Sterling, Va. — The Park View High School Patriots will not play varsity football this fall, marking the first time since the school opened in 1976 that the Patriots will not put a varsity football team on the field. As hundreds of football players across the county reported to their first practices of the season on July 30, just 18 varsity-level players showed up at Park View. Half of those 18 had never played football before. The VHSL recommends that schools with less than 25 football players should not field varsity rosters. “The bottom line is safety,” LCPS Public Information…
Author: Owen Gotimer
Owen Gotimer
Owen Gotimer is an award-winning journalist and small business owner from Leesburg, Virginia. After graduating from Heritage High School, Owen spent his college years at Syracuse University, where he studied broadcast and digital journalism in the renowned Newhouse School of Public Communications, before earning a Masters degree in social media, culture, and society from the University of Westminster. Owen owns OG Media, a full-service marketing partner specializing in website design & development, content creation, and graphic design & print. Additionally, Owen is the president of of the Jeffrey C. Fowler Memorial Scholarship.
Loudoun County, Va. — On occasion, student-athletes get their scholarships revoked because of their actions on social media. In 2014, a couple of Division I football coaches publicly dropped a pair of recruits because of things the recruits had posted online. Fast forward four years, and some things still haven’t changed. In early July 2018, the wrestling team at California Polytechnic State University withdrew a scholarship offer from recent high school graduate Bronson Harmon after a video surfaced of him yelling an anti-gay slur at a rally in Modesto, California. Scholarship reversals like this are more isolated than you might think.…
Ashburn, Va. — Broad Run High School rising junior Mitch Griffis has made an early verbal commitment to continue his football career at Wake Forest University beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year. “It feels great to be committed because it has been my lifelong dream to play Division I football,” Griffis said. “Now, I can focus on my last two years of high school and being the best I can for my team.” [adrotate banner=”19″] Since more than 90% of Division I Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks are taller than 6 feet, Griffis – who stands at 5-foot-10-and-a-half – has his…
Leesburg, Va. — While more than 400,000 girls across the country suit up to play volleyball for their high schools each year, less than six percent of them get an opportunity to continue playing in college. And an even smaller fraction of those make it to the professional level. Heritage High School graduate Sydney Busa (2014) joined that elite group of volleyball players, when she signed a professional contract with Finland-based Nurmon Jymy on June 22. She will report to the team in September. “I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity to continue to play, especially at the professional level,” the…
Leesburg, Va. — In a back-and-forth game, it was the offensive explosiveness of the Riverside High School girls lacrosse team that proved to be the deciding factor. The Rams fended off multiple Dominion High School rallies to defeat the Titans, 14-8, in a VHSL 4A State semifinal on June 5 in Leesburg. Riverside found its first break less than three minutes into the game when junior midfielder Lilly Boswell scored to put the Rams up 1-0. Thirty seconds later sophomore midfielder Bryn McCaughey followed up with a goal of her own, and the Rams were in motion. [adrotate banner=”19″] Following…
Ashburn, Va. — Briar Woods High School senior Cassie Holstein has made a commitment to continue her swimming career at Duquesne University starting in the 2018-2019 school year. “I’m so excited to know that I will be continuing my swimming career in college,” the 5-foot-6 Holstein said. “I am proud to have achieved one of my biggest goals.” [adrotate banner=”18″] Earning the opportunity to swim for a Division I swim team is an impressive feat, but for Holstein, the opportunity to compete at Duquesne is about more than just swimming. “I chose Duquesne not only for its outstanding academic and…