Aiming for peak performance
Published 12:06 pm Thursday, May 10, 2018
- Fuqua School junior Regan Ware pitches Monday against visiting Halifax County High School, a Class 5 public school team in the Virginia High School League. The Lady Falcons won 6-2. Ware has been a standout lately on both defense and offense. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Fuqua School’s varsity softball team went 1-1 against high-level opponents this week to end its regular season 13-5, leaving the Lady Falcons in a prime position to push for a return to the state title game.
They reached the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division III state final last year, falling 3-1 to Southampton Academy.
In second place in the VISAA Division III state poll released Tuesday, Fuqua is in position to host a first-round state tournament game Tuesday, likely at 5 p.m.
Brunswick Academy has one more vote than Fuqua to hold first place, while Southampton is in third, 10 votes back from the Lady Falcons.
Fuqua Head Coach Mike Ford said he is feeling OK about his team and its play right now.
“We had an extremely tough schedule, as per my request, and I kind of like that we’ve got almost a full week to practice,” he said Wednesday. “We’ve been playing a lot lately and not practicing a lot, and I think we need a good few days of practice (to) kind of get back in our routine and stuff.”
He said the busy schedule has been unforgiving.
“If someone’s got a little hitch in their swing or whatever it might be, with the pitching we’ve been facing and the level of competition, there’s no real breaks to tighten things up a little bit,” Ford said.
He noted the Lady Falcons still have not played as well as they can.
“I think when we get clicking on all cylinders, we’re going to be real good,” he said. “The big question is, ‘Can we get to clicking on all cylinders?’ And that’ll be my job to see if I can make that happen between now and Tuesday.”
He highlighted a couple of girls who have been consistently effective at the plate this season — sophomores Carmen Reynolds and Abbie Schmidt.
Coming on strong lately has been junior Regan Ware and senior Alexa Marzloff, he said.
Ware, a star in the circle for Fuqua, is set to start at pitcher in the state tourney, but the team has some depth there, and she will have relief, if it is needed.
“I’ve got Hannah-Gray (Schmidt) and Virginia (Haney) if I need them,” Ford said.
