The final score of 35-8 was probably along the lines of what one would've predicted Fuqua's score at Isle of Wight to be, however, the Falcons were able to push the Chargers well into the second half before allowing the deficit to become too large to overcome. For a program that has too much history and pride to call any loss a moral victory, Friday's showing did give them hope for the rest of the season.

“We obviously didn't play as well as we would've liked,” said FS head coach Lewis “Skeeter” Fore. “I don't think you can say you did unless you win, but we gave ourselves a chance to be in it in the second half, and that is a positive we can use.”

Isle of Wight (4-1), which is ranked fourth in the VISAA Division III Poll, led by a touchdown for much of the half, and scored to go up 14-0 just before the half.

“We had no turnovers and we had good punts,” said Fore. “When you can do that, you don't give your opponent a short field to work with, and you can extend things a bit. If you can go long enough, maybe a team that's not used to being in a close game situation will make a mistake. They didn't, but we were able to get to that point.”

Down 21-0, Fuqua (1-2, 1-4 for ranking purposes) turned the ball over on downs around midfield on a fourth-and-nine on a play that came up a little over a yard short. IWA completed a long pass to score and put the game out of reach.

“We came up a little short, and maybe we should've punted right there, but it was a place in the game where we had to take a chance. If you punt in that situation, you in effect are saying you are happy with a close loss, which, of course, we weren't.”

Fuqua scored its only touchdown of the game to cut the IWA lead to 28-8 on a 20-yard run up the middle.

“We had some success with that little sneak play,” said Fore. “It finally paid off for us with a score. I like that we were able to do it against their first team defense. I think it gives our guys a little more confidence going forward than a late touchdown off their second string.

“One thing we've got to remind ourselves is that we've only played three games. Other teams have played two scrimmages and as many as five counting games to this point. With that in mind, I think we've covered a lot of ground in a short period of time. I do think that will become less and less of a factor, but there is no substitute for game experience.”

Fuqua will return home to host Victory Christian Academy on Friday night for homecoming. It will also be the Falcons' next to last home game.

“They're new to football, and they're kind of in the same boat numbers-wise as we are, so I think it will be a competitive game. We have to continue to play smart and not make turnovers. It's easier said than done, but those are the biggest keys to winning football.”