While many eyes have been on the Fluco varsity football team this season, their JV brothers have also been putting in the work, and seeing the rewards.
On the morning of Nov. 4, the Fluco JV football team arrived at Louisa for the second time this season, prepared for an intense game. While the stands were packed on both sides, some said the Fluvanna fans had more spirit supporting their team. The Fluco defense held the Lions each drive, not allowing them to score the entire game. By the end of the 4th quarter, the Flucos had beaten Louisa 21-0, making the Flucos the District Championship winners with an impressive 10-1 record for the season.
After the team’s big win against Goochland by a score of 34-13 two weeks ago, the team was officially locked in for the JV championship.
Head Coach Josh Barringer has been working with a team that includes Defensive Coordinator Coach Jason May, Coach Alexander Frederick, who works with quarterbacks and defensive backs, and Positions Coaches Jerrick Ayers, Luke Sheridan and Cliff Burlew.
“At the beginning of the season, I knew we had potential and that we could make a run at the championship. It ultimately was up to the players, and whether or not they were willing to put in the effort and have a mindset to be great,” said Barringer.
After graduating in 2011 from FCHS where he played football for four years, Barringer attended Rockingham Community College in North Carolina where he played baseball. After that, he went on to attend Piedmont Virginia Community College for a year, then finished up at Radford University, where he graduated with a B.S. in Exercise, Sports and Health Education with a concentration in Sports Administration.
Barringer has coached Fluvanna football since 2018, making this his fifth season. He spent his first three years as an assistant coach for JV, where he called the defensive plays. Last year he coached the offensive line for varsity, and this year he was promoted to JV head coach.
The team has had one of their best seasons in years. “We’ve been working together since the start of August and we’ve spent a lot of hours together. Every week they have improved and we have prepared the same way for every game. The outcome was up to the players and how bad they wanted it,” said Barringer.
Last week, the team prepared for the championship against the Louisa Lions as if for any other game. Barringer explained the only thing different about that week was the team had one extra day to prepare, which gave them more opportunities to improve.
The coaches say they believe the teammates have a good relationship with each other, knowing that when it’s time to focus and work, they are able to come together. They ascribe this mindset to helping drive their success throughout the season, and their road to securing the championship. Although the team lost against Louisa by a score of 14-6 the last time they faced off, the coaches and team were very confident they would beat them this time.
“The first time we played Lousia, we played well defensively, but we did not execute well offensively. This time I believed our kids would be able to put it together and get the win,” said Barringer. “We have done a really good job of film preparation with this year’s team and it has shown on the field. We put the players in a really good position to succeed; they just had to go out and execute the game plan each time,” he added.
Prior to the game, many fans and players already believed Fluvanna had a much better chance of beating Louisa for the championship because of the team’s discipline and determination.
“In the end it came down to the fact that we wanted it more. We put in the work and were determined to get the win this time,” said defense coordinator Coach May. The last time the team had faced Louisa, there was only about a one score difference, so the team members hoped that, with improved offense, they would be victorious in the championship.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids. It’s so nice to see a reward for all the hard work, but the work is not done. We’re not satisfied with just making the championship, but it is a step in the right direction and a chance to make a statement. Hopefully, this will become a regular occurrence for Fluvanna football,” said Barringer.
