A look back on the moments, achievements, and memories that defined the 2025-2026 school year.
August 2025: A new year begins
Potomac Falls High School kicked off the 2025-2026 school year by welcoming the Class of 2029 during freshman orientation and the annual back-to-school night. Fall sports preseason officially began for football, volleyball, cheerleading, and cross country as students returned from summer break. Panther football started the season strong with a 49-7 victory over the Dominion Titans in the annual Battle of Sterling rivalry game. Academically, PFHS expanded opportunities through the ACCESS Academy in partnership with George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, opening up the door for more students to gain career-readiness skills.
September 2025: Homecoming season is in full swing
Friday Night Lights and Homecoming prep quickly became the centerpiece of student life in September. This year’s Homecoming theme, “Into the Looking Glass,” was inspired by Disney’s, Alice in Wonderland and brought excitement throughout the school. Beyond school events, Loudoun County Public Schools announced calendar changes that would add a student holiday on April 21, 2026 due to the special statewide election and changed the last day of school from Monday, June 15, to Friday, June 12.
October 2025: Pep rallies, performances, and testing
October brought one of the busiest months of the year, filled with pep rallies, Homecoming festivities, and Halloween celebrations. The Potomac Falls Marching Band debuted its 2025 show, Ascend, and earned the opportunity to compete at the prestigious Marine Corps Invitational. Students began focusing more on extracurriculars and academics as National Honor Society applications were submitted, theater auditions began for the fall play, You Can’t Take It With You, and Virginia participated in PSAT and other state-wide testing.
November 2025: Fall sports postseason success
As fall postseason competitions intensified, Panther football defeated Lightridge 37-22 in the first round of the playoffs on Nov. 14 before falling to Riverbend 56-0 on Nov. 22. Girls’ varsity volleyball also made an impressive postseason run, qualifying for the Class 5 State Championships before losing to Midlothian High School in the State Quarterfinals. Outside of athletics, students participated in volunteer opportunities through Key Club and National Honor Society, such as care package assemblies, writing thank-you cards, and cleaning up local veterans’ memorial sites.
December 2025: Winter heats up
Winter sports officially began as basketball, indoor track, swimming, and wrestling teams entered preseason. The PFHS Choir hosted its annual winter concert titled Sounds of the Season, featuring performances from A Cappella, Cantate Choir, Show Choir, and Jazz Choir. Meanwhile, anticipation surrounded the girls’ varsity basketball team as students looked forward to another strong season following the team’s exceptional 2024 performance of a 23-5 overall record.
January 2026: Snow and recognition
The new year brought with it both major snowfall and major school recognition for Potomac Falls High School. Severe winter weather shut down school for an entire week, marking LCPS’s first extended snow closure since January 2014. On the court, the girls’ varsity basketball team defeated the Riverside Rams 44-34 on Jan. 13 during Potomac District play. Seniors began graduation preparations as the reality of the Class of 2026’s final semester set in. Socially, PFHS earned national recognition after being named one of 13 “Model Schools” in the United States by the Center for Model Schools.
February 2026: Winter sports wrap up
The winter postseason competitions wrapped up with strong performances from both basketball programs. Boys’ varsity basketball finished as Region 5D Quarterfinalists with a 20-8 overall record, while girls’ varsity basketball remained one of the top teams in the Virginia Class 5 division with an overall 18-5 record. At the same time, PFHS continued gaining attention online for its “Model School” recognition. Discussions about the 2026-2027 school year also sparked debates, particularly over the school board’s proposals to begin the school year earlier.
March 2026: Spring in bloom
Spring season preparations officially began in March. The Potomac Falls Drama Department announced Chicago as the 2026 spring musical, generating excitement throughout the school. Spring sport tryouts began for baseball, soccer, lacrosse, softball, and track and field, while underclassmen focused on SAT and ACT testing as well as prom planning.
April 2026: Record-breaking performances
The SCA announced this year’s prom theme, “Masquerade,” building anticipation for one of the year’s biggest social events. From April 23-25, the drama department staged Chicago, which received widespread praise and broke the department’s previous ticket sale record set by Hairspray. Rho Kappa members traveled to Monticello for their annual spring field trip, and the choir department celebrated graduating seniors during its annual Senior Spotlight performance.
May 2026: Prom, awards, and history made
Prom season concluded with juniors and seniors gathering at the Hyatt Regency Dulles on May 16. Junior Prom Court members included Drew Berry, Wyatt Holland, Evie McCombs, Ana Mendonca, Paola Zalevsky, and Phillip Zourzoukis, while Senior Prom Court featured Caroline Cole, Luke Hable, Lacie Martin, Ariana Martin, Nathan Parraga, and Fernando Weld. On May 20, junior Grace Armstrong earned first place in news and feature writing at the Loudoun Now Excellence in High School Journalism awards, while senior Hailey Thompson won first place in photography and runner-up in video. Athletic history was also made on May 13, when varsity softball defeated Riverside in a 4-3 game.
From first-day nerves in August to grad parties in May, the 2025-2026 school year held many amazing moments where Panthers stood out on the field, on the stage, and in the classroom. This year is sure to be looked back on with fondness. Have a great summer!