Fluvanna will look to the sophomore duo of Vinny Agee and Jalen Harrison, along with some key returning seniors, to build on the success of last years’ Virginia Final Four team.
Agee was the Flucos’ leading scorer, posting 27 points while also using his gigantic wingspan to make his presence felt on the boards. Senior forward Brad Bullock, who is known for his defensive skills, has taken on a starting role this year and hopes to expand his offensive game. Bullock and Harrison both put up 13 points in Fluvanna’s victory.
“Working together will be the key to our success this season,” said senior guard Alex Brooks. “We don’t have one star player so that makes it all the more important to get contributions from everybody,” he added.
Another era began for the Flucos as the boys’ team held its home opener in its brand new gymnasium on Dec.1, hosting Liberty-Bealeton. Fluvanna once again pulled out a 67-51 victory. It was a close, hard-fought game until the Flucos pulled away and outscored the Eagles by 11 points in the fourth quarter. The Flucos were lead by starting point guard Dorian Butler who had a 15-point night and was instrumental in the Flucos’ win. Agee, who battled a foot injury, scored 13 points that night. Altogether, Fluvanna had four players score double-digit points.
The junior varsity boys’ squad is also off to a great start, sporting a 2-0 opening record. Coached by Heath Bralley and Bryan Searcy, the team not only won both of its opening games, but won both by a comfortable margin, including a 31-point victory against Spotsylvania. This year’s team is made up of many returning sophomores and even younger stars who will look to put together a fantastic season once again.
Next up for both teams will be a home meeting with Cumberland on Dec. 5.
Wrestling
Fluvanna has a slew of successful winter sports teams, and the wrestling squad is no exception. The hardnosed, determined group of Flucos are on a mission this year to take home the coveted Jefferson District championship.
“We have a chance at winning districts this year,” said senior Justin Zimmerman.
The Flucos took to the mat on Dec. 1 as they traveled to Waynesboro to do battle in a 10 team match. Fluvanna placed fourth out of the 10 teams overall and showed much promise. They were led by Zimmerman along with his younger brother, freshman Logan Zimmerman, as well as senior Nick Valentine. These students won all five of their matches.
“I saw a lot of promise in the team,” said Justin Zimmerman. “They all wrestled really well.”
Another encouraging statistic from the match is that the Flucos were behind a team that placed sixth in the state by a mere three points, something that gives Fluvanna a lot of confidence heading into the bulk of the season.
The Flucos this year are led by key veterans such as Valentine and Zimmerman, as well as a big nucleus of younger wrestlers to fill out the back end. Fluvanna will take their momentum from their match in Waynesboro and use it on Dec. 8 at the Manchester tournament.
Girls’ basketball
On Nov. 27, the Fluvanna Girls’ junior varsity basketball team played at home against Spotsylvania. “We started off smart,” said 8th grader Chaniya Brown. Fluvanna was up by 10 points in the first quarter with six steals. By the end of the game, the Lady Flucos won 38-18.
Two days later, the team played an intense game away at Goochland. “We were down one starter, 10th grader Dajah Harris,” said freshman Brooklyn Duenas. In the first quarter, Fluvanna was up by 10 points thanks to great plays by Malika Hill, However, the game took a turn during the 2nd quarter, when Goochland caught up to Fluvanna. The tense game continued down to the wire until a free throw by team captain Lizzie Kidd made the winning point, ending the game 33-32.
As for the varsity team, it took to the court on Nov. 27 hosting the Spotsylvania Knights. Fluvanna came out of the stands fast, taking a lead in the first quarter, but then fell short by the second. After a half-time pep talk, they came back and managed to pull off a three-point lead. It was another nail-biting finish, as at the last minute the Knights pulled away, beating the Flucos 53-43. “We had smart passes and confidence,” said 8th grader Brianna Harris, “but sadly we weren’t able to come out on top.”
The junior varsity Lady Flucos’ next test was on the road against the Goochland Bulldogs. In the first quarter the Flucos came out with a roar, racking up a lead of 12-0 thanks to players like Kirsten Allen. However, Goochland wasn’t about to take defeat lying down, and caught up in the 2nd quarter. Fluvanna managed to get back on top of the game during the 4th quarter with stellar performances from players like senior Ashleigh Harris who scored an impressive 16 points. In the end, the Flucos won the game 45-22.
Both girls team looked forward to taking on Cumberland on Dec. 5.
