With Homecoming just around the corner, the FCHS football season is off to a solid start, says Head Coach Mitchell Pace.
“We have played a couple very good teams and had some very good performances,” said Pace. So far, the varsity team has won two out of the six games they’ve played this season.
“Our overall record is not a good measure of who we are as a team. I ask FCHS students and teachers to keep believing in us, because I truly think we can win lots of games this year,” said Pace. He says that this is just the beginning, and that although the cards haven’t been in the team’s favor just yet, that doesn’t mean the team can’t make a comeback as the season continues.
On the varsity football team, a few featured players have been playing particularly well, including Will Lambert and Tramayne Minor, who are both leading the offensive stats so far, with multiple touchdowns each. On the defense side, the team’s leading tacklers are CJ Johnson, Dakota Drumheller, and Kyle Harris.
“The team is trying to work on stepping up when needed. We have been dealing with some unfortunate injuries, but everyone is working on knowing their spot on the team and being able to jump in when needed and perform well,” said Lambert.
A key moment from the team’s win over Western Albemarle on Oct. 3 was when the Flucos scored 14 points in Q2, leading with 7 points in Q4 to bring home the victory.
Meanwhile, the JV football team has had a strong start to its season. Currently 5-1, they have had wins against Spotsylvania, Buckingham, Chancellor, and Western Albemarle. Their loss to Lousia was especially close, with a score of 10-9.
JV Football Coach Joshua Barringer said it was nerve-wracking at first to see how the new kids would play.
“Some newcomers who are contributing to the team’s success this year are Samahj Childs, Gavin Crawford, Julian (Juju) Lewis, and Max Erickson,” said Barringer. “A lot of kids from the championship team last year are now on varsity, and there are a lot of newcomers. You never know how the team will mesh together,” he said.
Although varsity doesn’t have that many wins so far this year, that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to prove themselves in future games. “We have five games left, and none of those games will be easy, but I feel like we are prepared well and just need to take it week by week to get each win,” Lambert said.
Their remaining opponents are Monticello, Orange County, Charlottesville, Goochland, and Albemarle, with their next upcoming football team being against Monticello. Following varsity, JV’s remaining opponents are Orange County, Charlottesville, and Goochland.
The Homecoming game will be Oct. 24 at home. For information about upcoming FCHS football games, visit Flying Flucos Sports.
