By Bryan Rothamel of Flucoblog.com
PALMYRA — Being the defending district champions with the entire core of the team returning does have a few disadvantages for Fluvanna. First, everybody plays their best against you.
The Fluvanna boys’ soccer team is experiencing the rest of the Jefferson District chase it this year.
“Last year if a team would’ve tied or went ahead of us we would’ve had some trouble — we’d panic. Tonight we showed we are the best team in this district,” said FCHS head coach Patrick Dieter.
The Flucos powered through a second half scare to take a 3-1 win against visiting Monticello (3-3, 1-2) Thursday night.
Most of the game was played around midfield with each team trying to keep possession as much as possible. Fluvanna (5-0, 3-0 JD) struck in the first half when Brandon Eck found room down the sideline to set up a Taylor Rafaly goal.
“The first half wasn’t as much as a possession [game] as we’d like to see,” said Monticello coach Adam Southall. “We put a challenge to the team, ‘You need to come out and do what you know how to do.'”
Just 13 minutes into the second half, Monticello’s Ivan Aguilar answered the challenge with a blast from 30 yards out to even the score.
The tying goal startled the FCHS attack. Four minutes later the Flucos responded when Jake Domenic’s corner kick found Josh Hinkle for a header to score the winning goal. Then Rafaly assisted Josue Franco in the 71st minute to ice the game.
“We immediately rebounded [from the MHS goal],” Rafaly said. “Within 10 minutes we got a goal … Getting a quick response countered any momentum they would’ve had to put us down. It was a good performance to get a goal off a corner.”
“Yeah, we have a target on our back,” Dieter said. “We have to be ready for every game. There is no game in the Jefferson District that we can look past. We have to be ready for each one.”
Monticello travels to Goochland on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Fluvanna heads to Willaim Monroe on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Charlottesville.
