Here is a recap of all winter FCHS sports with exception of Speech and Debate which are continuing their season with Regionals during spring break and States at the end of April.
Boys Basketball
Coach Heath Bralley lead the boys varsity basketball team ended off with a 11-12 record, while the boys JV Team had a record of 9-10 under the leadership of assistant coach Brandon Townes.
“The hardest game we played all year was definitely Western at home. We played very disconnected and it was an unfortunate night for the whole team,” said FCHS varsity player Benny Denby. “I am most proud of this team for coming together and grinding everyday all season,” he added.
Girls Basketball
The varsity girls basketball team had a record of 5-17 with Head Coach Josh McIlhane. The JV team ended with a 2-12 record with Head Coach Jennifer Payne and Assistant Coach Shannon Opie.
“The best moment of the season was watching a very young team progress and gain confidence in their play on the court. We had many 8th graders that were timid at the beginning of the season but gained confidence and were very competitive by the end of the season. They started looking to shoot more and became aggressive on defense,” said Coach Jennifer Payne.
Payne also mentioned that “The intensity increased in practice as we progressed through the season and prepared for games. The team played two or three games a week, so practice time was intense as we made preparations for our next opponent. We didn’t get the wins we had hoped for, but that is expected with a young team. I look forward to next season when these players return and have a year of experience.”
Medford
The Medford team had a record of 8-1, as they marched to their third Medford League tournament championship with the leadership of Coach Nick Ward.
“The home night game where the kids ended up playing a unified scrimmage,” said Coach Nick Ward.
“The people in the community came out to watch as our students and our Unified group were able to play together for the full basketball game rather than having a team from a different county to play against. It would not have been possible without our unified partners and volunteers so it was great to see more than just the teachers’ love for our kids,” he said.
Ward added that “The tournament championship game was a great experience as we played the host team, Orange. Our team all worked really hard together to win in a wild environment while using excellent team work.” The team went on to win the Virginia State Special Olympics Championship in February in Reston, VA.
“The games were fun and the kids worked really hard. Seeing the bond between the kids and seeing them work together was great; the win was the cherry on top,” said Unified Club member Molly McCall, whose club assisted with the Medford League.
Wrestling
The wrestling team had a record of 10-13-1 with Coach Craig Conner leading the way. Their overall season record was 10 wins, 13 losses, and one tie. One highlight of the season was their match against Stuarts Draft which the Flucos won 54-01.
“I had a lot of hard matches due to it being my first year and lost some pretty quickly, but the hardest was the last match I wrestled, I believe against Albemarle,” said FCHS junior Connor Monfalcone.
“I was most proud of my win-loss ratio in my first year of wrestling. I was lucky my coaches noticed me and put me in so many matches,” he added.
Esports
As an all-season sport, eSports continued practicing and competing during the winter months. “So, Esports is a bit weird because it’s not really a winter sport, but we don’t finish until the middle of the winter season. We just started our spring season which is going just as well as last season so far,” said eSports coach Kevin Rinald.
“Last season (fall) was pretty successful. We had three teams make it to the playoffs in Smash, Mario Kart, and Rocket League, [whereas] in the past we have only had one team. We didn’t make it super far in the playoffs, losing in the first and second round, but I think it was a great experience for everyone and will hopefully motivate them for this current season to try to do better than the fall. We also have a pretty competitive state, so even making playoffs is an accomplishment,” said Rinald
Indoor Track
Under the eye of Coach Melanie Kennedy, the indoor track teams saw a lot of success this season. Both the boys and girls teams had members that made it to States, and some even made it to Nationals. Some highlights were school records being set. These records include the Boys 4×800 team of Ryder Petrylak, Jack Jeffries, Elias Morris, Jesse Woolstenhulme, which set a time of 8:14.77, and the Girls 4×800 team of Sydney Chipperfield, Ruby Frazier, Sophie Farley, and Anna Amato, which set a time of 9:27.22.
Sophie Farley set both a school and state record with a time of 2:55.83 in the 1000m. Ruby Fraizer set a record with a time of 5:08.62 in the 1600m.
“I am most proud of the team because they battled through injuries during the season. Relay teams needed to be filled and those who did ran well. Also, the Boys and Girls 4×8 and Boys 4×2 and 4×4 for finally going to Nationals,” said FCHS senior Jacob Cook.
Swim and Dive
The girls team saw a lot of success under Coach Mitchell Pace, especially for senior Alex Fuller who won the state championship for the 100 fly and placed 2nd in the 50m freestyle and the girls 200m freestyle relay. The girls team placed 8th overall at States, while the boys team placed 21st. As for dive, sophomores Kayleigh Herring and Brandon Johnson placed 6th at States.
“My favorite moment in the swim season was watching the Girls 400 relay get their qualifying state time at one of our home meets. It was really fun cheering for them and watching them achieve their goal of going to states,” said FCHS freshman and swimmer Madelyn Grout.
