By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
In its home opener on Sept. 13 the Fluvanna County football team was too big and too powerful for the visiting squad from Nelson County. The Flucos took the opening kick-off and methodically marched down field. Coach Mike Morris said before the season that his team might function with “running back by committee.” That was what it looked like and the committee looked pretty strong. On their first possession Fluvanna went to senior running backs Malachi Hill and Gabe Stoy for most of their yardage. From the Nelson 13-yard line sophomore quarterback Kobe Edmunds took the ball to the three on a keeper play for a first and goal. After a run for no gain, Edmunds took it into the end zone on a quarterback sneak with only 5:29 left in the quarter. Senior kicker Elijah Bullock boomed the extra point through the uprights and Fluvanna had a 7-0 lead; a lead it would never lose.
In the second quarter, Nelson County put together its only sustained drive of the game. Starting at their own 32, they moved the ball steadily down field, even overcoming several penalties. Nelson County mixed runs and passes effectively and they scored on a scramble by their quarterback with 6:18 left in the half. Their extra point try was unsuccessful, so Fluvanna led 7-6. The Flucos recovered an onside kick by Nelson and moved the ball into scoring position, but their drive was killed by a personal foul penalty. The Flucos elected to go for three, and Bulllock’s field goal try from 39 yards out hit the crossbar and bounced over to give the Flucos a 10-6 lead that they took to halftime. Since both teams were relying primarily on the run, there were few incomplete passes to stop the clock. Accordingly, the half went by very quickly.
The third quarter started with Nelson County moving the ball effectively at first, but an illegal blocking penalty set them back. On fourth and ten from the Fluvanna 35, a desperation pass was intercepted by Flucos junior defensive back A. J. Wyche. The Flucos and Nelson County both went three and out and Fluvanna got the ball back with 2:47 left in the third quarter. On third and eleven, Edmunds completed a rare pass to senior wide receiver Cameron Holland for 16-yards. Edmunds then improvised on a bad snap to gain six, as the third ended with no scoring. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Edmunds ran a quarterback keeper into the end zone for a crucial score. After breaking into the secondary, Edmunds made a very clever move to elude two defensive backs and he scored virtually untouched. Bullock added the point after for a 17-6 lead.
Bullock’s kick-off went into the end zone, as all his kick-offs did. Nelson County started at the twenty and the Fluco defense forced a three and out. Senior defensive tackle Trevor Wade made a key tackle for a two-yard loss. The Flucos took over at their own 44 and with Hill, Justin Sullivan and Nathan Mentor running the ball, the Flucos simply overpowered Nelson County. With 7:07 left in the game Tyler Stoy punched it into the end zone and the game was effectively over. Bullock added the extra point for a 24-6 lead.
In the first half, it looked like the kicking game might make the difference, as the Flucos led 10-6 based on Bullock’s extra point and field goal. He also kept Nelson county tied up with his kick-offs into the end zone. However, the Flucos’ bigger and stronger lines and powerful runners decided the game in the second half. After the game, Coach Morris noted that he was pleased with the play of his defense in the second half. He commented that his squad kind of wore Nelson County down. This was evidenced by the fact that Nelson failed to score in the second half.
Both teams came into this contest with 1-1 records, so the Flucos go to 2-1. They have their bye on Sept. 20 and then host Waynesboro on Sept. 27. On Oct. 4 they host Charlottesville and on Oct. 11 they will have their homecoming game against Western Albemarle.
