Battle of Sterling Kicks Off at 4:30

In an unprecedented move, the football team, under a brand new coach, will take on their rivals Potomac Falls right after school.

Ellory Deaton, Co-Editor in Chief • August 28, 2025

Titan football celebrating on the field after a touchdown.

Under the leadership of new head coach Mike Brown, who was the defensive coordinator for South Lakes, the Titans will be kicking off the Battle of Sterling matchup against the Panthers of Potomac Falls at 4:30pm.

With Drake Woodard stepping down, Brown has had to make some adjustments this year focusing on a change of culture. “Feeling optimistic, we have a lot of young guys and we are trying to build the culture in a specific way. We just have to stay consistent,” Brown said.

There are a lot of key returners that will stand out tonight looking to start their season with a victory. Receivers Rico Jones and Jonathan Oxley look to play key roles in their senior season. “I feel we’re a lot more ready than we were last year, we’ve become more put together and a better program all together,” Oxley said.

The team has been training and practicing all summer on the field and in the weight room to prepare. Junior Jaden Walker will be leading the offense as the new quarterback, replacing David Reyes who graduated last year. “He [Coach Brown] has made it a lot harder, if you want to be on the team you have to be there everyday you can’t be slacking. We are a lot more disciplined because we have so much more conditioning and work we have to put in,” Walker said.

The coaching staff has been trying to change things up to make this season a better experience. “I want us to compete. We live by this mantra called ‘next play’. It doesn’t matter if something good or bad happens, we want to continue to compete,” Brown said

The reason behind the 4:30 kickoff is that Park View will play on Titan Stadium after the conclusion of the Dominion vs Potomac Falls game. This is because Park View has lost use of their fields as it is the site of the new Park View school that is being constructed.

Student attendance is encouraged as this game is more important and D-block is expected to show out. “Potomac Falls is a much bigger game compared to our other games just because it’s our rival, it’s always a game people go to. Other games just are not as hype,” Jones said.

You can buy tickets here.

About the Contributor

Ellory Deaton, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ellory Deaton is a Co-Editor in Chief, and is a senior serving her second year as a staff reporter for DHS Press. She took broadcast journalism her sophomore year and contributed to the newspaper as a staff reporter last year. She enjoys interviewing athletes and coaches for their perspectives on and off the field. Ellory participates in field hockey and lacrosse; she is interested in working within the athletic community at a four year college. Outside of sports, Ellory is involved in Walking for Water, Morgan’s Message, Safe Haven, NHS and LHS members. If Ellory is not at Dominion or on the field you can catch her at any local shopping center, going out to eat with family or friends, and keeping her tan fresh on a nice day.