AAA Liberty District
Encyclopedia
The AAA Liberty District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia
. AAA is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League
and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.
The Liberty District schools compete in the AAA Northern Region
with the schools from the AAA Concorde District
, the AAA National District
, and the AAA Patriot District
.
, Falls Church
, Langley, Lee
, Madison, Marshall, and McLean High Schools.
All Liberty District schools are part of Fairfax County Public Schools
except for Stone Bridge which is part of Loudoun County Public Schools
. Currently the members' attendance zones stretch as east as McLean
, as south as Alexandria
, and as north and west as Leesburg
.
The smallest member is Marshall with roughly 1,400 students. The largest member is Fairfax with about 2,400 students. Marshall and South Lakes are both considered to be AA in size by the VHSL
, but have elected to play up in the Liberty instead in order to maintain traditional rivalries and avoid the lengthy travel times that would be necessary if they played in the AA Dulles District
.
. When a new Loudoun County high school opened in 1997, both Broad Run and Park View were AA size again and moved down to AA in 1999, but Woodson was added to reunite it against its rival Fairfax. In 2003, South Lakes joined the district, bringing the Liberty back to eight teams.
In 2005, the Liberty went through a significant change by removing charter members Fairfax and Lee to the Concorde and Patriot Districts respectively. Its geography expanded considerably eastward and westward by adding Jefferson of Alexandria from the Concorde and Stone Bridge of Ashburn from the AA Dulles District. In 2009, Fairfax will return to the district, but Woodson will move to the Patriot District.
In terms of overall performance in athletics, the district has had two top 10 finishers in the AAA Wachovia Cup for Athletics since 2005, with Stone Bridge in 8th place in 2005-2006 and Jefferson in 8th place in 2006-2007.
The Liberty is one of the strongest districts in the state in VHSL academic activities. Langley, Jefferson, and McLean finished in the top 10 for the AAA Wachovia Cup for Academics in the 2005-2006 school year placing 3rd, 4th, and 7th respectively. Marshall was 12th and Woodson was 19th.
Winter Sports Regular Season Champions
Spring Sports Regular Season Champions
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
. AAA is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.
The Liberty District schools compete in the AAA Northern Region
AAA Northern Region
The AAA Northern Region is one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AAA Concorde District, the AAA Liberty District, the AAA National District, and the AAA Patriot District...
with the schools from the AAA Concorde District
AAA Concorde District
The AAA Concorde District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes public schools exclusively from Fairfax County. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports....
, the AAA National District
AAA National District
The AAA National District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County and all of the public high schools in Arlington County....
, and the AAA Patriot District
AAA Patriot District
The AAA Patriot District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County and Alexandria City. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports...
.
About the district
The Liberty District was founded in 1993 as part of an attempted realignment of the AAA Northern Region. The charter members were all Fairfax County schools, which were FairfaxFairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia)
Fairfax High School is a public high school in Fairfax, Virginia. The school is owned by the City of Fairfax, but is operated by Fairfax County Public Schools, as part of a contractual agreement....
, Falls Church
Falls Church High School
Falls Church High School is a high school located in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia. While the school has a Falls Church, Virginia mailing address, the school is not located in the city of Falls Church and does not serve the City of Falls Church, which is served by...
, Langley, Lee
Robert E. Lee High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
Robert E. Lee High School is a high school in the Fairfax County Public Schools system. Its mascot is the Lancer. The school is located in Springfield in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia. It is named after Robert E. Lee, the general of the Confederate troops in the American Civil War...
, Madison, Marshall, and McLean High Schools.
All Liberty District schools are part of Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County Public Schools system is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax...
except for Stone Bridge which is part of Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia, United States government, and administers public schools in the county...
. Currently the members' attendance zones stretch as east as McLean
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, as south as Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, and as north and west as Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
.
The smallest member is Marshall with roughly 1,400 students. The largest member is Fairfax with about 2,400 students. Marshall and South Lakes are both considered to be AA in size by the VHSL
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
, but have elected to play up in the Liberty instead in order to maintain traditional rivalries and avoid the lengthy travel times that would be necessary if they played in the AA Dulles District
AA Dulles District
The AA Dulles District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia, with all of its full time members from Loudoun County...
.
Current members
| Members of Liberty District | ||
|---|---|---|
| School | Mascot | Location |
| Langley | Saxons | McLean |
| Fairfax | Rebels | Fairfax |
| Madison | Warhawks | Vienna |
| Marshall | Statesmen | Falls Church |
| McLean | Highlanders | McLean |
| Thomas Jefferson | Colonials | Alexandria |
| South Lakes | Seahawks | Reston |
| Stone Bridge | Bulldogs | Ashburn |
Member changes
The Liberty District has experienced the most change of the four Northern Region districts. In 1996, the Liberty District moved Falls Church to the National District to reunite it with its primary rival Stuart, but added Broad Run and Park View High Schools of Loudoun County who played in the AA Northwestern DistrictAA Northwestern District
The AA Northwestern District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that currently includes Frederick County and Warren County. The Northwestern District member schools compete in Region II with the schools from the AA Dulles District, AA Jefferson District, and AA Evergreen...
. When a new Loudoun County high school opened in 1997, both Broad Run and Park View were AA size again and moved down to AA in 1999, but Woodson was added to reunite it against its rival Fairfax. In 2003, South Lakes joined the district, bringing the Liberty back to eight teams.
In 2005, the Liberty went through a significant change by removing charter members Fairfax and Lee to the Concorde and Patriot Districts respectively. Its geography expanded considerably eastward and westward by adding Jefferson of Alexandria from the Concorde and Stone Bridge of Ashburn from the AA Dulles District. In 2009, Fairfax will return to the district, but Woodson will move to the Patriot District.
Athletics
Athletically, Liberty schools are best known for the strength of their swimming, cheerleading, field hockey, boys basketball, softball, and baseball teams with many of their members winning Northern Region and/or state titles in the last few years. All Liberty District members field teams in all VHSL sports—with the exception of field hockey and indoor track at Stone Bridge, since Loudoun County Public Schools currently does not sponsor those as varsity level sports.In terms of overall performance in athletics, the district has had two top 10 finishers in the AAA Wachovia Cup for Athletics since 2005, with Stone Bridge in 8th place in 2005-2006 and Jefferson in 8th place in 2006-2007.
Academics
Liberty District members are very strong academically. All of its members are above average performers in the state on standardized tests and all offer rigorous curricula for their students which include courses in AP and for the IB programs. Jefferson is one of the nation's top magnet schools in science and technology. Langley, Madison, McLean, Marshall and Fairfax High Schools are consistently the highest performing comprehensive high schools in Fairfax County and also are among the best in the nation.The Liberty is one of the strongest districts in the state in VHSL academic activities. Langley, Jefferson, and McLean finished in the top 10 for the AAA Wachovia Cup for Academics in the 2005-2006 school year placing 3rd, 4th, and 7th respectively. Marshall was 12th and Woodson was 19th.
2010-2011 district champions
Fall Sports Regular Season Champions- Cheerleading: Fairfax
- Boys Cross Country: South Lakes
- Girls Cross Country: Jefferson
- Field Hockey: Fairfax
- Golf: Langley
- Football: Stone Bridge
- Volleyball:
Winter Sports Regular Season Champions
- Boys Basketball: Langley
- Girls Basketball:
- Girls Gymnastics:
- Boys Swimming: Madison
- Girls Swimming: Langley
- Boys Indoor Track: South Lakes
- Girls Indoor Track:
- Wrestling:
- Theatre: Mclean
Spring Sports Regular Season Champions
- Baseball: Madison
- Boys Lacrosse: Langley
- Girls Lacrosse: Madison
- Boys Soccer:
- Girls Soccer: McLean
- Softball: McLean
- Boys Tennis: Jefferson
- Girls Tennis:
- Boys Track:
- Girls Track:
AAA athletic and academic team championships won by Liberty District schools in 2009-2010
- Cheer: Fairfax
- Girls Soccer: Stone Bridge
- Boys Lacrosse: Langley
- Softball: McLean
State champions since 2002-2003
| Virginia State Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Sport/Competition | School |
| 2002 | AAA Baseball | Madison |
| 2003 | AAA Field Hockey | Woodson |
| 2004 | AAA Girls Gymnastics | Langley |
| 2004 | AAA Girls Soccer | Woodson |
| 2005 | AAA Cheer | Stone Bridge |
| 2005 | AAA Girls Swimming and Diving | South Lakes |
| 2006 | AAA Cheer | Stone Bridge |
| 2007 | AAA Boys Soccer | Jefferson |
| 2007 | AAA Boys Cross Country | Jefferson |
| 2007 | AAA Division 5 Football | Stone Bridge |
| 2008 | AAA Cheer | Stone Bridge |
| 2009 | AAA Boys Lacrosse | Langley |
| 2009 | AAA Cheer | Fairfax |
| 2010 | AAA Girls Soccer | Stone Bridge |
| 2010 | AAA Boys Lacrosse | Langley |
| 2010 | AAA Softball | McLean |
| 2011 | AAA Girls Lacrosse | Madison |
- includes schools only when they were in the district
Former Liberty members
- Broad Run High SchoolBroad Run High SchoolBroad Run High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, and is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools system ....
(now in the Dulles DistrictAA Dulles DistrictThe AA Dulles District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia, with all of its full time members from Loudoun County...
), played from 1996–1999 - Falls Church High SchoolFalls Church High SchoolFalls Church High School is a high school located in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia. While the school has a Falls Church, Virginia mailing address, the school is not located in the city of Falls Church and does not serve the City of Falls Church, which is served by...
(now in the National DistrictAAA National DistrictThe AAA National District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County and all of the public high schools in Arlington County....
), played from 1993–1996 - Lee High SchoolRobert E. Lee High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)Robert E. Lee High School is a high school in the Fairfax County Public Schools system. Its mascot is the Lancer. The school is located in Springfield in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia. It is named after Robert E. Lee, the general of the Confederate troops in the American Civil War...
(now in the Patriot DistrictAAA Patriot DistrictThe AAA Patriot District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County and Alexandria City. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports...
), played from 1993–2005 - Park View High SchoolPark View High School (Sterling, Virginia)For schools of a similar name, see Park View School .Park View High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States...
(now in the Dulles DistrictAA Dulles DistrictThe AA Dulles District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia, with all of its full time members from Loudoun County...
), played from 1996–1999 - Wilbert Tucker Woodson High SchoolWilbert Tucker Woodson High SchoolWilbert Tucker Woodson High School, commonly known as W.T. Woodson High School, is a high school located in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the east end of the city of Fairfax, opposite the shopping center on Main Street....
(now in the Patriot DistrictAAA Patriot DistrictThe AAA Patriot District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County and Alexandria City. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports...
), played from 1999-2009.