Fluco touchdowns came on a 29 yard run by senior running back Marcus Jackson, and on a pass from freshman quarterback Mark Grooms to senior tight end Marquis Hagans. This play, on which Hagans out jumped two defenders in the end zone, covered 14 yards.
This game was the Flucos first Jefferson District contest of the season. Their opponent, Albemarle High is back in the Jefferson District after playing for a number of years against schools with larger enrollment than most Jefferson District high schools.
The Patriots from Albemarle High were visibly bigger on average than the Flucos lined up against them on the offensive and defense line. After the game, Fluco head coach Jason Barnett noted “they just out physicalled us.”
The game started with the Flucos recovering a pooch kick by Albemarle at the Fluco 35. A three and out and a blocked punt gave the ball to Albemarle at the Fluco 29. A holding penalty on the Patriots caused them to go three and out. The Flucos started at their own 20 after a touchback on the Albemarle punt. Another three and out and a punt put the Patriots at the Fluco 45. Eight consecutive running plays by the Patriots moved the ball 55 yards for the first touchdown of the game, and the Patriots led 7-0 with 4:48 left in the first quarter.
The Flucos started their next possession at the Albemarle 30. On the second play from scrimmage senior quarterback Austin Foster fired a pass to the right sideline on an out pattern. Unfortunately, an Albemarle defender jumped the route and grabbed the pass in full stride. He easily took the interception to the end zone, and the Patriots had all the points they would need for the night. The score was 14-0 with 3:33 left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Fluco pass defense looked good, as senior defender Jesse Vandyke recorded an interception and freshman defender Jameel Wilson and senior linebacker Jesse Lokits both made crucial deflections to stop Patriot drives. However, in the middle of the quarter the Patriots again launched a running attack that the Flucos could not handle. Starting on their own 20, the Patriots scored on three running plays to put the game away 21-0.
Early in the third quarter, Albemarle drove the ball 50 yards for a fourth unanswered score. The touchdown came on a rare successful pass, a throw over the middle for fourteen yards. After a big sack by the Flucos forced Albemarle to punt, senior return specialist Goddience Flannagan brought a punt back to the Fluco 45. With Grooms at quarterback, the Flucos stuck to the ground and generated a scoring drive of their own. Senior running back Marcus Jackson did most of the damage for the Flucos on this drive and scored the first Fluco touchdown on a 29 yard burst. The two point conversion attempt failed, and the Flucos trailed 28-6 at the end of the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots scored their final touchdown on a drive of fifty yards that consisted of eight runs and one pass play. On the ensuing drive, the Flucos put up their second touchdown. The big play of this sixty-two yard drive was a run of 42 yards by Wilson. On a third down and goal from the fourteen yard line, Grooms fired a pass to the end zone and Marquis Hagans out jumped two Patriot defenders to come down with the ball. Again a two point try failed and the final score was 35-12.
On Friday October 4 the Flucos travel to Orange County High School to take on another team returning to the Jefferson District after playing against bigger schools in the past. On Friday Oct. 9, the Flucos host a powerful team from Monticello High. They conclude the season with three out of four games on the road. After the Monticello game, their only home contest is the Homecoming game against Charlottesville on Oct. 30.
