Read about the achievements of various fall sports teams at Potomac Falls High School (PFHS) as they go into the 2025 fall season, marking a new era for the PFHS athletics department.
Success. That has been a word that the Potomac Falls athletic department has become very familiar with as the 2025 fall season progresses. The term is especially applicable to the record breaking statistics seen within the cross country, volleyball, and football teams.
On Sept. 3, the Potomac Falls cross country (XC) team competed in the Algonkian Cup, a race between Park View, Potomac Falls, and Dominion high schools. There are two “Algonkian Cups,” one for the winning boys and girls teams. These cups have never both been won by the same school – that is, until Sept. 3.
The Potomac Falls XC team won both cups, a monumental achievement after beginning the season with many injuries on the girls varsity team. “We had a lot of freshmen who stepped up big time, and they were able to do significantly better than we expected,” said Tom Kalka, the head coach of the Potomac Falls XC team.
Kalka went on to comment about the promising future that this new wave of runners is bringing to the Potomac Falls XC team. “Four years ago, I said the same thing with our boys, and now our boys are like one of the top teams in the region, and I can see that happening with our girls in the next three to four years,” said Kalka.
The Potomac Falls varsity girls volleyball team has been experiencing similar record breaking successes.
Undefeated for their past 6 games, the team beat Heritage and Freedom high schools for the first time in years. In addition to that, each game played has ended in something called a clean sweep, where three out of the five sets played are won consecutively; an indication of the hard work being put in by the team.
The team has demonstrated a higher level of commitment, starting last year when they qualified for regionals. “We are doing something new and have hired a training company to come in once a week to work on strength training and agility,” said Holly Dobrynski, head coach of the Potomac Falls girls volleyball team.
With winning comes confidence, and this is something that the Potomac Falls varsity girls volleyball team can attest to. “It’s just been really great, morale is up. I think we’re just seeing the beginning of what these girls can do,” said Dobrynski.
It is safe to say that football is a beloved high school sport, with hundreds of students coming out to showcase their school spirit in a tradition known as “Friday Night Lights.” The Potomac Falls varsity football team has been boosting this spirit on their current winning streak.
On Aug. 28, at the notorious Battle of Sterling game, the Potomac Falls varsity football team defeated Dominion High School, winning 49-7. This win marked the beginning of a very promising season for the team.
The team then faced Independence High School, a team they had never beat before, on Sept. 5. Going into the game with the confidence from winning the Battle of Sterling, the Potomac Falls varsity football team beat Independence 21-20 in an extraordinary victory.
Yaw Aidoo, the head coach of the Potomac Falls varsity football team, remarks that this victory was not a coincidence, as the team has demonstrated a hunger to win this season. While in previous seasons the team’s consistency seemed to turn into complacency, as they were not able to win back to back games, Aidoo observed a shift. “The fact that they won the first game by a large margin, you can see in the second game that instead of complacency, it turned into more hunger,” said Aidoo.
The team has also become more self-sufficient, with players stepping up to lead their teammates. “They’re more peer led, they get on each other more, and kind of have higher expectations and standards for each other,” said Aidoo.
This past Friday, Sept. 12, the Potomac Falls varsity football team faced a setback in their loss against Tuscarora High School, with a final score of 13-6.
It is difficult to play away from the home turf, which the Potomac Falls team realized last week. “I feel like last week may have been underprepared at the end of it all, ” said Aidoo.
The team has an upcoming game against Lightridge High School, where they will be striving for improvement. “We are definitely going to bring some more energy to practice, and [in turn], more energy to the games to make sure we are in the moment,” said Aidoo.
While each team is proud of their personal achievements, Nick Siano, the athletic director of Potomac Falls High School, is thrilled for the progression of the department. “We are starting to come together, working as one big unit and a big family, trying to build traditions that we previously had,” said Siano.
The strong start of the 2025 season for Potomac Falls athletics marks a new era as teams make school history.