Many people hear about lacrosse and struggle to recall anything about the sport—if they even know it exists. However, lacrosse has a long history and continues in the United States and Canada. From professional leagues to colleges to high schools, lacrosse requires grit, determination, and the ability to grow and overcome obstacles. Fluvanna County High School’s (FCHS) boys lacrosse program is a strong example of that growth, both physically and mentally.
Fluvanna lacrosse has had a complicated history, needing to grow in popularity while overcoming small roster numbers and team drama. However, this never stopped the team from striving for their goals.
Varsity is currently made up of mostly seniors, along with several juniors and sophomore Caleb Ray. Key players include defender Henry Jeffries, midfielder Jack Jeffries, and attackmen Cooper Tapscott. Many of these players have played together for years, having to go from JV to varsity at young ages and growing through adversity along the way. During this time, they experienced several head coaches, including one who left mid-season to coach another team. Eventually, Head Coach Donald Wyant took over the program for the longest time until the 2025-2026 season.
Under Coach Wyant and Assistant Coach Weisenburger, varsity experienced several ups and downs, and the program did not have a JV team for years until the 2023-2024 season. Sophomores Caden Marshall and Micah Wood helped gather players around the school to form the new JV team. Many players were new to the sport, and despite strong efforts, the team finished with a 1-51 record. Varsity finished 9-6 but lost 14-8 to Monticello High School in the playoffs on May 21, 2024.
After an up-and-down year for both teams, they were determined to come back stronger than ever under Coach Wyant.
The 2024-2025 season began with the loss of Coach Weisenburger and the addition of new assistant coaches. Jon Jones and Evan Crouch took over coaching the JV team, while Coach Patterson joined Coach Wyant to lead the varsity team. Both teams practiced consistently five days a week, unless they had a game, putting in sweat, hard work, and dedication, all the while growing as teammates and a family, showing they’ve overcome much adversity to get where they are today.
The JV team finished with a thrilling, undefeated record of 10-0, proving that their consistent practices filled with sprints and drills paid off. Varsity finished with a record of 5-9 despite strong efforts throughout the season. They faced many challenges, including injuries such as Henry Jeffries’ devastating ACL tear. Despite the losing record, the team made it into the playoffs and faced Orange County High School on May 27. The final score was a crushing 11-10, with Fluvanna losing the game and leaving Coach Wyant’s job in question.
Now beginning the 2025-2026 season, Coach Wyant departed from the program, leaving Coach Patterson to take over the varsity team alongside the return of Coach Weisenburger. Coaches Jones and Crouch remain in charge of JV. Despite the loss of Coach Wyant and a challenging season last year, the varsity team remains as energetic as ever, determined and excited for the upcoming season.
The JV team, on the other hand, has lost many players who were moved up to varsity, leaving the roster smaller and creating some challenges. Despite concerns about injuries or exhaustion early in games, JV remains motivated during practices. As a smaller team, the players are building strong bonds, remaining excited for the season, working hard in practice, and growing stronger each day.
Both teams have grown used to adversity and continue to refuse to back down from it. The program has many differences compared to other high school teams, something JV players Alexander Mundy and Gavin Crawford both agreed on.
“There is a lot more talent spread out evenly for each position. We don’t just have one crazy good person,” said Crawford, who has led the JV team for the past two years as goalie. In that role, he motivates his teammates to do their jobs, keep their heads up, serving as a consistently positive role model.
“We weren’t born with a stick in our hands like others, but I feel like we’ve developed faster than some would,” said Mundy, a key player on the JV team’s offense.
With a tough schedule ahead, including a five-game stretch of away games for both teams, Mundy and Crawford also highlighted who they’re most excited to face.
“I’m excited to play Goochland. They were very competitive to play against last year,” said Mundy.
As for Crawford, he showed excitement to face Brentsville High School on May 4. “They’re very far away, and we’ve never played them. They seem like good competition based on previous records,” said Crawford.
Varsity is very similar to JV when you exclude the skill level, age range, and roster size. The team is primarily made up of seniors who have played together throughout their high school lacrosse careers, growing not only as teammates, but also as brothers. This season carries heavy emotions for some of these players. Seniors Cooper Tapscott and Henry Jeffries have been teammates since the beginning, and they both have heavy thoughts knowing this is their last season.
“It’s definitely scary. I’ve had a lot of fun with these guys over the years, and I’m going to miss the great moments we’ve had,” said Tapscott.
Jeffries is not only a well-known figure at FCHS, but he is also a key part of the defense on the Fluvanna varsity lacrosse team. As both a teammate and a friend, Jeffries has consistently kept players motivated during games and practices for years, lifting them up and believing in them. His impact on the team will be remembered by younger players for years to come.
“The emotions are beyond what I can describe. Being one of the people to genuinely build not only the team but a family means everything to me. These guys are my brothers, and I couldn’t have made it through high school without any of them,” said Jeffries.
With a long season ahead—and it being the last ride for Tapscott and Jeffries—there is no doubt that excitement surrounds them and the team.
“I’m excited to play Goochland and Monticello. They’ll be good games with heavy competition,” said Tapscott.
“I’m excited to play with my brothers for one last season. Every game and every practice is special to me. I’m also very excited to play Albemarle because I wasn’t able to finish out my game against them last year, and I have some unfinished business,” said Jeffries.
With a complicated history formed by both ups and downs, Fluvanna’s lacrosse program has pushed through adversity time and again, showing grit and determination as players continue to grow together not just as teammates, but as a family.
Now heading into the 2025-2026 season, excitement is at an all-time high for both varsity and JV Fluvanna lacrosse. With this being the final season for many seniors, the year will no doubt be an emotional and dramatic ride for everybody involved in the program as they prepare to kick off the season with a game at home on Mar. 17 against Rockbridge County High School.
The full schedule for Fluvanna’s JV and varsity lacrosse teams can be found at the Flying Flucos Athletics website.
