Munro Rateau talks to the team before the start of the fourth quarter on Feb. 1.
“I knew this was going to be a hard game to win because I think [Powhatan] always plays better at home. We got them on a night they didn’t shoot the ball well and as a result we got what we wanted,” said FCHS head coach Munro Rateau.
Down 8-2 early, FCHS forward Dashon Tibbs put in a free throw with 3:55 left in the first. He followed it up with a basket and FCHS started the 18-point swing.
“Coach called a timeout, he gave us a few words of motivation. We picked up the intensity a little bit and we ended up picking some buckets, some easy buckets,” said point guard Dorian Butler.
The run lasted 7:38, into the start of the second quarter. The lead never dipped below double digits the rest of the way.
Leading the way was the floor general Butler. He finished with eight assists and eight points. Swingman Brad Bullock had five assists with his 10 points.
“I like being able to take two dribbles and throw the ball up to anybody. They can go to the rim and finish with it. We have a pretty deep bench. I feel pretty confident in throwing the ball to anybody on the team. I trust everybody making a layup, making an open shot,” said Butler.
Jalen Harrison lead the scoring with 17 points and five rebounds. Vinny Agee recorded another double-double, getting 12 points and pulling in 10 rebounds. Tibbs ended the night with six points and seven rebounds.
It was the contributions from other forces Rateau was most happy with. Davin Biggs had seven points while senior Blake Hills finished with five points.
Hills has only played in two games because of injury. The senior played significantly in his sophomore campaign and started last year. Both seasons FCHS made it to the state semifinals.
“Our guys have gotten better everyday. I think Dorian Butler has done a great job for us as a point guard. He controls the tempo of the game, he gets the ball where we need it to go. I think he’s done a great job.
“With Blake coming back, that gives us some more depth. Dashon has gotten better. Davin’s gotten better. We feel like we’ve progressed on a daily basis. We had two good practices this week. I thought it showed tonight,” said Rateau after the game.
Next for Fluvanna (16-3, 6-2 Jefferson District) is Louisa on Feb. 5. The game is a home Louisa game in a familar location for Rateau and the boys. Louisa is playing many home games at the current Fluvanna Middle School.
That means the Lions host the Flying Men of Flu.Co. at Fluvanna’s beloved Shoebox. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. in Palmyra.
