After a couple of rough weeks where the end result was decided by halftime, the Fuqua School football team was able to overcome a slow start at Chincoteague High School to push the contest into the fourth quarter, but came up short in a 28-20 loss.

The Falcons (2-5) have lost three games in a row, and will wrap up their season on Friday night at Hampton Christian School.

“We had not really played a team that we could compete with, or one that could compete with us this season until Friday night,” said FS head coach Lewis “Skeeter” Fore. “We got just that on Friday night, but we didn't do ourselves any favors with a slow start.”

The Falcons fell behind 22-0 early on, but chipped away at Chincoteague's lead, and had two chances to tie the contest in the fourth quarter, but turnovers and time worked against their comeback effort.

“We got off to a slow start, and quickly spotted them 14 points,” said Fore. “Then, we started to play much better, but in the end, we had just dug too much of a hole.”

The Falcons scored their first touchdown on a 30-yard run by Josh Davis to cut the Ponies' lead to 22-6. Al Baker scored twice on short runs. His second score cut Fuqua's deficit to eight points, but despite getting the ball two more times, the Falcons were unable to get any closer.

“After that first quarter, we played pretty well. Pooh [Antonio Gonzalez] had his usual game, and you could see that some things started to click for a couple of our players. They gave us a chance at the end, but we couldn't get it done.”

Given the nature of Fuqua's previous games, Fore said that the close decision wore on the players.

“We had a little success against a team we could compete against, and you could see that it felt good for the kids. Then, when we lost, you could see the hurt and disappointment. To this point, all of our games have been lopsided one way or the other, so any emotion, either way is tempered by the end. Losing is supposed to hurt. The best thing you can do is use it as motivation for the next game.”

Fuqua's next game will be its last, as the Falcons have been eliminated from the four-team VISFA Division IV playoff field. It will also be Fore's final game as head coach of the program he's led for nearly 40 years.

“I've asked other coaches over the years when they knew it was the right time to get out,” said Fore. “Their answer was always the same. 'You just know'. Now, I just know. It's time.

“The fact is, I'm going to be 70 in a couple of weeks. I still think I'm 35, but I'm not.

“When I got out of baseball, I handled that pretty well, so I don't think this will be much different. I hope not, anyway.”

Fore's final season hasn't been the victory tour most would've liked to see, but it may be his most important for the future of the Fuqua School football program.

Programs at the Division IV level usually have just enough players to field a team, plus a few for injuries. A number of circumstances dwindled the roster of players down to a point where the 2012 season was in doubt.

Just getting a program together and through the season was a win in and of itself.

“We had a few things that went against us. Back in the spring, we thought that everything was going to fall into place. But there were a couple of things we couldn't control. We lost a couple of kids to other schools, or other sports. On this level, when you lose one player, you more than likely are losing two, because everyone plays both ways.”

The low numbers forced the forfeit of the Falcons' first two games, while the program tried to get enough players to field a team. One thing Fore was not going to do was to take five freshmen off of the JV to make a complete varsity roster.

“Some people wanted us to do that,” said Fore. “But other than to dress them out on Friday night and let them get in for a couple of plays, we were not going to do that. It would've done more long-term damage than short-term good, so we did what we had to do.”

Getting through the season, as rough as it was, may have saved the program. Fore downplayed that idea, but he admitted that if the school had cancelled the season, it would've been more difficult to get things going again.

“If we wouldn't have had a team this year, it would've made things harder for us to fill our schedule next season. Scheduling is usually a two-year deal, so we would've had a hard time trying to get back on the schedule for other teams. Then, if we would've had to suspend the program for two seasons, it makes it even harder.

“Now, with those freshmen getting to play on the junior varsity, the program was destroyed. We will lose a couple of players to graduation, and those freshmen will be ready to step in and play. They've also gotten a taste of winning.

“The JV lost two games this season, which included a 21-20 loss to Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot. “They've had a good year, and in the long run, it will be good for everyone to have kept them down there.”

Though the long run will not include Fore as the varsity head coach.

“It's a good time to make that transition. Hopefully, we're now through the roughest part, and we can begin to see the program get back to where we all want it to be going forward.”