Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Congrats Oakton on winning the State Title. It’s good to see different schools winning each year. Langley, Yorktown, and now Oakton. Who’s up for 2024?
Seems like this is Oakton's year.
Based on the youth on rosters, JV success, and how the team improved throughout the season a few contenders for 2024 could be:
Langley
Madison
Yorktown
Centerville
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Madison and Oakton played one “tough” non-conference game each last year. Madison got crushed by SJC in a pre-season scrimmage (lost by 10) and Oakton barely squeaked by SSAS in OT. Both teams could / should schedule more games with other top teams in their backyard (SR, Visi, GC, etc.). Doubt they will bec they want to maintain strong season records.
Not accurate. This season, Madison played both SSAS, a perennial power, and Potomac, who had a good year including beating SSAS and is a program on the rise, in addition to scrimmaging SJC. Last year, Madison played both SSAS and St. Annes-Belfield, also a top private program in the region. Check your facts.
"Strong season records" are not super-relevant with the Districts and Regions format in VHSL, but testing yourself against top competition is.
Further, a public school, which can't recruit, "barely squeaking" by SSAS is a major accomplishment. One of the signature wins of Oakton's outstanding season.
(1) StAB is not "in the region".
(2) Beating Saints is a huge accomplishment and one that hasn't been achieved by a NoVA public school in my memory.
STAB played 9 out of 13 games this year against ISL and WCAC teams. They are pretty present "in the region." Not sure what definition you are using. Plus, I think it proves the point that Madison is going out of its way to schedule tough competition.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Madison and Oakton played one “tough” non-conference game each last year. Madison got crushed by SJC in a pre-season scrimmage (lost by 10) and Oakton barely squeaked by SSAS in OT. Both teams could / should schedule more games with other top teams in their backyard (SR, Visi, GC, etc.). Doubt they will bec they want to maintain strong season records.
Not accurate. This season, Madison played both SSAS, a perennial power, and Potomac, who had a good year including beating SSAS and is a program on the rise, in addition to scrimmaging SJC. Last year, Madison played both SSAS and St. Annes-Belfield, also a top private program in the region. Check your facts.
"Strong season records" are not super-relevant with the Districts and Regions format in VHSL, but testing yourself against top competition is.
Further, a public school, which can't recruit, "barely squeaking" by SSAS is a major accomplishment. One of the signature wins of Oakton's outstanding season.
(1) StAB is not "in the region".
(2) Beating Saints is a huge accomplishment and one that hasn't been achieved by a NoVA public school in my memory.
STAB played 9 out of 13 games this year against ISL and WCAC teams. They are pretty present "in the region." Not sure what definition you are using. Plus, I think it proves the point that Madison is going out of its way to schedule tough competition.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Madison and Oakton played one “tough” non-conference game each last year. Madison got crushed by SJC in a pre-season scrimmage (lost by 10) and Oakton barely squeaked by SSAS in OT. Both teams could / should schedule more games with other top teams in their backyard (SR, Visi, GC, etc.). Doubt they will bec they want to maintain strong season records.
Not accurate. This season, Madison played both SSAS, a perennial power, and Potomac, who had a good year including beating SSAS and is a program on the rise, in addition to scrimmaging SJC. Last year, Madison played both SSAS and St. Annes-Belfield, also a top private program in the region. Check your facts.
"Strong season records" are not super-relevant with the Districts and Regions format in VHSL, but testing yourself against top competition is.
Further, a public school, which can't recruit, "barely squeaking" by SSAS is a major accomplishment. One of the signature wins of Oakton's outstanding season.
(1) StAB is not "in the region".
(2) Beating Saints is a huge accomplishment and one that hasn't been achieved by a NoVA public school in my memory.
Anonymous wrote:Oakton coaches doing some serious game film and scouting. Not taking this game lightly. Solid game plan in place.
Anonymous wrote:Two Oakton girls were UA 150 (11 and 4). I think 11 was first team USA Lacrosse School Girls too, along with several other select teams. Some of the younger Oakton players may have been on select teams but I’m not sure. I think Battlefield’s goalie has been UA 150 too. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Only girls trying to get recruited to play at the next level try out for such things. Some good players don’t want to go that route.Anonymous wrote:I’m curious how many girls on Oakton made teams like American Select, UA150, best in class and so on vs Battlefield?
Two Oakton girls were UA 150 (11 and 4). I think 11 was first team USA Lacrosse School Girls too, along with several other select teams. Some of the younger Oakton players may have been on select teams but I’m not sure. I think Battlefield’s goalie has been UA 150 too. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Only girls trying to get recruited to play at the next level try out for such things. Some good players don’t want to go that route.Anonymous wrote:I’m curious how many girls on Oakton made teams like American Select, UA150, best in class and so on vs Battlefield?
Anonymous wrote:Oakton coaches doing some serious game film and scouting. Not taking this game lightly. Solid game plan in place.
Oakton had New Trier (top 25 nationally and Illinois state champ) on its schedule at the beginning of the season, but South County changed the schedule so they could get crushed by New Trier.Anonymous wrote:Potomac isn’t a tough team (not top ten anyway). And it doesn’t change the fact that there are many top teams VA publics could play if they wanted to - and haven’t. Point made was that Oakton and Madison “certainly don’t shy away from scheduling tough non conference games, including top privates” which isn’t factual. Oakton only played one this year and barely beat ‘em. That is also a fact.