Nick Picarelli caught three touchdown passes Sunday, and South Lakes' defensive line drew early praise from head coach Jason Hescock as the Seahawks wrapped up their annual Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage at South Lakes High School on Aug. 9.

"The linemen, especially the defensive linemen, are way ahead of where we thought they would be," Hescock told Patch. "We have a lot of people competing at almost every position, and that's a good problem to have."

Picarelli, an all-Concorde District senior wideout, hauled in two deep balls over the middle and capped his day with a 22-yard touchdown on a flag pattern. His final two scores came courtesy of sophomore quarterback Gavin Satterfield, a 6-foot-1, 185-pounder who moved the offense effectively over his last three possessions.

Hescock, entering his eighth season leading the program, pointed to seniors Michael Baxter (5-11, 255) and Aaron Deglel along with junior Will Barton (5-9, 215) as leaders on a defensive front that looks ready to anchor the unit. Deglel is the younger brother of 2023-24 standout Nathan Deglel. The secondary returns junior Joshua Dagbe, who started most of the past two seasons, joined by sophomore David Ladreyou, junior Adhyan Kothembaka and senior Justin Bruens.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Seahawks must rebuild essentially the entire offensive line. Hescock singled out Angel Serrano as a player showing early progress up front. At running back, junior James Smith delivered big carries in the scrimmage and appears to hold an early edge in a competition to replace Dalton Blakeney, who handled all but six handoff plays last season.

South Lakes finished 6-6 in 2025. That record included a first-round playoff win over Yorktown, and now the Seahawks open the 2026 season at that same site: Friday, Aug. 28, at Yorktown High School, 7 p.m. kickoff. Yorktown went 7-4 overall and 6-0 in the Liberty District last season under head coach Alec Hicks, according to ARLnow. The Seahawks also beat the Patriots 29-28 in the 2025 season opener, making this the third straight meeting between the programs.

In a Fairfax Times Concorde District preview published Aug. 7, Hescock said the key to 2026 is developing talent and staying healthy through district play to position the Seahawks for a deep playoff run.

After the Yorktown opener, South Lakes hosts Robinson and Battlefield, then travels to West Potomac and hosts Herndon before beginning Concorde District play.