Washington-Liberty’s football squad eyes its first perfect regular season since 1956

Players on the Washington-Liberty Generals have added incentives to win their final regular-season football game Friday night (Nov. 8).

The Generals face the host Wakefield Warriors at 7 p.m. in an all-Arlington high-school clash in an attempt to finish with the squad's first 10-0 regular season since 1956.

A win will secure a first or second seed for the Generals in the eight-team 6D North Region playoff tournament, and give W-L the regular-season Arlington championship among the county's three public-school teams.

The Generals defeated Arlington's Yorktown Patriots earlier this fall in another intra-Arlington matchup.

Washington-Liberty already has clinched the Liberty District championship for the second straight season. A win over Wakefield will give the team a final 6-0 district record.

"We will not rest anyone for the game, at least from the start," Washington-Liberty coach Josh Shapiro said. "We want to finish strong and with a win."

Wakefield has records of 2-7 overall and 0-5 in the district, and has lost four straight games, but "they have played some teams close in our district," Shapiro said.

If Wakefield wins, there will be no county champion, as all three teams will have 1-1 records against their two Arlington rivals. Yorktown defeated Wakefield earlier this fall.

The region playoffs begin Friday, Nov. 15 with first-round action. Washington-Liberty is assured of hosting a first-round game, and possibly a semifinal.

The playoff berth is the third straight for the Generals, with first-round losses the past two seasons.