The Washington-Liberty Generals (6-1, 2-1) had a bye and did not play a high-school football game last week. They return to action on Friday night, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. against the host McLean Highlanders (6-1, 2-1) in a key Liberty District showdown.
Washington-Liberty and McLean are two of the four teams tied for first place in the loss column. The Langley Saxons (3-1) and Herndon Hornets (3-1) also have just one loss.
Since taking over at W-L’s head coach in 2007, Josh Shapiro has played against five different McLean head coaches. That includes current Highlanders’ head coach Joe Cockerham, in his second season.
In those previous 16 meetings between the teams, the Generals have won nine times, and six of the last eight, under Shapiro, including a 48-13 victory last fall.
“That all makes me feel old,” Shapiro said about the multiple coaching changes at McLean.
The first-place showdown between Washington-Liberty and McLean is noteworthy because neither had winning regular-season records last fall. McLean was 1-9 and W-L 5-5.
Washington-Liberty won its first five games this season, then lost to visiting Herndon, 38-37, in double overtime, before rebounding to rout the Marshall Statesmen, 52-26, in its next game.
McLean lost for the first time this season in its last outing, also to Herndon by a 31-28 score.
Washington-Liberty has never won a Liberty District title. The last time the Generals won any district crown was in 2013, winning the National District crown with a 7-0 record, finishing 8-3 overall that season.
• The Yorktown Patriots (5-3, 2-2) and Wakefield Warriors (0-8, 0-4) have byes and do not play in high-school football action this weekend.
• In private-school football action Saturday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m., the Bishop O’Connell Knights (3-4, 0-1) play at the Carroll Lions in a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference football game. Carroll (3-4) is tied for first in the conference with a 2-0 record.
