By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
The Fluco spring sports season runs from mid-March to mid-May and there is a lot of activity packed into those 60 plus days. Baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls lacrosse and track and field, all have to be accommodated. In addition, there are JV teams in baseball, softball and boys and girls soccer.
The baseball team under Coach Joel Gray has a history of success, and as a result the games, played on the field behind the high school, are usually well attended. Many fans from the Fluvanna community come out to watch. The crowds are not just parents and grandparents. The baseball season starts with away games at Harrisonburg and Liberty Christian Academy (LCA) on March 12 and 14. The first home game is on March 18 against Harrisonburg. On March 20, the baseball squad travels to Broadway High. On March 25 Jeferson District play begins at home against Charlottesville High. After that, the bulk of the schedule is against Jefferson District foes.
The softball team has a new coach this year. Aime’ McCall, a veteran Fluco coach and educator will be at the helm. The softball team generally plays on the same day as the baseball team and against the same opponent. However, when the boys play at home the girls play away and vice versa. For the softball team, two of the first three games are against Harrisonburg, as is the case with the baseball team. However, when the baseball team heads down to LCA, the softball team hosts Rustburg High.
After the first couple games, the boys and girls soccer team schedules are mirror images of each other, like the baseball and softball schedules. The boys team opens at home on March 18 against Madison County. On that date, the girls open their season at Harrisonburg. On March 22, both teams travel to LCA. After that, the teams play a series of Jefferson District opponents. The boys team hosts Charlottesville on March 25, travels to Albemarle High on March 28 and hosts Western Albemarle on April 8. The girls play the same opponents on the same days at the opposite location.
Because not all schools have lacrosse teams, the Fluco squads play a larger number of non-Jefferson district opponents than the more established sports squads. The boys lacrosse team opens its season at home on March 11 against Mechanicsville (not a common Fluco opponent.) They then host Patrick Henry Ashland (another unusual opponent) on March 15. The girls play away against these opponents on the same dates. On March 19, the girls host E. C. Glass, while the boys are off. On March 22 the boys play their third consecutive home game against Monticello High. They then travel to Charlottesville on March 26. The girls play the same opponents on the same days at the opposite location. Soccer and lacrosse are played on the field in the football stadium.
Tennis starts a little later than the other sports and the schedules are restricted to almost all Jefferson district opponents. In March, the boys host Charlottesville on the 26 and travel to Albemarle High on the 28. The girls’ team plays the same opponents on the same dates, but at the opposite location.
Outdoor track and field is a sport that the Flucos have often excelled in. The track meets are held with boys and girls teams competing together. The season starts with the Fluco Invitational on March 23. On March 28 the track and field teams travel to Woodbury Forest.
