing like seniors.”

In addition to noticing Ambuhl’s ascension as the main goalie, Paschuck also sees the third-year player coming out of his shell. Last Saturday at practice, he made a deft move to save a shot from Paschuck and let the Jacksonville signee hear it.

“I’m starting to figure him out,” Ambuhl said, laughing.

— Shane Connuck

Baseball

Riverdale Baptist Coach Aaron Graves sat in the front of his classroom, five feet from a junior on the varsity baseball team, and peppered him with questions. He was conducting a mock college interview while the rest of the players sat against the walls, watching, occasionally giggling and waiting to critique their teammate’s answers.

Advertisement

It was a telltale sign this program is different from when Graves took over. That’s purposeful. In 2018, the team earned a No. 1 national ranking from USA Today. When the coaching staff left after the season, the seniors graduated and four players transferred, he was left without a varsity team.

Graves wasn’t trying to recapture that magic. He had a different vision for the Crusaders. That’s why they start most practices with an hour of study hall and they prepared for college interviews on this day.

“What if you don’t make it?” Graves said. “Baseball players don’t often get those full scholarships. You have to figure out ways to get those funds.”

Very few players get drafted, and an even smaller selection will earn a living at the professional level. But the sport can be a path to college and a worthwhile life experience. This season, five of his seven seniors have committed to play in college, with two more probably joining them in the coming weeks.

Advertisement

Last quarter, his team’s GPA was 3.82, he said.

“What motivates them? What is their backstory? Some of these kids, for instance, they’re really stretched to afford a private school,” Graves said. “I have to tap into their psyche; we’re asking them to do all this [work] so they can get to college.”

Junior pitcher Solomon McKinney, who has begun to receive interest from major league scouts, understands that value. Baseball wasn’t his first love, but he knew it could be a ticket to college or the minor leagues. That, coupled with the team’s camaraderie, was enough for him to stick with it.

“When I got to Riverdale, Coach Graves promised me he’s going to get me into college,” McKinney said. “And he hasn’t lied to me yet.”

— Spencer Nusbaum

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGeAcHyTaGdtZ6eWwKm1zaCrqKZdobajsdGtsGarn5iwpr6Mn6CnnKNitrW%2FjKyrq6GUmnqnvsSsn6aZnmKyrrHRoJysZZOdwrOvx6KjpWWkmruvtdJo