Falls Church High Jaguars Gear Up for First Playoff Game in More Than 30 Years

• Full Virginia high school football playoffs.

"I think we have a special group of kids, our senior class, a lot of them have been playing together since they were sophomores," Aziz said Wednesday about the Jaguars.

As juniors last year, the season "could have gone either way" with some close games, Aziz said. Their off-season goal last year was to work hard enough in the off-season to make the playoffs this year. The players took the first two to three weeks off before hitting the weight room the first week in December. They could usually be found there three times a week during the off-season.

Some of the key players who will make it happen this week:

• 1st Team Offense – Jordan Coneys, Dieon Dupont, Kendall Trautz
• 2nd Team Offense – Adam Daly, Will Mejia, Darius Thomas
• Offensive Player of the year – Jordan Coneys
• 1st Team Defense – Fabrice Mulumba, Daniel Diaz and Will Mejia
• 2nd Team Defense – Ronny Khalek and Taylor Thomas

The senior players "are being recruited right now" by colleges, Aziz said. "Most of them will be playing somewhere at the next level."

"These kids have worked so hard, they're like a big family and they look out for each other," he said. "Right now, I'm exhausted, but it's a 'good' run down."

Friday, the team, band and cheerleaders will lift team spirit just before school lets out. Later, the players will sit down for an early dinner together in the school cafeteria and load up on carbs and protein before the game, Aziz said.

"And we have a brand-new, state of the art turf field," he pointed out. "It should be a packed house Friday night."