After last season’s reduced – and in the case of the Bishop O’Connell Knights teams, canceled – high-school basketball campaigns because of the pandemic, all of Arlington’s girls and boys varsity teams begin play this week in what is hoped to be a full slate of 2021-22 contests.
Some teams opened play Nov. 30, like the Washington-Liberty Generals, Wakefield Warriors and Yorktown Patriots in boys action, with all others having games scheduled Dec. 3, 4 and 5 or soon thereafter.
The Bishop O’Connell private-school teams are especially eager to begin play after last season. The perennial Washington Catholic Athletic Conference boys challenger opens play Sunday, Dec. 5 with a 2 p.m. away game against the DeMatha Stags in league action. Then on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m., O’Connell hosts the Madison Warhawks in a clash between private and public-school teams.
Madison finished second in the 6D North Region tournament last season.
The O’Connell boys have some 30 regular-season games scheduled, including multiple out-of-town tournaments, prior to state and conference postseason action.
The O’Connell girls are scheduled to tipoff Saturday, Dec. 4 with a 2:30 p.m. non-league away game against Georgetown Visitation, then play the next morning at 10 a.m. against Bishop Loughlin at Paul VI Catholic High School.
The Knights play a busy early-season slate of games, hosting two-time defending public-school Class 6 girls state-champion Madison on Dec. 9 at 5:15 p.m., then playing contests Dec. 10 and 11 in the She Got Game tournament at The St. James complex in Springfield.
The O’Connell girls have 25 regular-season games scheduled, and play in multiple regular-season tournaments.
* The Washington-Liberty Generals boys teams was a 6D North Region tournament quarterfinalist last season, finishing 10-6. The team returns key players from that squad, which will be considered a top contender in the Liberty District this winter.
The Generals played Chantilly in is opening game Nov. 30, then plays at South County in its second contest on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The W-L girls also opened Nov. 30, then play at Westfield at 7:30 p.m. in their second game Dec. 3.
* The Yorktown Patriots girls and boys teams tipped off Nov. 30 against Oakton. Then Dec. 3 and 4, the boys play games in the Red Jenkins Tipoff Tournament at W.T. Woodson High School and the Yorktown girls played their second contest Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at home against Justice.
The Yorktown boys lost in the 6D North Region tournament semifinals last season to eventual champion Centreville, finishing with a 10-6 record. The Patriots are expected to be a top Liberty District contender this winter.
The Yorktown girls were 8-8 last season, falling to South Lakes in the region-tournament quarterfinals.
* The Wakefield Warriors girls and boys started play Nov. 30 and each face Chantilly on Dec. 3 in their second games at 7:30 p.m. and Alexandria City in their third Dec. 7.
The Wakefield boys (7-3 last season) host the eight-team George Long Holiday Hoops tournament Dec. 27-28.