By Duncan Nixon
The Fluvanna High football team, under head coach Mitchell Pace, has become a juggernaut.
On Oct. 23, they traveled to Charlottesville and defeated the Black Knights 63-21.
On Oct. 30, they hosted the Goochland Bulldogs and won by an even more impressive 58-7.
One spectator commented, “That’s quite a team.”
The Flucos put up 21 points in the first quarter on Friday night, and the game was effectively over.
The team took the opening kickoff and started from its own 20. Big runs by junior fullback Dhani Cooke and senior halfback Garrett Jordan took the ball to the Goochland 13-yard line. Three plays later, Cooke blasted into the end zone, less than four minutes into the quarter. Place-kicker Dawson Raines converted the PAT, and it was 7-0.
The Flucos tried a pooch kick, and the Bulldogs mishandled it. The Flucos recovered and took over at the Goochland 38. Senior quarterback Jack Pace found junior tight end Jake McCall wide open over the middle for a second touchdown. The extra point made it 14-0 before the Bulldogs had run a play from scrimmage.
On their first possession, the Bulldogs made one first down and then fumbled it away. The Flucos started on their own 45-yard line. They took some time off the clock with a drive that included a 14-yard pass from Pace to senior wideout Brody Shields. Jordan carried it in from the 5 for the Flucos’ third first-quarter touchdown. The PAT was good again, and the Flucos led 21-0 with less than a minute to go in the quarter.
Six touchdowns before halftime
On the Bulldogs’ first play, they ran for what looked like their first score, but sophomore defensive back Terence Baskerville ran the Goochland running back down from behind. The Bulldogs then turned it over on downs.
McCall made a strong catch between defenders on a halfback pass. Pace threw a couple of quick passes to the outside to get the ball to the Goochland 7, and Jordan ran it in with 8:30 left in the half.
Goochland went three-and-out after the fourth Fluco touchdown and punted. The Flucos took over at their own 42. Pace promptly hit Shields with a long pass for the Flucos’ fifth touchdown.
After another failed possession by the Bulldogs, the Flucos were set back to their own 17 by a punt that bounced all the way downfield. The Flucos scored their sixth touchdown on a long drive that included a 20-yard run by Jordan, a great one-handed catch by McCall and a long touchdown pass to junior receiver Crumbs Loving. The half ended with the Flucos leading 42-0.
On the Bulldogs’ first possession of the second half, a 55-yard touchdown run put them on the board. However, Cooke and Jordan ran for additional touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, and a safety made the final score 58-7.
Another dominant performance
The Flucos’ statistics were impressive. Jordan again dominated, running for three touchdowns and 240 yards. Pace passed for 246 yards on a 10-for-11 performance. Ten completions on 11 passes is almost unheard of at the high school level.
Shields, McCall and Loving all had touchdown receptions, recording 97, 74 and 62 receiving yards, respectively. Cooke ran for 35 yards and a touchdown and passed for 32 yards. Raines made all eight PATs.
Coach Pace described it as “our most complete game yet.” He noted a strong defense, with Dakota Drumheller leading in tackles and Drumheller and Robbie Richardson recording fumble recoveries. Julian Billings and Eli Stribling forced fumbles.
The Flucos have now scored 17 touchdowns in their past two games against Jefferson District opponents and are 8-1. Their final regular-season game is Nov. 6 at Albemarle High. The playoff picture has not been finalized, but Fluvanna Athletic Director Scott Morris said he expects the Flucos to start at home Nov. 13.
