AAA Northern Region

The AAA Northern Region was one of the four

. Group AAA is the largest enrollment class for VHSL schools, and typically AAA is the most competitive level as well. In 2013, the three classification format was eliminated in favor of a six classification system. Accordingly, the Northern Region was eliminated, while the districts were retained for regular season competition.

The Northern Region comprises most of the public schools in

. The region is also the smallest geographically of all the A, AA, and AAA VHSL regions, where boundaries have remained within the outer limits of Fairfax County for most of its history.

History of the Northern Region

Past Northern Region districts

In 1965, the then nineteen schools in the Northern Region which competed at the AAA varsity level were first organized into three districts based primarily on geographic location. The Northern Region was originally made up of three districts. They were the AAA Northern District, the AAA Alexandria District, and the AAA Potomac District. The Alexandria District had its name changed to the Gunston District within a few years. The Northern Region had these districts until 1976, when a fourth district, the Great Falls, was added. These districts served the region until the 1993–1994 school year.

There are currently 17 teams playing in the Northern Region (6D) as of the 2018–2019 school year. The Concorde District includes Centreville, Chantilly, Madison, Oakton, Westfield. The Cedar Run District includes Battlefield, Osbourn, Osbourn Park, Patriot, Stonewall Jackson. The Liberty District includes Herndon, Langley, McLean, South Lakes, Washington-Lee, Yorktown. Marshall is in the National District but the other members of that district play in region 6C.

Major changes in the Northern Region

Current district names

The four current district names (Concorde, Cedar Run, Liberty, National) were adopted in the 1993-1994 school based on which division (5 or 6) of football they played in. The Concorde and Patriot Districts held Division 6 schools which are larger AAA schools; the Liberty and National Districts held only Division 5 schools which are smaller AAA schools.

2005

In 2003, Loudoun Valley and Stone Bridge, members of the

for the 2007-2009 cycle.

2009

In 2007, Stone Bridge was provisionally placed to move to the Cedar Run District for the 2009-2011 cycle with Loudoun Valley along with Heritage of Leesburg, because the district would lose three members due to a decline in enrollment, as well as to keep the balance of regions as equal as possible. However, all three Loudoun schools appealed the redistricting, with Loudoun Valley and Heritage requesting to move into the Northern Region, and Stone Bridge requesting to remain in it. The VHSL decided to reject Loudoun Valley's and Heritage's appeals, but allowed Stone Bridge to remain in the Northern Region.

Former members of the Northern Region

Alexandria City schools

Francis C. Hammond High School and George Washington High School were members of the Northern Region until 1971, when they consolidated into the newer

has had just one senior high school for its students ever since. After the consolidation, Hammond and GW were reconfigured to hold the city's 9th and 10th graders, with the 11th and 12th graders attending T.C. In the 1980s Hammond and GW were reassigned as middle schools.

Fairfax County schools

Fort Hunt High School and Groveton High School were both members of the Northern Region in the 1970s and the 1980s until they consolidated to form

Carl Sandburg Middle School

.

Thomas Jefferson High School of Alexandria was also a longtime member of the Northern Region until 1985 when it phased in the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology program. Though TJHSST and TJHS used the same building and had the same mascot (Colonials), they were still considered to be separate schools. Students at Thomas Jefferson High School were also eventually moved to nearby Annandale High School in 1987.

Loudoun County schools

From 1996 to 1999,

of Sterling opened in 1997 and was also a member of the Northern Region as a member of the Concorde District from 1997 until 1999. In 1999, all three schools dropped back to Group AA and returned to the Northwestern District because their enrollment numbers dropped significantly due to Potomac Falls' opening.

From 2005 to 2007,

AAA Cedar Run District

of the Northwest Region after its two-year stint.

Region champions

Fall '21 Sports Champions Cheerleading: Chantilly Boys Cross Country: Girls Cross County: Field Hockey: Madison Football (Division 6): Madison Golf: Volleyball: Langley

Winter '20-21 Sports Champions Boys Basketball: Centreville Girls Basketball: Madison Girls Gymnastics: Washington-Liberty Boys Swimming: Girls Swimming: Boys Indoor Track: Girls Indoor Track: Wrestling:

Spring '21 Sports Champions Baseball: Madison Boys Lacrosse: Yorktown Girls Lacrosse: Langley Boys Soccer: Yorktown Girls Soccer: McLean Softball: Washington-Liberty Boys Tennis: Oakton Girls Tennis: Oakton Boys Track: Girls Track:

AAA championships won by Northern Region schools in 2008-2021

Boys Basketball: T.C. Williams Cheerleading: Stone Bridge Cheerleading: Fairfax Boys Cross Country: Oakton Boys Swim and Dive: Robinson Girls Swim and Dive: Robinson Girls Swim and Dive: Fairfax Softball: McLean

Girls Soccer: McLean Girls Swim and Dive: Oakton Girls Lacrosse: Oakton/Madison Boys Lacrosse: Langley Baseball: Lake Braddock Boys Cross Country: Chantilly Girls Cross Country: Lake Braddock Football: Centreville (2013) Football: Westfield (2015, 2016, 2017) Boys Basketball: Centreville (2020, 2021) Girls Basketball: Madison (2020, 2021)

Wachovia Cup

The Wachovia Cup is given to the top school in AAA (as well as AA and A) to schools who consistently win championships in a wide variety of activities. Points are awarded to schools who win state championships, runners-up, etc., and are tallied up at the end of the year.

Athletics

AAA Eastern Region

won the Wachovia Cup for athletics for Group AAA in the 2006–2007 school year.

Here are the Northern Region members that finished in the top 10 in the 2006–2007 school year for athletics:

• 2nd Place: Robinson
• 4th Place: Oakton
• 7th Place: Westfield
• 8th Place: Lake Braddock
• 9th Place (tie): Chantilly
• 9th Place: Jefferson
• 9th Place: Woodson

Academics

The Wachovia Cup for Academics is given based on the same criteria as the Athletics Cup, except that points are based on academic activities sponsored by the VHSL. In the 2006–2007, Westfield won the AAA Academic Cup. The Northern Region dominated the Academic Cup standings, with two of the top five schools being Northern Region members, six of the top 10 finishers being members, and fourteen of the top 25 being Northern Region members.

Here are the Northern Region members that finished in the top 10 in the 2006–2007 school year for academic activities:

• AAA Champion: Westfield
• 3rd Place: Chantilly
• 7th Place: West Springfield
• 8th Place: Hayfield
• 9th Place: Yorktown
• 10 Place: Annandale

References

External links

• VHSL-Reference
• DigitalSports Northern Virginia: Gives in depth coverage on all Northern Region schools except Stone Bridge
• Loudoun Prep Sports: Gives in depth coverage on Stone Bridge
• TCC Sports: Gives in depth information on many Northern Region schools
• Langley High School's baseball site's section on Northern Region schools