The FCHS varsity football team turned heads during their 2019-2020 campaign, finishing at a solid 5-5 on the regular season. The team had a chip on their shoulder and they played as such. From 2011 to 2017, the Flucos performed unimpressively, unable to garner more than two wins in a single season. In contrast, in their last two seasons under Coach Mike Morris, they have had eleven wins, boasting a total record of 11-11 in that timespan. 

Some may argue it was a coaching problem, some may argue it was a player problem. Regardless of the reason behind this historic turnaround in the Fluco Football program, it happened, and some feel that a strong Fluvanna team is here to stay. “It shows that we’ve changed the culture here. Hopefully, the younger kids come up and they’ll see the work that we’ve put in and continue that hard work,” said senior Malachi Hill.

Earlier this season, Hill was recognized as the Falcon Club Player of the Week for his exceptional performance during week 10 of the regular season. The decorated senior had 83 rushing yards to go alongside his 13 defensive tackles en route to earning the player of the week honor. “I didn’t do anything special, I just played my type of game,” said Hill when asked about earning recognition for tremendous play. He was also nominated for the honor of FCHS Defensive MVP for his performance throughout the entire season. Some of his stats include 121 solo tackles (11 for a loss), 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 passes deflected, 7 fumble recoveries, and an interception. 

Another Fluco honored for this past year was senior Luke Sheridan. However, this recognition came from outstanding off-the-field achievements as opposed to in-game play. 

The Sheridan name is a storied one around Fluvanna County, with Luke’s father, Mike, making a name for himself as a member of the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors and as a long-time teacher at Fluvanna Middle School. Luke appears to be carrying the family tradition of prominence.

On Jan. 26, Luke Sheridan was presented with the FCHS Citizenship and Darden Towe Citizenship Awards. The honors are given to those who perform exemplary acts in their community and everyday life. Sheridan was recognized for his role as a volunteer firefighter for the last two years, his willingness to help the less fortunate, and his participation in the “Stop Hunger Now” drive. On the football team, he has shown an eagerness to help by learning three new positions his senior year and modeling to younger players how to develop a love and passion for the game. 

“I was shocked and I felt very proud about it. You hear about everybody else and they all did something pretty great for their area,” said Sheridan when talking about receiving the award.  

Heading back to the field, sophomore Kobe Edmonds was also acknowledged as the FCHS Offensive MVP for his exceptional play last season for the Flucos. At 16, the starting quarterback threw for over 500 passing yards and ran for over 900 more, proving to be a true dual-threat weapon for Fluvanna. He also compiled a whopping 21 touchdowns, with 17 of them coming on the ground alone. “I was able to be a leader and know when the offense needed to do something or when players needed to know something,” he explained.

Coach Morris also seemed thrilled to share Edmonds’ personal attributes as well. The sophomore quarterback has been known to participate in various church groups and help mentor younger kids, and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Club. “He is a natural leader for his teammates both on and off the field. He works very hard to improve in the off-season on his skills, is a vocal leader, [is] coachable, and wants to be the best player he can be,” said Morris. 

To cap off a season to remember for the Flucos, the team won both the Wayne Shaner Trophy and the Bill Rice Trophy. The first honor is awarded to the winner of the Fluvanna/Charlottesville game, while the latter is given to the winner of the Fluvanna/Monticello game. According to Morris, “each [trophy] is named after a person or former player who has contributed to either school. The winner of the game gets to keep it for a year.” As far as what those trophies mean to him and his squad, Morris noted that he is focused more on winning the game as opposed to an object that symbolizes that win. 

Students interested in joining the football team next year should expect one core value to remain solid: consistency. “I keep things consistent year in and year out so that kids know what to expect from me and my assistant coaches,” said Morris.