After his Bullis players poured their energy into winning the Interstate Athletic Conference championship, Coach Jeff Bellistri believes they need a break. In the three years Bullis has competed in Geico Nationals after the IAC postseason, the Bulldogs have practiced off and on in the two weeks separating the tournaments.
The hiatus paid off in 2019, when Bullis won its first Nationals title. Returning to the tournament May 30, the Bulldogs lost to eventual champion Salisbury (Conn.), 13-10, in the semifinals at Catholic University.
“When you win the tournament, man, that was great taking that time off,” said Bellistri, whose squad finished 15-5. “And when you lose, you’re like, ‘Well, maybe we should have done it differently.’ ”
Bellistri was pleased with his team’s performance 17 days after it beat Georgetown Prep to claim the IAC crown, the main objective for the Potomac private school. Attackman Chase Band, an Ohio State commit, scored six goals to display the potential of an offense that will return most of its contributors next season.
For the past year, Bellistri had been showcasing Band to college coaches; Ohio State offered the junior a scholarship in April. Last week, Bellistri spoke with a Buckeyes coach.
“I told you,” Bellistri recalled saying. “My God, he’s really getting even better.”
This article was written by the Washington Post, read more articles like this here.
Photo: Brayden Ferguson and Bullis, shown in a game against Landon in April, played in the Geico Nationals. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
