True to its suburban roots, Prince William County is more of a starting point than a destination when it comes to big-time spectator sports. It is a modest drive, if traffic cooperates, to watch Washington's major professional teams -- the NFL's Redskins, Major League Baseball's Nationals, the NBA's Wizards, NHL's Capitals and MLS's DC United -- as well as NCAA Division I sports at area universities.
But that's not to say that the area doesn't offer its own attractions. They might not be as glitzy as the major sporting events -- except in years, like this one, when Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Lake Manassas hosts the Presidents Cup -- but they generally are less expensive and more hassle-free than the big-time venues.
Tiger Woods is among the elite golfers returning in September to Robert Trent Jones Golf Club for the Presidents Cup.
(Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post)
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Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge is home to the Class A Potomac Nationals minor league baseball team. There, for a fraction of the cost of attending a big-league game, you can watch the stars of the future play for the hometown team and seven visiting clubs in the Carolina League, affiliates of the Astros, Braves, Indians, Orioles, Pirates, Red Sox and White Sox.
But don't procrastinate. Sometimes the hot prospects don't stick around for long. The Nationals' 140-game season runs through early September.
Currently aligned with the Washington Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos), the Prince William team has been an affiliate for several major league organizations. Future big-leaguers Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Pettitte, Albert Pujols, John Smiley, J.T. Snow, Bernie Williams and Jack Wilson were among those who played here early in their professional careers.
For an even more intimate baseball experience, this summer marks the Prince William debut of the Haymarket Battle Cats, who will play in the 10-team Valley Baseball League, a wooden bat program for college players. Home games will be played at Battlefield High School in Haymarket. The season runs from early June until late July.
The longest-running Prince William sports attraction is Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, where on Saturday nights from April through October the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series features NASCAR Late Model, Grand Stock, Mini Stock and Speedway Sportsman action on a 3/8-mile track.
Racing greats such as Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett, Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip all have competed at ODS. The speedway's drag strip, touted as the oldest on the East Coast, is bustling on Friday nights.
But the area's athletics jewel is the Presidents Cup, a biennial international team match-play event contested in non-Ryder Cup years. It pits top U.S. players against top international players. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Club will host the event for the fourth time Sept. 20 to 25. President Bush will serve as honorary chairman.
Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will captain the U.S. and international teams, respectively. The last time the Presidents Cup was held at RTJ, in 2000, the United States prevailed, 21 1/2-10 1/2. RTJ also hosted the first two Presidents Cups in 1994 and 1996.
Prince William also offers minor league soccer, featuring the men's Northern Virginia Royals and women's Northern Virginia Majestics, who play their home games at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge.
High school athletics dominate during the school year. The primary fall sports are football, volleyball, cross-country, field hockey and golf. In the winter, it's basketball, wrestling, swimming, indoor track, gymnastics and ice hockey. The spring is the busiest sports season, with baseball, softball, soccer, outdoor track, lacrosse, tennis and rowing. Not all of the area's 12 public high schools and handful of private schools offer teams in every sport.
Arguably the most celebrated program in the area is the football team at Hylton High School in Woodbridge, which has advanced to the state semifinals for seven straight years and won three championships in that span. In recent seasons, Prince William schools have won state titles in football, basketball, softball, wrestling, volleyball, cross-country, gymnastics, indoor track, outdoor track and soccer.
