Off The Net — 2008-09-22
As we near the halfway point of the Dulles District season, the standings are starting to become a little clearer.
The biggest surprise of the season so far has got to be the terrific play of the Heritage Pride. They seem to have been a little off everyone’s radar at the beginning of the season, but they’ve made everyone sit up and take notice. I expected them to be a terrific defensive team, but questioned whether they would have the offensive firepower to hang with some of the bigger guns in the district.
They have proven to be a much stronger team than many people expected. That’s why my “Match of the Week” this week will be the battle for First Place, as well as the Battle for Leesburg bragging rights, between the Heritage Pride and the undefeated Loudoun County Raiders. This match, Tuesday night at Loudoun County, is one that people have been pointing to to for a few weeks now.
I know both teams will be pumped up and excited, and I’m sure the crowd will be too! Similar to the rowdy match in the Panther Pit last week between Potomac Falls and Dominion, this will be a relatively local match for the visiting team, and I expect a full house of both Raider and Pride fans to show up and make a lot of noise. The young Heritage team has stood up well to the pressure so far, let’s see if they can keep it up in a hostile gym Tuesday night.
Another key match this week will be the contest between Potomac Falls and Heritage on Thursday night at Potomac Falls. The Panthers will be seeking some revenge over an early season loss to the Pride. The Panthers have been hot lately, and it should be an exciting match Thursday night in Sterling.
Last week’s Match of the Week was a key match between Potomac Falls and Broad Run. The Panthers came out fired up, and used a strong serving game to keep the Lady Spartans off-balance for most of the night, winning the match in 3 sets. Some people were saying this was the biggest win for the Panthers in recent memory. It’s hard to argue that, given that this was a Dulles District contest and the importance it plays in the standings, and also considering how long it had been since the Panthers have been able to defeat the Spartans. This one was right up there with the big PFHS win over Loudoun Valley a couple of years ago that won’t be easily forgotten. Don’t worry though, Spartan fans, your team is too talented and too well coached to be down for long!
The Panthers also played an exciting match last Tuesday night against Dominion. This one was another battle for local bragging rights in Sterling. The Dominion crowd made the trek across Sterling and fans from both schools were making a lot of noise throughout the match. The Panthers eventually prevailed in 4 sets, but not before dropping the first set and facing some pretty tense moments in the others. Dominion has a good team, don’t overlook the Titans this season!
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