Sports

EMILY FRIEDMAN OPINIONS EDITOR & LAINE PHILLIPS NEWS EDITOR

The Class of 2022 is the biggest class ever at McLean, and with this comes tremendous athletic talent. Freshmen on varsity sports are rare, but these six aspiring young athletes have all worked extremely hard to make their way up to varsity spring sports using a combination of both natural talent and sheer determination.

Varsity Girls Softball | Catcher

“When I found out I made varsity, I was really excited, but I was nervous for the season. I was just kind of overwhelmed, but it was a good feeling… The best part about playing on varsity is the competitive environment. Everyone is much older than you, so it’s important to always do your best.”

Varsity Boys Track and Field | Distance

“It is very overwhelming to run on varsity because instead of running against freshmen and sophomores, you run against juniors and seniors who have been running for up to 10 years... The hardest part is having to live up to expectations, but the meets are really fun.”

Varsity Boys Tennis

“The best part about playing on varsity are the people. Everyone is really nice and funny, and they make the sport a lot more enjoyable... McLean tennis is different from other teams I’ve played for because they emphasize it being more of a team sport.”

Varsity Girls Soccer | Left Wing

“The older players make you feel welcome, so you can’t really tell you’re younger, and everyone is like family... The hardest part of playing on varsity is the size difference, and the best part is all of the memories you make with the upperclassmen.”

Varsity Girls Lacrosse | Defender

“The biggest challenge of playing on varsity is that the other teams are really good, and have more experience than the teams I’m used to playing... The girls on McLean are much nicer than any other team I’ve been on before because everyone gels together.”

Varsity Boys Baseball | Center Fielder

"Being the youngest on the team is hard because I have a lot of responsibilities and the least experience, but it's worth it because I get to play baseball."

NOAH BARNES REPORTER

Despite losing more games than expected, McLean’s JV boys soccer team showed promise throughout the season, which was full of extremely close games.

The team accumulated a 1-6-4 record, which is significantly lower than most had anticipated. While a winning record is important, the coaches’ main objective for the season was to improve their players’ athletic abilities.

“It’s a learning experience for both the players and I to learn more,” head coach Christopher Claude said. “We could do better, of course, and we will do better.”

In their away game against Langley on March 29, the team took a quick lead with freshman Mike El-Gharib scoring in the fifth minute. That goal ended up being their only one of the game, and they lost with a score of 1-3.

“I got a beautiful through-ball from one of our midfielders,” El-Gharib said. “The defender was pretty slow and I just ran by him.”

Several McLean team members were concerned by a penalty call made against them in the first half, which was called for the slightest contact in the box. This gave the impression that the call was biased in favor of Langley.

However, after Langley player Evan Preta scored his first penalty, the referee demanded a re-kick because a player on their team stepped into the box before the kick.

Stand-in goalie Jack Lannin from McLean saved the second kick with a phenomenal dive.

“It was a spectacular save, and it definitely boosted our team morale,” freshman defender Jacob Miller said.

Both of McLean’s regular goalies were not able to attend the game, and the team was ecstatic after the save. They advanced into halftime with a score of 1-0.

McLean struggled to maintain intensity in the second half, though, as the team didn’t get as many chances to score. Langley, on the other hand, fired up by the home crowd, spent most of their time attacking and threatening McLean’s defense.

The referee later awarded a controversial free kick in shooting range because of a Langley player who seemed to fall down with marginal contact. Langley freshman Cole Fisher took the free kick and scored.

"Not having our normal keepers really hurt our team,” freshman midfielder Will Davis said.

McLean went on to lose the game 1-3, giving up two more late goals.

“I feel that our players got tired and the Langley players just ran hard,” assistant JV coach Marco Garcia said.

Despite losing or drawing most of their games, the coaches believe that the players have been developing throughout the season and are more ready to move on to varsity with each passing day.

“My goal is to get all 26 of my guys playing varsity next year,” Claude said.

The team aims to improve on their faults in order to achieve a better record next season.

“Communication is one of our weakest points, if not the weakest point,” Garcia said. “We need to learn how to give constructive criticism and not put down other players.”

Despite their downfalls, McLean had a lot of talent on the team this season, and just couldn’t seal the deal in many of their games.

“Our season started off promising, but we were cursed by small losses,” Miller said. “Almost every game that we had we lost or tied because our defense let in a late goal in the closing moments of the game.”

MATTHEW ZARKANI MANAGING EDITOR

The JV boys lacrosse team just wrapped up a fabulous season. The team started off their season on a high note, outscoring their opponents 48-15 through their first five games.

The team ended the season with seven wins, three losses and one tie. Despite their losses, they continued to excel.

“We would love to get those three games back—we did not play our best, but we still finished the season strong,” freshman Tanner Moore said.

Head coach Matt Kelly set goals for the team earlier in the season.

“Ideally I would like to keep the momentum, run the tables and get all of my players ready for varsity,” Kelly said.

Kelly seems to have left his mark on his team members, as one of the freshman players, Jake Hackett, was moved up to varsity at the end of the JV season.

“Coach Kelly is a great coach—six days a week for two hours, he came out and showed his dedication to make us better players, and most importantly, better people,” Hackett said. “He taught the players many valuable skills and life lessons.”

Focusing on one game at a time and treating every game almost as though it was a new season helped ensure the team was prepared.

“We work on what we messed up on from previous games, and we all have the responsibility to work on our own,” freshman Cooper Ferris said.

The team had lots of talent, and they had a couple of great leaders who especially contributed to the team’s success.

“Nick Lupi and Liam Downey are two of our captains who get the team hype and keep us disciplined at practice,” Moore said.

A key feature that made this team stand out was their athletic performance.

“Physically our speed makes us unique,” Kelly said. “We are really fast, and on a more personal level, all the kids have strong and vibrant personalities.”

The team’s confidence may have also helped them succeed.

“Don’t underestimate us, because we will destroy you,” Ferris said.

MAYA AMMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When you see senior Brian Aka dribbling, is it down the court or down a field? When he sped past you, was he dribbling a soccer ball or a basketball?

Aka was a star basketball player for McLean before the season ended. He has been a starter on the varsity basketball team since his sophomore year.

Around six years ago, Aka started playing basketball for the NOVA Cavs in the Amateur Athletic Union. He played on very high-caliber teams in his early childhood and started off with a solid foundation that would help him succeed in high school.

“His natural athleticism sets him apart from other members of the team,” boys varsity basketball coach Mike O’Brien said.

Aka has also been playing soccer on a McLean travel team since third grade. Although he had an earlier start in soccer, he didn’t pursue it in his early high school years. Instead, he chose to stick to playing basketball as his main high school sport. He quickly emerged as a standout player and leader, being named varsity captain in just his junior year.

For his last year of high school, Aka decided to try out for the soccer team.

"Some of my buddies on the team told me that they could use someone with my speed and athleticism on the soccer team, so that gave me the courage to try out," Aka said.

Aka made the cut and immediately became a starter for the varsity team.

"Brian has exceptional physically abilities. He is very fast, he has quick feet and great instincts," O'Brien said.

His teammates respect him, and they see what makes him a useful player on their roster.

“He’s always been really fast and has a long stride, which makes him hard to defend,” said senior Austin Jensen, Aka’s soccer teammate.

Aka is always seen as a team player. No matter where he is, he shows leadership skills.

“He’s never focused on himself—his main goal is to make the team, as a whole, better,” said freshman Michaela Aka, his sister.

Michaela is also a basketball player and aspires to be like her brother.

“He influenced me to play basketball and have a passion for it. He has made me fall in love with the sport,” Michaela said.

His strong leadership is displayed on the court and the pitch, helping McLean basketball achieve a prosperous past season and carrying that success to the soccer field.

“There have definitely been times where Brian was able to take over the game, especially on the defensive side because he could [easily] take away a team’s best player,” O’Brien said.

Aka had many star moments throughout his high school basketball career. His natural talent allowed him to succeed despite the significant challenges he faced in both basketball and soccer.

“One of my moments that stands out for Brian is from his sophomore year. He took the challenge of guarding one of the best players in the entire region. He gave us a chance to really compete in that game,” O’Brien said.

Aka has a lot of fond memories from his time on the basketball team.

“Last year, the second Langley game we had, we came back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter. That was by far my favorite game,” Aka said.

People who played soccer with him at a young age recall Aka’s competitive spirit that he has maintained over the years.

“[The] first time I played with him in travel [soccer] when we were 9, I was so scared of him because he always cleated people,” Jensen said.

Aka has had a vastly different experience with soccer at McLean, making a return to the sport so late in his high school career.

“As it’s my first year, I liked getting to meet new people on the team,” Aka said.

Aka’s growth as an athlete has been something O’Brien enjoyed witnessing.

“Overall, I am proud of the person Brian has become [during] his three years of being with me,” O’Brien said.

BENJAMIN PHAM REPORTER

It may be hard to imagine nowadays with the team's immense success, but the crew club was one of the weakest teams in Virginia not too long ago. The McLean's men crew team's journey is a story of how a group of boys and a coach changed the fate of a team that was set on a path of failure.

The team's current seniors have evolved with the team that went from not having a proper Varsity 8—a boat that competes against other varsity boats—to being a powerhouse school.

"My [freshman year] we didn't really have much speed above us and we had to push ourselves, but now we are able to show the younger guys what it means to be fast and how to get there," senior captain Mason Duncan said.

When the current seniors of the men’s crew team joined as freshmen, they lacked upperclassman leadership and experience to push the team to new levels. This didn’t deter them, however, and the boys realized they needed to be fast to win and push their limits to achieve their goals.

“The current group of seniors [were] hungry off of a second place finish in the Freshman 8 the year prior,” senior captain Paul Fabrycky said.

Due to the second place finish at the beginning of the young men’s career, they had a taste of winning that made them yearn for the gold. The then-freshmen knew they had the potential to win and wanted it more than anything. Their drive would eventually lead them to the success they now have.

“The program brought on a new men’s head coach, Nathan McClafferty, and with his new coaching style we looked to make great changes,” Fabrycky said.

This success is partly due to the new coach’s skill, which he brought from his time rowing for Cornell University and being an Intercollegiate Rowing Association champion.

— MASON DUNCAN

MCLEAN CREW CAPTAIN

As the boys entered their sophomore year, their hunger and McClafferty’s expertise pushed them, and they began doing well on the state level.

“There is no room for error and we need to execute accordingly,” McClafferty said.

Their no failure mentality continued well into their junior year. As the coach trained the boys, they began to train the novices for the future. They showed the younger rowers what it means to row for McLean. They worked to ingrain the drive and focus they gained into the younger students in order to set the future of the team up for success.

“[We] put a huge emphasis on developing the youth, so that when we are gone they are able to pick up where we leave off,” Duncan said.

The training of future rowers is key because the older rowers want to create a team that will continue their legacy of success. In order to do that, they needed to build a group of rowers whose skills weren’t based solely on speed.

The current team is a product of that first generation’s quest to build a team of many strengths and with a mindset drawn toward success.

“My expectations are that we are going to win states comfortably and potentially medal at national level events,” Duncan said.

After all these years, the current seniors have made the McLean crew team one of the top teams in the country. The team has consistently placed highly in national competitions, and with their ever-growing skills have even won numerous gold medals and awards. With the story of the current seniors coming to an end, their legacy will be carried on through the team’s future.

Reporting by Zach Hasan & Paarth Soni

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING SOFTBALL?

I have been playing for McLean since my freshman year [when] I made varsity, and I have been playing softball for about seven years. I started at Little League, progressing to travel and then varsity.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT PLAYING SOFTBALL?

It is a mental sport, and sometimes it is really hard to overcome the mental aspect of it... Other than that, it’s really fun, and it is a great way to establish teamwork and leadership.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST IN THE UPCOMING SEASON?

This year we have a really strong team, and I want to see how far we can get. Last year, we made it to States, so we have very high expectations this year that we have to live up to. Our team’s main goal is to win States.

WHICH ATHLETE HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST?

My freshman year I wanted to be the starting catcher, but I played under a senior named Bella Norton. She was committed to Indiana University, and she was an amazing softball catcher. Every day, I got to practice under her, and she taught me everything I needed to know to be next year’s catcher. She is a really big inspiration, and she continues to be one.

WHO HELPED YOU THE MOST ON YOUR JOURNEY TO McLEAN SOFTBALL STARDOM?

My dad is my biggest inspiration. I have two older brothers who are really into sports, and he helped them establish and start their sports careers. He encourages me to practice and be the best that I can. Throughout the years, his motivation has been a key part to my success. He makes me want to be on the field.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH SOFTBALL IN THE LONG RUN?

In August, I committed to Tufts University for softball, so I hope to be as successful at Tufts as I have been in the past years at McLean.

— GRACEN GOVAN

Reporting by Ana Paula Ibarraran

How well does the girls lacrosse team know their coach? We asked two players questions about Priscilla Smith.

FAVORITE FRUIT

Coach P: Pineapple

ML: Strawberries

RM: Apples

FAVORITE TV SHOW

Coach P: Game of Thrones

ML: Grey's Anatomy

RM: Grey's Anatomy

FAVORITE KIND OF FOOD

Coach P: Italian

ML: Italian

RM: Italian

DOGS OR CATS

Coach P: Dogs

ML: Dogs

RM: Dogs

RM: Dogs

FAVORITE PART OF PRACTICE

Coach P: Footwork/spending time with the team

ML: When we do things right

RM: Shooting drills

FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR

Coach P: Chocolate

ML: Chocolate

RM: Cookies and Cream