By Drew Costley

George Mason High School’s boys varsity soccer team beat Riverheads High School 4-1 to win their second consecutive Virginia High School League (VHSL) championship this afternoon. It was also their seventh state championship since 2000. The George Mason Mustangs and Riverheads Gladiators played to a scoreless first half, but George Mason’s senior midfielder Paul Darmstadter scored on penalty kick in the 47th minute to put the Mustangs ahead 1-0. “There’s a lot of pressure, you know, when you’re taking a penalty kick,” Darmstadter said. “And definitely in the state championship, we have a big stadium, big crowd – there’s a lot of pressure.”