The Buckingham football team traveled to Fluvanna Friday night for a highly-anticipated matchup in the Battle of the Bridge. In the midst of all the pregame Fluco festivities and buildup, the Knights were looking to come in, execute their gameplan, and leave with the trophy.
Using a big second quarter, the Knights did just that, rolling in this year’s matchup to a 43-20 victory.
“This was a personal game, this wasn’t just for me this was for my team, my boys, and we came out and did what we had to do,” said Jayden Maxey, who had 10 carries for 78 yards and two scores, and 1 catch for 41 yards and a score.
Fluvanna started the game with the football, and after an opening drive that was capped off by a touchdown for Marcus Dickerson, the Flucos scored with 10 seconds left in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead.
Then the second quarter started, and it was almost all Knights from there on out.
The first drive for the Knights did not take long, as Maxey found an opening and took advantage on a 34-yard run that helped his team take a 7-6 lead with 9:45 left in the quarter. Then, on the kickoff, the Flucos were unable to recover the kick, setting the Knights in prime field position at the Fluvanna 25 yard line. Two plays later, Maxey had his second rushing touchdown and the Knights led 14-6.
The Flucos got some momentum back, as William Lambert threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Benny Denby to trim the deficit to 14-12 with 3:00 left in the half. Lambert ended the night going 10 of 20 through the air for 149 yards, two touchdowns and a pick.
The next three minutes Knights were firing on all cylinders. Starting with 1:43 left in the half, on 2nd and 24 Amare Gough stormed away 72 yards to the house, and Maxey added the two points to give the Knights a 22-12 lead. And after a defensive and a blocked punt, Zahir Chambers aired one out to Maxey who had beaten the defense for a 41 yard score just before halftime, and Maxey added another 2 to make it a 30-12 game at the half.
“I looked at the way their defense was set up, and I liked my matchup with Jayden and I just threw it up to him,” said Chambers.
After that second quarter, the Knights kept control of the game and things never got closer. Demorris Eubanks scored a couple rushing touchdowns in the second half to put the Knights up 43-12. A late Fluco touchdown pass from Lambert to Samuel Loving made it 43-20, and that was where the score stayed when the final buzzer sounded.
Buckingham will look to continue its winning ways next week at Central Lunenburg, while the Flucos regroup and look to bounce back next week hosting Charlottesville.
