HAMPTON – One would expect that five minutes after Fuqua's 40-28 loss to Hampton Christian, FS head coach Lewis “Skeeter” Fore would be basking in the moment as he and longtime assistant Walter “Bozo” Addleman put the wraps on a storied career.

There were hugs and handshakes, but shortly after the postgame huddle broke, the unassuming coach was doing what he has done for over 40 years. He was cleaning trash on the sideline.

“Someone's gotta do it, and if I don't someone who didn't have a part in making this mess will have to,” said Fore, whose attention turned to finding the owner of a purse left in the stands. “It's been a good night, but it's time.”

Fore's last team will not go down as one of the best to ever take the field at Prince Edward Academy/Fuqua School. Many of the players on the roster put on pads for the first time ever in late August. On Friday night, they capped a 2-6 season, and Fore's coaching career with a strong fourth quarter rally that put the game in doubt well into the night.

Hampton Christian scored two quick touchdowns – one late in the first quarter, and the other early in the second – to take a 13-0 lead. The Warriors held a 19-0 advantage at halftime.

With 9:29 left in the third, Hampton Christian went up 27-0, and it looked like the Falcons' season could end with a running clock.

Fuqua wasn't having any of that. Fullback Josh Davis broke through the line untouched and sprinted 55 yards to the end zone to put the Falcons on the board. Three attempts at a two-point conversion were made. Two were successful, but were called back – one on an inadvertent whistle, and the other on an offensive penalty. The third came up short, leaving the Falcons down 27-6.

Fuqua junior North Angle intercepted a HC pass late in the third quarter and ran it back to the Warriors' 20 yard line.

Tailback Al Baker capped the short drive with an option pass to Angle on the final play of the third quarter to pull the Falcons closer.

Baker then pulled the Falcons to within a score at 27-20 on a 10-yard run with 7:55 remaining.

Hampton Christian, which had success moving the ball through the air all night quickly responded with a score. Casey Simpson hauled in a 42 yard pass with 6:56 left to put the Warriors back up 33-20.

Hampton Christian scored again to go ahead 40-20, before quarterback Antonio Gonzalez hit freshman Tyler Frink on a long pass to the four yard line. Gonzalez capped the drive with a one-yard run up the middle. He also converted the two-point conversion on basically the same play.

That was as close as the Falcons could get. The onside kick was recovered by the Warriors. A short pass play turned into a big gain at the end to put Hampton Christian inside the five yard line, but the Warriors ended the contest on the shadow of Fuqua's goal line with a kneel-down.

“They didn't give up,” said Fore. “Hampton Christian may have let the door open for us a little, but their numbers are about as thin as ours, so our scores came against their first team. We would've liked to go out with a win, but we can feel good about how we finished the game.”

And how they finished the season. Fuqua played its best two games of the year over the final two Fridays of the campaign.

“We really played well at Chincoteague, and we were in a position to win that game, too. I have to remind myself sometimes where we began the season.”