The Yorktown Patriots’ rapid-paced, fast-galloping, three-point-shooting and high-scoring offense was back on track to some degree with home victories in their past two contests.

By now, those following local high-school basketball games are accustomed to seeing the players wear masks during competition. That was one of the COVD-19 protocols adopted by the Virginia High School League and area school administrators in order to start the season.

The Washington-Liberty Generals and Wakefield Warriors had some strong performances in their opening meets of the indoor track and field season.

The Madison Warhawks and Yorktown Patriots met in girls high-school basketball action Dec. 30 in Arlington. Madison won big 63-24.

With a roster that includes record-setting individual standout Victoria Huske along with other strong participants, the Yorktown Patriots are again expected to be one of the top high-school girls swimming and diving teams across the commonwealth this winter.

A championship team that was young and talented a year ago has the experience and potential to be even better this season.

Players, coaches and school administrators aren’t alone in making adjustments to hold a high-school basketball season in Fairfax and Arlington counties, which began Dec. 21 with many restrictions and protocols to follow because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MARYMOUNT SPORTS ON HOLD: In a recent meeting, presidents of Atlantic East Conference college sports programs, which includes Marymount University, agree to hold off until sometime in January about making any final decision about holding possibly fall, winter and spring sports.

Those many watching live streamed girls and boys high-school basketball games on the Internet these days, as spectators are not allowed into gyms because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, need to approach the situation with modest expectations and plenty of patience.

With a couple of comeback victories along with a blowout, the Wakefield Warriors are off to a 3-0 start in boys high-school basketball action.

Beginning in late March, the dominating story of the local sports year was the COVD-19 pandemic, which canceled or postponed so many high-school and youth sports throughout Arlington. Spring, fall and winter high-school seasons were called off or postponed. Many youth leagues were put on hold.

High-school basketball games began being played in Fairfax and Arlington counties last week, but spectators were note allowed inside gyms to watch and players were wearing masks.

GALLION TO LIBERTY: With high-school senior Emmy Gallion committing to swim at Liberty University, she will be the second member of the Arlington family who will be competing in college for three different college teams during the 2021-22 NCAA sports season.

First in football, and now in basketball, throughout his high-school career the Wakefield Warriors’ Lukai Hatcher has a knack for finding different late-game ways to defeat the Washington-Liberty Generals.

After many months of intensive practice, Wakefield High School senior Irish dancer Chiara Luepke, 18, placed fifth in her age division at the Southern Region Oiereachtas, a regional Irish Dance event with competitors from 14 states and Mexico.

It has become second nature for Alexa Wootten to stay busy.

Mario Mejia’s dedication to help an Arlington charity was literally an ironman performance.

Yorktown High School senior football player Max Patterson officially signed his national letter of intent to play the sport in college at Division I Rutgers University.

With young teams and two new head coaches, Arlington County’s three girls high-school varsity basketball teams didn’t muster an abundance of victories last season.

Upon further review and discussion, yes, it could happen.

The Marymount University Saints boasted the ninth best overall winning percentage through the 2019-20 season in the history of Division III NCAA women’s basketball.

Once her bluff was called, Dixie Duncan no longer had a choice – or an excuse.

Anticipating a modest 50 players or so, initially the 2020 Fall Fest Field Hockey League was expected to be a low-maintenance program with very few teams.

The many appealing roadside Christmas-tree stands that are open for business throughout Northern Virginia and elsewhere this month can kind of be compared to the many area baseball fields at the different local levels. All vary with a diversity of appeals and negatives, yet are similar in so…

With their most convincing victory this season, the Washington-Liberty Generals improved to 4-0 with a 12-1 rout of the Robinson Rams, Dec. 3, in a Capital Scholastic Ice Hockey League match.

LAUREN FLYNN: Yorktown High School graduate Lauren Flynn is a freshman midfielder/forward for the women’s soccer team at Florida State University.

High-school basketball practice and games will not be held in the Washington Catholic Athletic Association, which includes the Bishop O’Connell Knights, for the remainder of 2020.

In high school, Keljin Blevins was evaluated as a highly-athletic player who at the time lacked the advanced skills to someday become an NBA player.

The likeable Joe DeFranco is a girls fastpitch softball umpire and the deputy umpire-in-chief for USA Softball of Virginia. He had held those positions for many years.

As far as Grant Wilson is concerned, he’s all but healed and ready to begin full contact again and start his college football career.