Fluvanna Sports in Review 9/29

Marching Band

The Marching Flucos placed 3rd in the AAA class and 6th overall in their competition on Sept. 23 at Stuarts Draft High School. In addition, the percussion section earned first place in their category.

The band received an 84 out of 100 and was one point shy of a Superior rating, which is the highest possible rating. “We’ve never started a season with such a high score before. Usually this is the level that we finish the season with. So I’m super excited for what’s to come,” said Strickler.

Meanwhile, sophomore Jason Dech earned 1st chair trombone in the Senior Regional Orchestra (SRO) on Sept. 23. SRO is the largest geographic region in the state, made up of districts 1, 3, 5, 6 ,7 and 13. Dech will play with the orchestra on Nov. 10 and 11 at E.C. Glass High School.

Volleyball

Sept. 26 was a very positive day for the varsity Lady Flucos as they played strong and pulled out a win in all three games against Charlottesville. “We played very well together and stayed on our level,” said senior Abby Sherman, while senior Candice Shaheen said that they “played as a team and came together after every point.” Junior Christine Walker agreed that the game showcased their strengths. “We never stayed quiet too long, and stayed consistent,” she said.

Two nights later they traveled to Powhatan, but with less positive results as they faced a tough game and lost 3-1. Moving forward, they are working on improving their coordination and making smarter plays. “Just remember to breathe, believe, and battle,” said sophomore Mackenzie Moore.

The Lady Flucos’ JV team joined their varsity sisters on Sept. 26 as they embarked on a competitive game against Charlottesville. The team played two games and won both. Some team members felt that although they played well, there was still room for improvement. “We should’ve kept our energy up and not played down to their level,” said freshman Heidi Breeden. Fellow player Loren Black agreed. “We’ve had a growing experience and we’ve come really far from learning the new set. We’re developing chemistry and it’s showing on the court,” she said.

This energy and team work helped them pull out a decisive win, despite not playing their best. “I don’t think they should’ve scored that much against us,” said 8th grader Maddie Fulk.

Two nights later, the girls took on Powhatan at home. The girls played well in the first set, but in the second and third set they lost their momentum and lost by a score of 2-1.. How could they have played better? “[By] focusing on the game beginning to end,” said 8th grader Olivia Farruggio.

Cross Country

Traveling to the Trail Golf Course at Western Albemarle, the Fluco cross country squad participated at a meet on Sept. 27. It was a very hot day and the course had few shady areas or downhill segments, but the Flucos stayed strong and persevered through the course.  “It was a lot easier than I expected it to be,” said senior Melanie Stone.

The Fluco girls’ team placed third overall with a score of 56, coming in behind Western Albemarle, which came in first, and a frustrating single point behind Louisa. “I didn’t improve my time, but I did enjoy my run,” said sophomore Kieri Hart.

Meanwhile, the Fluco boys team, which is persevering despite having a small team,had a tough race that day, coming in last as a team. “It didn’t feel good at all, and I was very tired that day,” said senior John Bossong. Their next meet will be Oct. 7 against Fort Defiance.

Football

The varsity team traveled to Monticello on Sept. 22 to take on the Mustangs. The Mustangs are known to be a tough opponent and although the Flucos fought hard, they lost 50-3. The team was disappointed by the loss, but are looking forward to the rest of the season. “We did not play our best, but we’re moving forward and focusing on our game against Orange,” said Junior Josh Elliott.

On Sept. 27, the JV football team faced Orange County away. The Hornets lost while the Flucos walked away with a score of 25-21, their third win of the season. Sophomore Trevor Wade said that in the first half, the boys were a little off and not working as one, although in the second half they pulled their heads together and got a win.

“Some times I didn’t do my job well, but overall, I thought I did good,” said sophomore Caleb Stoltz. The team is slowly coming together as one; although there is still room for improvement, they feel they are playing better than where they began the season.

The freshmen team also had a game last week, one of only six for the season. They took on FUMA on Sept. 27, but came up short with a score of 12-6. According to freshmen player Ryan Hicks, although they did well on defense, they could work on improving their defense. Their next games are on Oct. 26 against Nelson County and on Oct. 31 against Woodberry Forest.