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Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
‘This is what we do:' Good Counsel girls win fourth straight WCAC lacrosse title
Good Counsel girls' lacrosse coach Michael Haight had four points he wanted to emphasize before his team's Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship appearance Monday. Effort, trust and communication were the first three. The last one he forgot for a second, but quickly remembered it was 'dreams.' The coach wanted his group to be in its opponents' heads. 'We like being in people's nightmares,' Haight said with a smile. 'You see us here every year. You know you're going to get the best that we got come Championship Monday.' Facing St. John's in the final for a second straight year, the Falcons ambushed the Cadets. Six different Falcons scored a goal in the first six minutes of the game, creating a nightmarish start for the title challengers. The Falcons coasted to a double-digit lead by halftime and never looked back, earning to their fourth consecutive WCAC title, 14-7, at Georgetown's Cooper Field. 'They get it,' Haight said. 'They shine the brightest when the lights are the brightest. They always have. They all played their role today, and that's really what propelled us.' When it comes to WCAC competition, the team's seniors will graduate knowing only one thing: winning. The 10 seniors on this roster went four years without a conference loss. The program's last defeat against a WCAC opponent came in 2019. After an early rough patch where it lost three consecutive games in mid-March, Good Counsel (18-3) closed the season winners of 17 straight. They scored 12 or more goals in 16 of those games. They scored 20-plus goals in six of them. 'We don't look at the past, we only look ahead,' Haight added. "If we fall down, we're going to fall forward. If we can get up, we're going to look up, we're going to go. Those games propelled us to what we are today. They kept grinding." Five different Falcons scored two goals apiece in the first half against the Cadets (12-8). The Falcons were aggressive on both ends, refusing to shy away from contact on defense. It took a little over 10 minutes for St. John's to find the back of the net and the Cadets had just two goals at halftime. Good Counsel seniors Carys Volley, Ava Grandi and Dani Serrano, and juniors Ashlyn Gallagher and Annabelle Walsh each had multi-goal games. Walsh led all scorers with four goals. 'We've been playing well as a team,' Walsh said during the postgame celebration. 'When the team plays well, I play well too because we all feed into each other. It feels really good. We really played like a team today and it [helped] me.' When the final horn sounded, the Good Counsel bench flocked to the goal as the Falcons crowd started to chant 'four-peat.' As Haight and the team posed for a picture with the championship trophy, the coach marked the moment with five simple words. 'This is what we do.' The program will enter next year with the same target that has been on its back for some time. Haight said he expects to reload and hopes to keep the championship streak alive. It's something he thinks can be accomplished because of how hungry his players continue to be. They all play club lacrosse, as well as various fall sports before offseason workouts begin in November. By that time, they have an appetite for success. 'Our roster is built on classes not being too dominant," Haight said. 'We know we have a lot of talented kids that didn't necessarily get in today. When they get their chance, they're going to be ready.'
Washington Post
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
We are the champions: Here are the D.C.-area teams that won titles this spring
St. John's sweeps Paul VI to complete a WCAC baseball three-peat Georgetown Prep sweeps Landon to earn a sixth straight IAC baseball title Potomac School rallies at the right time to earn a MAC baseball three-peat A spring tradition: Jackson-Reed makes it 32 straight DCIAA baseball titles
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Steve Turner leaves Gonzaga for Florida basketball power Montverde
Steve Turner likes mementos. The longtime Gonzaga basketball coach has collected plenty in his years on Eye Street, stockpiling trophies, jerseys, basketballs — anything to remind him of good times past. He even makes scrapbooks for each season, knowing that the press clippings and photos can transport him back to those winters whenever he likes. Now, after 26 years at Gonzaga — 21 as head coach — Turner will pack those memories away and bring them with him to Florida. After spending nearly half his life at the Northwest Washington private school, Turner, 53, is leaving for Montverde Academy, a Florida program considered one of the best in the country. 'I never really thought this day would come. I've always felt that I have the best job in the country here at Gonzaga,' Turner said. 'Being a part of this community, knowing these kids and this staff — this was home.' Turner said the opportunity came together quickly over the past two weeks. He recently flew to Florida for a visit and came away impressed at the school's operation beyond basketball. 'I've always been at a place where the whole school mattered,' Turner said. 'And if I was ever going to leave Gonzaga, it would have to be for a place like that. Once I was able to get that feeling from the community down there, it pulled me. … And I figured it's time for me to go out and do something I've always told my kids to do: be comfortable being uncomfortable.' The school recently announced that coach Kevin Boyle was leaving for Ohio's Spire Academy after 14 years at the helm. Boyle won eight of the past 12 national high school championships with Montverde, coaching NBA-bound stars such as Joel Embiid, Cade Cunningham and Cooper Flagg. '[Turner's] deep appreciation for the value of a college preparatory school environment and his commitment to nurturing student-athletes makes him a perfect fit for Montverde Academy,' Montverde Head of School Jon Hopman said in a statement. 'Coach Turner is what we call a transformational coach and mentor — one that will have a positive influence on his players … and the broader school community.' Turner took over Gonzaga's varsity team in 2004, inheriting a proud and successful program from longtime coach Dick Myers. Under Turner's leadership, the Eagles garnered national acclaim. But the coach, a Blair alum, always cared most about winning in his hometown. A fiery competitor, he relished the intensity of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, one of the country's most talented and competitive high school basketball leagues. 'There is nothing like the rivalries of the WCAC,' Turner said. 'Unless you're a part of it you won't understand it. I'll miss those packed houses and those teams. Fans going at me. I loved it.' He won the first of his four WCAC titles in 2008. He was named Gatorade's national coach of the year in 2016 and The Washington Post's All-Met Coach of the Year in 2019. He leaves Gonzaga with a record of 497-176 and a broad network of alumni playing across all levels of basketball. 'He's been one of the staples of the basketball scene in the DMV,' said Sidwell Friends Coach Eric Singletary, who previously served as an assistant under Turner. 'It's hard to think of Gonzaga without thinking of Steve Turner.' As his own program climbed the local and national ladders over the past decade, Singletary has had to face his former boss in several high-stakes meetings. A few weeks ago, Gonzaga topped Sidwell to win the D.C. State Athletic Association championship and snap the Quakers' streak of three straight titles. The win was Turner's third and final D.C. state crown. 'When you play a Steve Turner team, you know that because of his competitiveness his team is going to be competitive and well prepared,' Singletary said. 'You're going to face a team with an unbelievable tradition, so they believe they should win every time they play. You have to beat them because they're not going to beat themselves.' Turner produced a steady stream of Division I players over the years, molding All-Met talents Tyler Thornton (Duke), Kris Jenkins (Villanova) and Chris Lykes (Miami). 'He's a legend,' said Terrance Williams II, who played for Gonzaga from 2016 to 2020 and is now at USC. 'He leaves a legacy at Gonzaga. … I think when people talk about his teams, they'll say we were disciplined. We stayed within a system, and it worked.' This season, the Eagles were led by a starting lineup of five Division I-bound seniors. The Eagles (29-5) finished as D.C. state champions, WCAC runners-up and the No. 2 team in The Washington Post's local rankings. Turner was named WCAC coach of the year for a sixth time. 'Outside of all the accolades, his teams always stayed together and played gritty basketball,' senior Nyk Lewis said. 'You always knew we were going to want it more than the other team.' Turner said he will finish out the school year at Gonzaga before heading south. 'I'm looking forward to really saying goodbye to people, not just packing up and leaving,' Turner said. 'That way I can make it clear to them that I'm gone but I'm not. I'm just a phone call away.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Williamson Animal Center to offer new dog training, hopes to stop surrenders in 3 counties
The Williamson County Animal Center has received a $50,000 grant to launch a new canine behavior training class that officials hope will deter the number of pet surrenders they receive from three Middle Tennessee counties. The Friends of the Williamson County Animal Center (WCAC) group recently announced the grant, awarded by the PEDIGREE Foundation. It will support a collective effort between the WCAC, Cheatham County Animal Control, Maury County Animal Shelter and Snooty Giggles Dog Rescue and provide training for 400 at-risk dogs in Williamson, Cheatham and Maury Counties, officials noted. 'Nearly one-quarter of the dogs brought to us in 2023 for surrender that had an explanation of why were due to behavioral or other issues that may have been resolved with proper training,' Williamson County Animal Center (WCAC) Director Ondrea Johnson said of the new initiative, noting that its focus will be on retraining dogs in the hopes of diverting people from surrendering them. Johnson's group regularly gives to the animal shelter for programs, adoptions and medical services needed for the animals. But the pet populations at shelters like the one in Williamson County continue to grow. Non-profit leaders like Johnson say shelters and rescues across the U.S. are experiencing over-crowdedness and increased length of stay due to insufficient adoption rates. Because of this, they are increasingly investing in resources that keep animals out of their care to begin with, she said. Group classes and one-on-one sessions are backed by the new grant funding. But, the grant-funded classes and sessions are not open to public registration, officials said, noting that the participating shelters and groups in each county will reach out and invite selected pet owners to join based on interactions they have had with families considering surrender. The Maury County Animal Shelter recently posted more information about how it is selecting people for training via social media. "If you are an owner on our wait list and your reason is a behavior issue, or you will be scheduling to surrender for a behavior issue, please email us with the information about the issue," the post read. It also said the new program was for all dogs in the county. "They do not have to have been adopted from the shelter. "This is not basic obedience training but rather an option to work with you and your dog on specific behaviors that will keep your pet in your home. Please share this important new option available to Maury County residents and their dogs." More information about the program can be found at The Williamson County shelter, 1006 Grigsby Hayes Court in Franklin, is open to the public from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Williamson Animal Center to offer new dog training. What to know
Washington Post
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Boys' basketball Top 20: Two Montgomery County contenders enter the rankings
When this week of high school basketball concludes, the calendar will read 'February' — a notice to the area's top teams that the time to begin playing to their fullest potential is near. Less than a month remains before postseason basketball arrives. Many usual suspects have dotted these rankings all season — think traditional private school powers and star-led publics rounding into form — and that hasn't changed as the most consequential time of year arrives. Gonzaga and Paul VI will play on Tuesday in a battle of No. 1 and No. 2, both undefeated in the WCAC with first place on the line in a rematch of last year's championship game. It's one of three top 10 boys' matchups this week, the others being a contest between No. 4 St. John's and No. 7 Bishop O'Connell on Tuesday and a Saturday matinee pitting No. 3 Mount Zion Prep against No. 6 Sidwell Friends.
