In her final season wearing black and gold, senior Davanee McNairy embodied what it means to be a Rocket athlete. Commonly recognized by her signature space buns and loud voice on the field, number five made an impact during her time on both the varsity field hockey and lacrosse teams. Her athleticism and leadership skills were highlighted during her senior season.

Through a season of highs and lows, the dual sport varsity captain kept her composure on and off the field as she focused on inspiring the younger players to improve their skills. McNairy’s time playing for RM will be remembered by her spirited leadership and determined play. 

“She leads by example, using her skills and abilities to score goals, play defense and rally the team,” varsity girls lacrosse coach Sid Caesar said. “She has helped with the development of the girls lacrosse team providing positive influence to the varsity and junior varsity teams. She led the fight on the field until the final horn sounded.” 

RM girls varsity lacrosse had a tough season as their schedule consisted of talented competition, such as the reigning state champions BCC. The losses and injuries did not hinder McNairy’s love and persistence for the game. The tenacity she demonstrated throughout the season did not go unnoticed as she helped to inspire her teammate to keep going forward.

“The energy she brings to the team makes playing sports so much more fun. Before every game she would lead the team cheer with a loud, uplifting voice,” sophomore girls varsity lacrosse and field hockey player Catherine Nguyen said. “She was the heart of the team spirit. Dave has had a huge impact both on and off the field.” 

McNairy worked relentlessly throughout the season to keep spirits high. She even bought everyone warm up shirts that read encouraging messages such as “work.” These served as reminders to keep working hard and stay confident in the team’s abilities. Throughout the season she made sure to encourage and cheer on her teammates no matter the score or outcome.

“My most memorable moment with Dave was during the Damascus game when she screamed ‘Meredith showed up tonight’,” sophomore girls varsity lacrosse and field hockey goalie Meredith Kearns said. “When Dave is on the field she is a force. She doesn’t allow the score to impact the effort she puts into the game.” 

Off the field, McNairy dedicates her time in the gym working to better her game through strength and speed training. During the fall field hockey season she would have strength training before most practices. Even though field hockey was never her main sport she always showed up to practice ready to work hard and have fun. 

“The most memorable part of playing with her is her work ethic, she is constantly getting better and striving to work hard no matter what,” senior girls varsity field hockey player Reese West said. “She has such an incredible drive to be great and she really is.”

McNairy’s constant drive to get better and help her team off and on the field were main factors in naming her Athlete of the Year. She used her wealth of experience to step into a leadership role that was dedicated to setting her teams up for success in the future. 

In a culmination of her talent and dedication to lacrosse, McNairy will be playing Division one lacrosse at Kent State University on an athletic scholarship. Next year she will help the Golden Flashes as they compete in the Middle Athletic Conference (MAC) and look to defend their regular season MAC championship. Her Rocket family will be cheering her on as moves on to the chapter in her academic and athletic career. 

“Davanee has a love for lacrosse that is unmatched on our team. I am really looking forward to seeing her progress at the next level, both in the classroom and on the lacrosse field,” Coach Caesar said.

When the lights shine the brightest, the real stars come out to play. 

After an inconsistent regular season, senior Khalid Aljirafi played his best soccer of the season when the Rockets needed him the most. RM finished their division play on a four-game winning streak but only managed to secure the fourth seed in the regional playoffs. Ahead of them in the bracket, were three teams who had beaten them in the regular season. When the goals had been put away for the season, the Rockets stood alone, winning their first regional soccer championship, in large part to the performance and perseverance of Aljirafi. For these reasons, the ability to show up when his performance was vital to the team’s success, and his high character on and off the turf, Aljirafi truly deserves the honor of RM’s Boys Athlete of the Year.

Aljirafi, a senior midfielder, had some struggles at the beginning of the season, missing a few games due to time away from the team playing internationally for the Saudi Arabian National Team. However, after a loss to Churchill midway through the season, they began a seven-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory against Blake, then rattled off three more against Wootton, Springbrook, and Rockville, setting up a first-round matchup versus WJ. 

Aljirafi came prepared, netting his first varsity hat trick in a black and gold jersey, propelling RM to a 4-1 first-round victory. He scored three straight unanswered goals in the second half to secure the win, as the Rockets would advance to their second straight regional semifinals, this time against the top-seeded Bulldogs. 

“Khalid was a very important piece and a very big reason for our success in the playoffs,” senior attackman Cody Da said. “He may not have put up the best stats early in the season but come playoffs he just went crazy, he was scoring left and right in almost every game. He turned up when it really mattered.”

Aljrafi arrived again for RM against the county champions, playing hero with yet another multi-goal game, scoring two pivotal goals in the Rocket’s 3-2 overtime win over Churchill. Trailing 1-0 for most of the game, Aljirafi struck first 15 minutes into the second half connecting with a cross from Hassan Elsayed and scoring again just minutes later after an errant pass.

Four days later, the Rockets played their third straight away game in the regional championship against Whitman HS. As the pressure mounted on RM, some doubted if they could continue their hot streak against a team they had already lost to this season. Aljirafi scored early in the game, his sixth of the postseason, putting RM up early, a lead the team would hold for almost another 60 minutes. He fought through a cramp late in the game but continued to impact the game in almost every aspect. 

“Khalid just wanted to win more than anyone else, and that really showed on the field,” sophomore goalie Max Sobel said. “He just worked harder than the players we were playing against which was really important in our playoff run this season.”

When Whitman tied the game in the waning seconds of regulation, and neither team could score in extra time, Aljirafi had an important penalty to extend RM’s advantage to 2-1, before sophomore goalie Solomon Snowdy would make the game-winning save minutes later. 

Aljirafi capped off his senior season with a trophy, but made an even bigger impact on his team through his encouragement and support. As a captain, he portrayed what it meant to be both a dynamic player and an efficient leader. Aljirafi impressed both his teammates on varsity and his coaches who pushed him to be more than a goal-scorer.

“His leadership and belief in our success were crucial in our journey to a historical regional championship. Khalid exemplifies what it means to be a Rocket,” senior defenseman Kevin Baer said.

While Khalid deserves accolades for his play last fall, it is his leadership on and off the pitch that earned him this inaugural award. Head Coach Brian Urioste challenged him to a bigger role on the team, using his skill and understanding of the game to teach and encourage his teammates. Coach Urioste believed the team had the talent to go far, but questioned the mental strength of his squad when pressure built and tensions grew. Aljirafi answered those questions.

“He made sure his teammates were always thinking positively throughout the game, through the good and the bad, and always supported anyone that came on or off the field,” Coach Urioste said. “More importantly, he celebrated everyone’s goals or saves as if it was one of his. This helped our team become a family, and with that bond that Khalid and our captains created, it set us off for a wonderful playoff run.”

Everyone was talking about it. After a disappointing season for many of RM’s fall sports teams, one team had defied the odds and brought home a regional championship. Despite being 3-4-1 just weeks before and their hopes of making a deep run in the playoffs almost crushed, the boy’s soccer team persevered to pull off an amazing upset win. After beating the number one seed, Churchill, in the semifinal in overtime, the team was set up to face Whitman for the regional title. RM and Whitman fans packed the stands and were loud supporters. In an exciting game, RM defeated Whitman 4-3 in penalties. As the game came down to an intense penalty shootout, JV goalie call-up Solomon Snowdy was a saving grace for the team, and shooters such as Robert Boychen and Khalid Aljarafi secured the win. Rockets fans raced onto the field, and the screams “Vamos Rockets” could be heard all around. While the players are one part of the success, the coaching behind them is just as important. Coaching close games like those do not come easy and takes a lot of focus and knowledge of the game. RM was lucky to have a coach who could handle this type of pressure. A now praised coach for his success,  Coach Brian Urisote was the man behind these wins.

Urioste grew up in Bethesda and played Division 1 soccer at Campbell University before becoming a teacher and high school coach. The players on the team have great appreciation and respect for Coach Urioste, and are grateful for what he helped them accomplish this year. Players described him as magnificent, determined and focused. Many of the players have a close relationship with Coach Ursiote, which helped them be successful as a team. “Coach [Urioste] really created a family atmosphere this year. We were a team and fought for each other as brothers on the field.” Senior Robert Boychn said. He feels this aspect separates them from other teams.  

Down the stretch, Urisote continued to motivate his players and keep them calm and focused before the big games. “He looked at me straight in the face telling me that there was more to it than to be anxious, than to be free and play my game, no one else’s,” sophomore D’angelo Reyes said about Urisote’s words ahead of the important moments. Keeping the team focused was a crucial part in winning the games.  “Coach also reminded us what was on the line and the fact that we had the ability to make RM history.” Boychn said. The regional title was the first for boys soccer at RM, adding even more importance and pressure to the games. 

 Winning these games was not luck, as it took a lot of decision making and strategy by Coach Urisote for his team. Key points such as deciding who should shoot the penalty shots or how they would attack the other team were crucial moments in the team’s success. “He played an instrumental role in our success this season, his tactical expertise allowed us to defeat high level teams.” Junior Jordy Villanueva said. As a lower-ranked team, a specific game plan for each match was necessary to succeed. “He knew how to balance whole team tactics with letting those especially talented shine.” Sophomore goalie Max Sobel said. 

Many students around RM feel that Coach Brian deserves to be chosen as coach of the year for 2022-2023. His players saw first hand the dedication and effort that he put into his team. “He has given his all to this program and even this year he stuck with it through difficulties including switching jobs and raising his kid,” Boychn said. Coach Urisote achieved something that seemed near impossible at one point and created a sense of pride for RM that the school had lacked all fall season. “I think the results speak for themselves, out of every sports team we were able to win regionals without the “most” talented group of kids.” Villanueva said. 

Urisote took an underdog team and led them to a title, capping off a season that will be remembered forever.