After a dominant, undefeated season last year, the Washington-Liberty Generals varsity football team entered this year with high expectations. The Generals started off the season strong, winning their first four games, including a statement 14-13 win over Westfield High School. This huge win was followed by an equally surprising 35-28 loss to Centreville High School. The Generals rebounded by winning their next three games, which would be their last wins of the season.
In their rivalry game against Yorktown, the Generals lost in overtime 31-24. Injuries hurt the Generals down the stretch, leading to a blowout loss to Langley and a 56-28 loss to Westfield in the playoffs.
Despite a loss in the playoffs, the players had great reviews of how the season went. Senior cornerback (CB) Peter Manouilidis started playing football for the school as a sophomore.
“[Playing football at the school is] one of the best experiences someone can have… it teaches you lifelong skills and gives you friendships,” Manouilidis said.
Manoulidis thought he played his best game against Wakefield.
“My highlight of the season was breaking up a pass against Wakefield that led to a stop in the redzone,” Manoulidis said.
Manoulidis gave the season overall a 9/10, wishing that the game against Yorktown had gone differently.
“I would give the season a 10/10 if we didn’t lose to Yorktown,” Manoulidis said. “I would change the way we played against Yorktown in the first half. If we played better in that half, then we would have easily won the game.”
However, Manoulidis had a different view of the Westfield game.
“The highlight of the season for the team was beating Westfield at the beginning of the season,” Manoulidis said.
Starting running back and linebacker Brayden Black agreed.
“The most special part of the year for me was beating Westfield, and being the first team in the Liberty District to do so. I think
most of the team would agree that beating Westfield was a special moment, and we all became closer.” Black said.
Black had a different journey than most of the Generals, transferring to the school in his sophomore year and playing both JV and varsity. The senior said he was satisfied with his football career at the school and that he has no regrets about his experience playing for the Generals.
“I would want to change how the season ended. We all wanted to win states, but realistically, I wouldn’t change a thing about it,” Black said.
Senior center Grant Siebert has played on varsity for the last three seasons. Siebert made double-digit visits to colleges recruiting him over the past year, and according to 5starfbrecruiting.com, he is a 2-star recruit. He is the highest-rated recruit on the varsity football team.
Siebert is committed to Elon University’s Division I football team and expects to play along their interior offensive line in the fall.
When it comes to his senior season at the school, he shared similar sentiments to Manoulidis and Black about how the season went.
“My highlight of the season and the highlight for the team was beating Westfield 14-13 on the road because they were the No. 1 team in the region,” Siebert said.
Siebert was a little harsher when it came to his ranking of the season out of ten.
“I would give it a 10/10 for fun level and 5/10 for happiness with how the season went,” Siebert said. “If I could change one thing, it would be our defense giving up 56 points in our first playoff game.”
Siebert thought his experience with Washington-Liberty football was great, and had nothing but great things to say about the team, the people and how everything is run from the freshman team to the varsity team.
“Playing football at Washington-Liberty is a privilege; you receive excellent coaching, and you get to play football with genuinely great people,” Siebert said. “Next season, you can expect a hungry team.”
For those who want to join the Generals football team next year, Black thinks it is a choice you will not regret.
“Playing football for Washington-Liberty is more than just Friday nights and practices; it is more than a team, it is a huge family.”
