Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census, it the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington metropolitan area, and the most populous location in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. The county seat is Fairfax; however, because it is an independent city under Virginia law, the city of Fairfax is not part of the county.
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) is the principal sanctioning organization for interscholastic athletic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VHSL first sponsored debate and also continues to sponsor state championships in several academic activities.
The AA Northwestern District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that 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 District.
McLean High School is a public high school within the Fairfax County Public Schools in McLean, Virginia. In 2022, U.S. News & World Report rated McLean the 157th-best U.S. public high school, and third-best in Virginia.
The Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League (NVSHL) is a non-affiliated high school and middle school ice hockey league comprising teams from the Northern Virginia Area including Fairfax County, Prince William County, Loudoun County, Arlington County, Stafford County, Fauquier County, and the cities of Manassas and Alexandria. The NVSHL staff and board of directors includes a combination of coaches, parents, team representatives, referee, and rink supervisors. There are also many members who are not affiliated with and particular team or organization. The current league executive director is Grey Bullen, and its assistant executive director is Jeff Nygaard. Bullen joined the league after Bud Sterling served the same capacity for the previous two seasons. Prior to that, the league was headed by Nygaard, who brought the league from being a part of the MSHL to its own entity, the NVSHL. Teams play a ten-game regular season, followed by a multi-round single elimination playoff tournament to determine the league champion. In the end, the league winner will have played either 13 or 14 games, depending on whether they received a bye in the first round.
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Falls Church, Virginia. Named for General George C. Marshall, it opened in 1962 and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). It is ranked #245 in the nation for public schools and has received a gold award for Best High Schools from the U.S. News & World Report 2020. It is ranked 4th in Virginia and 4th in Fairfax County. George C. Marshall High School is a fully accredited high school based on Virginia's Standards of Learning tests.
The 4A 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. 4A is the third largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League and is typically very competitive in Virginia high school sports.
The Liberty District is a high school district in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia.
The AAA Northern Region was one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. It was made up of four districts: the AAA Concorde District, the AAA Liberty District, the AAA National District, and the AAA Patriot District. 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 Concorde District is a high school district in the state of Virginia that includes public schools from Fairfax County. It is widely regarded as one of the most competitive districts in the Virginia High School League (VHSL).
The Oakton Classic is an annual invitational high school marching band competition held at Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia. The 32nd Annual Oakton Classic will be held on October 21, 2017. The George Mason University Green Machine and the Oakton High School Marching Cougars will be the exhibition bands this year.
The Patriot District is a high school district in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County.
The Cedar Run District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools stretching from Prince William County.
The Group 6A North Region was a division of the Virginia High School League. Along with the 6A South Region, it consisted of the largest high schools in Virginia. The region was formed in 2013 when the VHSL adopted a six classification format and eliminated the previous three classification system. It is a successor to the AAA Northern Region. The conference system was scrapped prior to the 2017–18 academic year, reverting the previous district. Regions were also renamed, with schools in the 6A North Region distributed into Group 6A Regions C& D.
The Group 4A North Region is a division of the Virginia High School League. The region was formed in 2013 when the VHSL adopted a six classification format and eliminated the previous three classification system. For the purpose of regular season competition, schools may compete within districts that existed prior to 2013. The division is composed of 28 schools separated into four conferences 21A, 21B, 22,23, and 24. This format is mainly for regular season competition and schools are not limited to these classifications.
The Group 5A North Region is a division of the Virginia High School League. The region was formed in 2013 when the VHSL adopted a six classification format and eliminated the previous three classification system. For the purpose of regular season competition, schools compete within districts that existed prior to 2013, while post-season competition will be organized within four conferences that make up each region. It is a successor to the AAA Northern Region.
The Gunston District is a high school sports district in Northern Virginia that competes in the Virginia High School League. The schools are mostly from the Alexandria area.
The Potomac District is a high school conference in the United States Virginia High School League that is made up of mostly schools from Loudoun County that have a high enrollment capacity.
