Herndon Hornets Weekly Sports Recap: Oct. 3-7

Herndon High Volleyball Back on Winning Track                                

Despite starting out in the hole at 0-4, the Hornets fought their way back to win four of their last six matches—the latest being Wednesday night’s victory over Yorktown. Herndon looked dominant on both sides of the ball and grabbed the win in four sets, 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 24-26, 26-24.) 

Sophomore Catherine Nickle stormed the net for 12 kills and dominated the service line with 9 big aces for Herndon. Courtney Guengerich and Kayleen Harrington led the defense, which has found its rhythm the throughout the past two weeks. Harrington had a career-high 34 digs against the Patriots while Guengerich dove for 29, herself.

Herndon will keep its high seed hopes alive with five more opponents, four in the Concorde, before the district tournament begins in November. The Hornets odds fare well as only Chantilly (8-5) bests the bunch with better than a one-game-above .500-record as of Oct. 7.

Herndon (4-6) plays at Westfield (11-10) at 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 12.

Hornets Football Comes Within Inches of Upsetting Cougars

Improvement is evident within the Herndon Hornets varsity football team (1-5) this season. The record may not indicate it but last Thursday night’s performance sure did as the Hornets racked up a season-high 41 points against the undefeated Oakton Cougars (6-0). Unfortunately, Oakton scored 42 to edge Herndon in the Concorde game of the season.

Quarterback Ky Parrott looks more comfortable in the pocket in his second season at the helm and Josh Schow is averaging 5.7 yards per carry and more than 100-yards rushing per game. However, Coach Joe Sheaffer said he feels the defense, filled with young players, still needs work.

“The defense is playing very hard but we are still struggling with big plays,” said Coach Joe Sheaffer. “I’m most pleased with our team’s effort and the effort during games.”

The Hornets have a strong chance to improve their record as they face two struggling teams in Washington and Lee and Robinson later this month. After those match ups however, things get tough against the 5-1 Chantilly Chargers and the undefeated Bulldogs of Westfield High to round out the regular season. Sheaffer is proud of his young men and said each week is getting better.

“We have played hard the last three weeks and we’re improving,” he said. Herndon plays at Washington and Lee at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14.

Herndon Field Hockey Falls to Chantilly in OT           

In a tight knit match, Herndon’s varsity field hockey team (7-6) lost its 1-0 lead with just 20 seconds left in regulation when the referee called a foul against Herndon. The Chargers scored on the ensuing penalty corner to force the match into overtime and eventually steal the win from the Hornets, 2-1.

“I was very impressed by the hustle and drive that our Herndon girls had,” said Coach Phyllis Pearce. “They worked well as a team, their passing was terrific and we had many fast breaks.”

Freshman Taylor Stone gave Herndon the early lead with the Hornets’ only goal while Kelly Pease sprinted down the pitch on several fast breaks, said Coach Phyllis Pearce. Senior Erin East had another brilliant day in goal for Herndon with several dynamic saves while Hannah Boysko contributed superb defense with a couple back-up saves behind East in the net to keep Herndon alive.

“We have a couple of things we’ve been working on in practice that has really bumped up the level of our goal keepers,” Pearce said. “It’s very exciting to see [East] come into her own this season. But we missed several shots we could have capitalized on.”

Despite the loss, Pearce believes her squad has a good shot in the district tournament but would have liked a win against Chantilly to better the odds at a higher seed come tourney time. But first the Hornets must pass the test against three more district opponents: Robinson, Westfield and Oakton (make up match, due to rain) before the start of the playoffs. 

“Going into the districts and into the tournament we’re feeling very positive,” Pearce said. “There’s a level of athleticism this year but we also have a [great] work ethic.”

Herndon plays at Robinson at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11.