With six returning sophomores and ten new faces, the FCHS junior varsity basketball team started their 2014-15 season with high hopes. So far, however, the season is proving to be a challenging one. The Flucos were 0-3 as of Dec. 5, having lost to Harrisonburg, Amherst and Albemarle. Despite the loss to Amherst, the Flucos felt they played an excellent first half of basketball at the game. “We came out motivated for the first win and we played hard, but the second half we broke down mentally,” said sophomore captain Victor Agee. Amherst eventually crushed the Flucos 52-27.

The main thing killing the Flucos in their first three games was 25 turnovers against Harrisonburg, 31 turnovers against Amherst, and 35 turnovers against Albemarle. That’s an average of 30.3 turnovers a game. If they could limit that at least by half, they would have a better chance of winning.  Another problem is that Fluvanna had shot 21% from behind the arc, shot 28% from the free throw line, and 25% from the field against Amherst. They also shot 5-19 from the free throw line. “Free throws will win and lose games, but shooting below 30% on the year will not help us win. We’ve got to get the numbers to increase,” said sophomore guard Catrell James.

One challenge is that Fluvanna lost all of their leading scores to varsity or transfers out of the school. Two players who have really stepped up for scoring are freshman AJ Gregory and sophomore Josh Carlton, who leads the team in rebounding. “Harrisonburg was really fast and athletic. They do the small things well and ran a full court man-to-man press the whole game. Amherst had the press throughout the game also. The press will wear a team out quick and it showed both nights,” said Carlton.

On Dec 9, the Flucos travelled to Albemarle to face the Patriots. The game was off to a good start for the Flucos. They played a great 1st quarter and were only down 11-7, but after that, the game took a turn for the worst. Albemarle broke out for a win that was over 40 points with 35 turnovers. In the Flucos’ defense, Albemarle is likely the toughest competitor all year. The Flucos returned to action Dec. 17 to face Orange. The Flucos got off to a slow start and could not catch back up, they ended up losing by 11 with 27 turnovers. The next day, the Flucos were at Waynesboro, and what a game it was. The Little Giants went up by 22 in the third quarter but the resilient Flucos stormed back and won the game by a single point, one of the best comebacks in Fluvanna JV history.

The team is now 1-4 and 0-2 in the Jefferson District. “We’ve got to stay focused, and we’ve got to hustle. We need no turnovers, smart decisions, and good ball movement. It’s the small things that will help us win against a very good team,” said sophomore Braden Turley. The Flucos hope to make the win a trend by emerging victorious against Monticello on Dec. 16 and Powhatan on Dec. 19.