South Lakes in Basketball Tourneys — The South Lakes varsity basketball teams are playing in regional tournaments this week. The girls team defeated Annandale 67-36 in a tournament in Oakton yesterday, while the boys team fell to Trinity Episcopal 74-56 in a tournament in Henrico.
Reston’s Missed Connections — Craigslist’s Missed Connection section is an interesting (albeit sometimes creepy) study in human interactions. The past three Reston missed connections have all been in chain restaurants: Panera Bread, Five Guys and Boston Market.
Flickr pool photo by Vantagehill
Fairfax County to Settle Overtime Pay Lawsuit — The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that fire captains are due the overtime pay that they have been denied for years. The county had reportedly long been denying overtime to fire captains, arguing that they are “executives and administrators” that are not owed overtime pay according to law. A number of Fairfax County fire captains filed a lawsuit in 2014 saying they deserve overtime pay because they are first-responders that do not operate solely as supervisors. The court has awarded Fairfax County fire captains a total of $7.85 million in back overtime pay. [Washington Post]
South Lakes Football Season Comes to An End — It has been a long and exciting season for the South Lakes High varsity football team, but unfortunately, the Seahawks lost to defending state champs the Westfield Bulldogs in the Region 6A semi-finals at Westfield Saturday. The Seahawks, which lost 42 to 12, entered Saturday’s game with a winning record of 12-1. [Reston Patch]
Get Photos In For Your 2017 Tennis and Pool Passes Now – Reston Association members must provide a photo for each member of their household that wants to have a pass for pools and tennis courts. RA says, you can start emailing those photos now to [email protected] with the subject line “Pass Photos.” Be sure to label each photo with the person’s name, and include the name of the primary person and address on the household account. Passes go on sale Dec. 15 through the RA’s new WebTrac system. [Reston Association/WebTrac]
Photo by David Cordts: South Lakes Seahawks varsity football, October 2016
Metro Aware of Track Problems Before Silver Line Derailment, NTSB Says — Metro was aware of track issues that could cause cause a derailment before a Silver Line train went off the tracks outside of the East Falls Church Metro station in July, according to the he National Transportation Safety Board. [Washington Post]
Reston Chorale and Symphonic Brass to Hold Holiday Concert This Weekend — The Washington Symphonic Brass is set once again to join the Reston Chorale for their annual holiday concert. The performance is scheduled for Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at CenterStage at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for seniors 62 and older. Military personnel and children 17 years old and younger are free. [Reston Community Center]
South Lakes to Face Westfield in Finals Saturday — South Lakes High School’s varsity football team is set take on defending state champion Westfield High School tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Region 6A Finals. The winner of this game will go on to the state finals in Hampton. South Lakes is currently ranked No. 5, and Westfield is ranked No. 10. [Washington Post]
Holiday Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides Begin This Weekend — Reston Town Center will start having horse-drawn carriage rides this Saturday. They generally will run from 4 to 9 p.m. Pickup is in front of Clyde’s on Market Street. A donation of $5 per person, to benefit local charities, is asked of any riders age 5 and older. [Reston Town Center]
South Lakes to Host Holiday Concert — The Seahawk Chorale, Seahawk Camerata, DeReMigas, SMAC, Noteworthy and the Concert and Symphonic orchestras will perform holiday music Monday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. in the South Lakes High School Little Theatre. [South Lakes Chorus]
WMATA Pushes for New Metro Hours — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is looking to end Metro service at 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 p.m. on Sundays. [Washington Post]
Holiday Performances at Reston Town Center to Kick Off This Week — Reston Town Center will start holding regular holiday musical performances in front of the Pavilion, beginning with jazz this Friday at 6:30 p.m. See the full calendar for shows online. [Reston Town Center]
South Lakes High School football coach Trey Taylor was named the Washington Redskins Foundation’s High School Coach of the Week last week — and that was before SLHS earned another victory to improve to 8-0.
The award is given out each week by the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and Inova Sports Medicine.
The Seahawks earned their biggest victory of the season Oct. 14 with an upset over then-No. 8 Madison. South Lakes then climbed 10 spots in the Washington Post poll. The Seahawks are the No. 8 team now. The team beat Langely 42-14 on Friday.
“Coach Taylor does a great job of helping each of his players recognize their full potential,” Linda Jones, SLHS Director Student Activities, said in a release. “He encourages his players to focus on academics first and to always do the right thing.”
The Redskins and Inova highlight some of Taylor’s accomplishments on and off the field since arriving at SLHS in 2014.
Coach Taylor has used community outreach as an opportunity to advocate team building amongst his student-athletes. Coach Taylor and his players are active in the “Readers Are Leaders” program with Terreset Elementary School and assist with the Reston Youth Association’s football camps and clinics. Players also help South Lakes custodial staff move school furniture before the start of every school year.
All South Lakes football coaches are Heads Up Football certified and emphasize the importance of proper tackling techniques to players. Taylor encourages his players to seek out the assistance of the Athletic Training staff when necessary. Additionally, he holds clinics for youth football coaches on proper techniques.
The High School Coach of the Week program is an NFL-wide initiative designed to recognize area high school football coaches who continuously demonstrate hard work and dedication to their football programs, the health and safety of their players, and who make a difference in their communities.
The Redskins Charitable Foundation has convened a panel of local high school football media experts to provide nominations of deserving high school coaches for consideration and selection.
Each coach chosen throughout the high school football season will receive a $2,000 donation from the Redskins Charitable Foundation to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden, Redskins President Bruce Allen and General Manager Scot McCloughan, as well as other giveaway items from the Redskins Charitable Foundation and Inova Sports Medicine.
Coach Trey Taylor at SLHS football practice/file photo
The South Lakes Seahawks toppled No. 8 Madison 21-13 Friday, handing the Warhawks their first loss of the football season and taking the top spot in the Conference 6 standings.
With the victory, the Seahawks, ranked No. 18 by the Washington Post last week, will surely rise in the region-wide standings this week. They are now 7-0 (4-0 Conference 6).
A key play came in the third quarter. With Madison at fourth and goal on the Seahawks 1 yard line, South Lakes’ defense stopped Madison’s Nick Quinto from reaching the end zone.
SLHS coach Trey Taylor called the goal-line stand “one of the greatest I have ever seen.”
The game was WTOP’s “Game of the Week.” Madison had won 15 of its last 16 games, losing only to Chantilly in last year’s playoffs.
Quarterback Devin Miles passed for 232 yards. Spencer Alston ran in all thee of SLHS’ touchdowns.
South Lakes next plays at Langley Friday at 7 p.m.
Photos Courtesy David Cordts
Friday’s game is arguably the biggest one in years for South Lakes High School football.
It’s definitely as big as the one a year ago, when the team was 5-1 and played Madison, also 5-1, in a Conference 6 matchup.
The Warhawks won that meeting 38-6.
For this year’s meeting (7 p.m. at SLHS), No. 18 South Lakes and No. 8 Madison are both 6-0 and fighting to stay unbeaten, rule the conference and bolster postseason seeding.
Both teams have seen a huge improvement in recent years. The Seahawks were 2-7 two years ago (but a much-improved 9-3 in 2015). Madison had a one-win season three years ago.
But this is 2016, and both teams are among Northern Virginia’s best.
South Lakes, boosted by halfbacks Spencer Alston and Albert Mensah, is averaging 49 points per game. Alston and Mensah have combined for 17 touchdowns. Quarterback Devin Miles has passed for 17 more, with Alston being his target five times.
Madison quarterback Jacob Choutka has thrown for 11 touchdowns. Receiver Nick Conforti accounts for 459 reception yards and six TDS.
A South Lakes High School Spanish teacher has been suspended from her job by Fairfax County Public Schools after she was arrested on several charges Monday.
Fabiana Alicia Ciammaichella, 30, and Adelmo Ernesto Arias Guillen, an 18-year-old SLHS sophomore, are facing a number of drug, alcohol and larceny charges, police said.
Ciammaichella has been charged with two counts of possessing a Schedule 1 or 2 Narcotic, believed to be cocaine and/or LSD, said FCPD Officer Don Gotthardt. She was also charged with possession of marijuana, he said.
Guillen was charged with petty larceny, purchasing alcohol while under 21, possession of marijuana and a misdemeanor failure to appear from a previous charge.
Officers from the Reston District Station were called to the Exxon Station at 11808 Baron Cameron Avenue on Monday about 11 p.m.
Video footage shows a woman distracting a cashier while a male who came in the store with her steals a case of beer and then leaves. The female then left the store and picked the man up outside and drove away.
Soon after, following an investigation, officers went to Ciammaichella’s home and found her with Guillen, as well as the stolen beer and a variety of illegal narcotics.
Both suspects were transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
“This is now an ongoing police investigation, as well as a personnel issue, and I’m not at liberty to discuss this in any detail beyond what [the police statement says],” SLHS Principal Kim Retzer said in a statement to the school community.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Crime Solvers electronically by visitingwww.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text-a-tip by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES(274637) or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.
Photos: Fabiana Alicia Ciammaichella, left, and Adelmo Ernesto Arias Guillen/FCPD
No. 19 South Lakes (6-0) and No. 8 James Madison (6-0) meet Friday at SLHS in a battle of two of the region’s best football teams.
The game is one of three candidates to be WTOP’s “DMV Game of the Week,” and it is depending on reader/listener votes to earn the honor.
WTOP will cover one of three games live Friday — and post interviews, photos, video from the game. the choices are South Lakes-Madison, Eleanor Roosevelt -Wise or top-ranked DeMatha vs. Gonzaga.
Read more about the games and cast your vote on WTOP’s website.
The deadline for voting is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
Photo: football/Credit: eteamz.com
South Lakes junior Kurtis Grant shot four birdies on the final nine holes at Reston’s Hidden Creek Country Club en route to a 4-under-par 67 and the Virginia 6A regional boys golf title on Wednesday.
Grant shot a 68 on Tuesday, which helped him win the individual medal by eight shots.
As a sophomore in 2015, Grant finished one stroke behind the winner. Grant was also the winner of last week’s Conference 6 tournament at Herndon Centennial Golf Course.
Grant, along with other regional qualifiers move on to the Boys 5A-6A state championships in Mosely, Va., Oct. 10-11.
Read more about Kurtis and see regional tournament pictures in this Washington Post story.
After a 56-18 route of Washington-Lee last week, South Lakes High School’s football team moved up in the Washington Post’s Top 20 Poll.
The 5-0 Seahawks — who were without starting quarterback Devin Miles after he went out with an injury halfway through Friday’s game — are now now No. 19. Last week, the team entered the poll at No. 20.
There are no additional details on Miles’ injury or whether he will be back this week. Coach Trey Taylor says the team does not comment on player injuries for privacy reasons as they are minors.
South Lakes is averaging more than 48 points per game behind the rushing duo of Spencer Alston and Albert Mensah. Read more about them in this Washington Post story.
Next up for South Lakes: Crosstown rival Herndon (1-4) in the annual “Baron Cameron Bowl.” The game is at Herndon Friday at 7 p.m.
South Lakes’ football’s 75-8 victory over McLean on Friday has earned the Seahawks a spot in the Washington Post’s High School Top 20 this week.
South Lakes (4-0) entered the poll at No. 20 based on the performance in which eight different players scored touchdowns and the Seahawks led 61-0 at halftime.
It was the biggest victory since Coach Trey Taylor took over the team prior to the 2014 season. The Seahawks were 8-2 last season, earning a trip to the Virginia 6A North Region Playoffs.
The margin was believed to be the biggest for the school since 1978.
“In general, I am happy with how we have progressed this season form last,” said Taylor. “We have had guys step up and replace players who graduated and we are playing well as a team. We are still a young group and have lots of things we need to fix if we want to improve as a team. That is our focus; we need to be better than last week.”
Leading South Lakes’ effort was junior running back Albert Mensah, who rushed six times for 127 yards (an average of 21.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns; junior wide receiver Chris Ezidinima (33-yard touchdown catch); senior punt returner Andrew Funaki (50-yard return for a TD); junior quarterback Devin Miles (10-yard TD run); junior running back Spencer Alston (two-yard TD run); junior receiver Noah Seneca (13-yard catch); and sophomore running back Xavier May (scoring on runs of six and four yards).
Here comes another race through South Reston this weekend.
The Perfect 10 is Sunday at 8 a.m. Participants can pick which course to run — a 10K or a 10 mile. There is also a 1-mile fun run or walk that begins at 8:05 a.m.
The race starts and ends at South Lakes High School.
Registration is available online through Friday ($45), as well as at packet pickup and on race day (space permitting).
The races will affect some nearby streets. The curb lanes will be closed to traffic while the races are underway. Click below to see the course maps.
There is still time to register for Saturday’s Susco 8K: Running with Tim.
The race is an annual event that honors Tim Susco, a 1999 South Lakes High School graduate who died of a bran aneurysm in 2007.
The race benefits both brain aneurysm and organ donor awareness. Susco was an organ donor, and his parents have, over the years, met several recipients of Tim’s otherwise-healthy organs.
The race begins at South Lakes High School at 8:30 a.m. There is also a 2K fun run/walk that starts at 8:35 a.m.
Online registration is closed, but you can register at packet pickup at SLHS ($35) Friday night or at the race ($40) Saturday morning starting at 7 a.m.
The course will go through streets near SLHS. Roads will not be completely blocked, but certain lanes will be for runners only. So plan ahead and use caution.
Affected streets include Ridge Heights Road, South Lakes Drive, Twin Branches Road, Glade Drive and Soapstone Drive.
See the full course on the race website.
The South Lakes High School community is invited to kick off the 2016 football season — and the upcoming 2016-17 school year — at the annual Seahawk Block Party on Friday, Sept. 2.
The free event is from 4 to 7 p.m. in the SLHS student parking lot.
The block party is SLHS’ back-to-school carnival. There will be reps from various South Lakes student organizations and teams, Reston Association, Reston Community Center and other groups, as well as food and spirit wear for sale.
After the party, stay to watch the Seahawks open the football season against Marshall at 7 p.m. Admission will be charged to enter the game.
South Lakes, under second-year coach Trey Taylor, had a turnaround season in 2015, finishing with a 9-3 record and a trip to the playoffs. The team returns seven offensive starters, including quarterback Devin Miles, as well as six defensive starters.
