The Blue Devil Report from Fork Union Military Academy's Athletic Department is your source for weekly updates on the Fork Union Blue Devils. Here's the latest from @FUMAathletics.
Want to view past issues of the Blue Devil Report? Find them all on our website.
Contents:
- Did you know that the Kansas City Chiefs were named after a Fork Union alum?!
- FUMA Athletics Recap
- Feature Stories: Track & Field, PG Basketball, Wrestling and Swimming & Diving, Middle School Basketball
- Up Next in FUMA Athletics
Did you know that the Kansas City Chiefs were named after a Fork Union alum?!
Known to all as “The Chief,” H. Roe Bartle (FUMA Class of 1920) was the powerful and popular mayor of Kansas City in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He attended Fork Union Military Academy from 1916 through graduation in 1920. In 1963, as the mayor of Kansas City, he convinced team owner Lamar Hunt to move his football team, the Dallas Texans, to Kansas City. After a public “name-the-team” contest, Lamar Hunt (who’d originally wanted to keep the name “Texans”) bowed to public sentiment and announced that his team would be named the Chiefs, in honor of the city’s popular mayor, and FUMA alumnus, H. Roe "The Chief" Bartle.
So, if you find yourself needing a team to cheer for on Sunday, pick the Chiefs to honor FUMA alumnus, H. Roe "The Chief" Bartle!
Scores from the past:
Friday, January 26
- Junior Prep Basketball at Buckingham County • L, 27-55
- Prep Basketball at Buckingham County • L, 35-63
Saturday, January 27
- PG Basketball at Golden State Prep (at Hargrave) • L, 69-77
- Swimming & Diving vs. FUMA Invitational • 5-0
Sunday, January 28
- PG Basketball at Polaris Prep (at Hargrave) • W, 72-63
Monday, January 29
- Middle School Basketball vs. Charlottesville Catholic School • L, 28-32
Tuesday, January 30
- Junior Prep Basketball vs. Collegiate School • L, 14-39
- Prep Basketball vs. Collegiate School • L, 46-70
Wednesday, January 31
- Middle School Basketball at The Keswick School • L, 40-43
- Prep Basketball at Pope John Paul the Great Catholic • L, 32-84
Friday, February 2
- Prep Basketball vs. Randolph-Macon Academy • L, 50-59
Saturday, February 3
- Swimming & Diving at Virginia Prep League Championships • 5th out of 7
- Wrestling at Virginia Prep League Championships • 4th out of 5
- PG Basketball vs. Moc Valley Prep • W, 78-61
Sunday, February 4
- PG Basketball vs. Winston-Salem Christian • W, 77-44
Tuesday, February 6
- Junior Prep Basketball vs. Trinity Episcopal School • L, 16-54
- Prep Basketball vs. Trinity Episcopal School • L, 61-77
- Middle School Basketball at Field School • W, 51-42
Thursday, February 8
- Junior Prep Basketball vs. St. Anne's Belfield • L, 8-48
- Prep Basketball vs. St. Anne's Belfield • L, 46-81
Fork Union Celebrates its Seniors by Sweeping the Fork Union Invitational
Saturday, January 27, 2024
FORK UNION, VA – The Fork Union Military Academy swimming and diving program swept the competition at the Fork Union Invitational on Senior Day two weekends ago at the Fork Union Aquatic Center.
The Blue Devils defeated Albemarle County, 97-40, Christian Heritage, 40-24, Harrisonburg County, 118-21, and Wilson Memorial, 106-24.
Fork Union collected 22 top-five finishes, including six gold medals. Leading the way for the Blue Devils was senior Jaxon Brooks-Powell with two event wins, including the 200 freestyle (2:12.07) and the 400 freestyle (4:43.08). The Palmyra, Virginia native was also on the winning 200 medley relay team and the 200 freestyle relay team that placed second.
In addition to Brooks-Powell, sophomore Mason Alston won the 50 freestyle with a time of 26.57 and placed second in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:14.45. Senior John Cottey won the 200 IM with a time of 2:33.87, while freshman Nico Brown recorded a pair of third-place finishes in the 100 freestyle (1:04.05) and the 200 freestyle (2:21.33).
At the first break of the meet, the six seniors: Cottey, Brooks-Powell, William Girod, George Gurney, Scott Currey and Everett Mitchell, were recognized.
Fork Union Places Fifth at the Virginia Prep League Swimming & Diving Championships
Sunday, February 3, 2024
RICHMOND, VA – The Fork Union Military Academy swimming and diving program placed fifth at the 2023-24 Virginia Prep League Championships at St. Catherine's this past weekend.
"We had a great showing from the FUMA swimmers and divers," said head coach Jon Larson. "We took the approach of competing smart and not getting caught up in worrying about points. Our primary goal was to qualify on more relay for States and we did that easily which allows two additional swimmers in our State travel squad."
The Blue Devils tallied 11 top-10 finishes, including four in the diving portion of the day. Leading the way on the 1-meter board was freshman Levi Jones who scored 312.55 points to reach the podium for a bronze medal. Junior Levi Wikoff placed fourth with 301.75 points, followed by senior George Gurney in seventh (238.25) and sophomore Isaiah Vilardo in eighth (237.55).
Seniors Jaxon Brooks-Powell and John Cottey recorded the top finishes off the blocks for Fork Union. Brooks-Powell placed sixth in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:10.71, while Cottey also placed sixth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.18.
In addition to their sixth-place showings, Brooks-Powell placed 10th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:55.69 and Cottey took eighth in the 100 freestyle with a time of 51.15.
Senior Mason Alston placed 10th in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.81.
Fork Union tallied 191 points to place fifth, while league champion St. Christopher's collected a convincing 438 points. Trinity Episcopal placed second (360), Collegiate took third (339) and Norfolk Academy followed in fourth (322). Woodberry Forest (181) and Saint Anne's Belfield (167) rounded out sixth and seventh, respectively.
The squad returns to the water Friday, February 16 when they travel to Blacksburg, Virginia for the 2023-24 VISAA Swimming & Diving State Championships. The two-day event starts at 9:30 a.m. both days at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center.
Niang Leads Fork Union at the Bulldog Invitational with a Top-Five Performance
Saturday, January 27, 2024
LYNCHBURG, VA – Senior Daouda Niang of the Fork Union Military Academy indoor track and field program led the squad at the Bulldog Invitational with a top-five performance in the shot put this past Saturday at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
"A little bit of come down after the Fred Hardy meet last week," said head coach Winston Brown. "A few guys on the team caught the bug going around so we were not at a 100 percent. However, our big news was the personal best of 47'6 by senior Daouda Niang, it was an improvement by over two feet. We now have two 47-foot throwers. David Eaton produced a six second personal best in the 1600 running 4:44. It was his first time under 4:50. Other notable performers for us were underclassmen Mathias Moyer, a three-foot PR in the shot, Godwin Vander Weide and Phillipe Liamavwa in the 500 as well. We'll keep grinding."
The Bethesda, Maryland native threw 47'6 in the shot put, which is over a two-feet improvement, to place fifth overall in the seeded category. The shot put had over 115 unseeded competitors and 15 seeded competitors. Fellow classmate Jonie Ansah followed Niang with a ninth-place finish with a 42'9 throw. Sophomore Mathias Moyer took 10th in the unseeded shot put with a 39'8.25 PR performance.
Freshman David Eaton placed 61st in the 1600-meter run that had over 300 competitors with a personal best of 4:44.42.
Senior Harry Momolu took eighth in the 55-meter hurdles (7.89) and the 4x200 relay quartet of Shaun Matthews, Isaiah McDaniel, Carmelo Spaulding and Godwin Vander Weide put together a time of 1:36.63 to place 34th.
Momolu Clocks Top 50 US Time at the East Coast Invitational
Saturday, February 3, 2024
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – Senior Harry Momolu of the Fork Union Military Academy indoor track and field program clocked an 8.16 time in the 60-meter hurdles which ranks in the top 50 in the nation at the East Coast Invitational this past weekend.
The Blackwood, New Jersey native led the Blue Devils with the top finish of the day, reaching the podium to receive a bronze medal in the event. He also placed fourth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.89.
"We had five season bests and one real surprise," said head coach Winston Brown. "As we head into the Championship season, we have a great deal to look forward to. I thought David Eaton and Isaiah McDaniel were fantastic as was Jonie Ansah. For Eaton, the 10:10 performance was 25 seconds better than his outdoor personal best. Isaiah McDaniel had a great series of jumps where he got better every round. Our shot putters have been a great group all year under the tutelage of Coach Cotton. I believe we will have three 50-foot throwers in the spring. Our sprinters have faced super tough competition all season and Saturday was no exception. Lastly, Harry Momolu came through in a major competition, making the final and getting on the podium. All around, it was a pretty good day."
In addition to Momolu, freshman David Eaton ran a time of 10:10.24 to place 12th overall in the 3200-meter run and sophomore Isaiah McDaniel took eighth in the long jump with a 20-07.00 performance.
Senior Jonie Ansah placed seventh in the shot put with a 47-08.25 throw, followed by Dauoda Niang's 43-10.25 that placed 12th.
Sophomore Aidan Koffa placed 15th in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:09.93.
The Blue Devils return to action Saturday, February 10 when they travel to Richmond for the 2023-24 Virginia Prep League Indoor Championships. Competition starts at 12 p.m. at St. Christopher's School.
Fork Union Picks Up Two Conference Wins at the Fork Union Military Circuit
Sunday, February 4, 2024
FORK UNION, VA – The Fork Union Military Academy postgraduate basketball team collected two Elite Prep League wins at the annual Fork Union Military Circuit this past weekend at the Thomas Gymnasium. The Blue Devils defeated Moc Valley Prep, 78-61, on Saturday and defeated Winston-Salem Christian Academy, 77-44, on Sunday.
The two wins lifted Fork Union to 24-4 overall and 5-0 in the EPL to remain No. 1 in the conference.
"It was a good weekend for our team," said head coach Bob Williams. "We were a little sluggish and had too many turnovers against Moc Valley, but the defense was good. I thought our defensive performance on Sunday against Winston-Salem Christian was exceptional. To hold a team to 44 points on 25-percent from the floor is exceptional. Carter Wesson played his best defense of the season. He is improving defensively at the right time. The other four starters are outstanding defenders, as are most of the guys coming off the bench as well."
On Saturday, four Blue Devils recorded double figures with Michael Wilson and Carter Wesson leading the way with 19 points apiece. DeSean Goode followed with 14 points, while Jaden Johnson added 11 points and seven assists.
Four Blue Devils scored double figures again on Sunday with Johson leading the squad with 15 points and nine assists. Wesson followed with 14, while Wilson and Charlie Tierney added 10 points each.
"Now, we have a few days to get ready for Hargrave on Friday afternoon in Massanutten's Military Circuit," added Williams. "The Hargrave game will be our final Elite Prep League regular season game. We have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the EPL Tournament, but it would be nice to beat Hargrave again and go 6-0 in the conference."
Fork Union returns to action Friday, February 9 against Hargrave Military Academy at 3:30 p.m. in Woodstock, Virginia.
Two Runner-Up Titles Propel Fork Union to Fourth Place at Prep League Championships
Saturday, February 3, 2024
RICHMOND, VA – The Fork Union Military Academy wrestling program placed fourth overall at the 2023-24 Virginia Prep League Championship thanks to two runners-up this past weekend at Woodberry Forest School.
"We started off a little shaky in the beginning rounds and finished strong toward the end," said head coach Alton Terry. "Ronan worked hard in all his matches and really challenged his opponent from St. Chris. Losing only one match, he secured second place at 132 which is awesome. Yannick McLean shook up his bracket placing 2nd at 150. Our guys have been fighters the entire season and I am very proud of them. We have a lot of guys who are wrestling for the first time and to see the improvement from November until now is amazing. Coach Smith has been very instrumental in helping prepare the guys each week for competition, and I am very blessed to have him on staff. As we prepare for the state tournament, we are mainly working on the basics and keeping them mentally motivated to compete at their best."
Freshman Ronan Montes placed second in the 132 weight class, defeating Hunter Hollan of Collegiate in the second round and Quinton Innis of Norfolk Academy in the third round. The San Antonio, Texas native fell to St. Christopher's Caleb Haney in the fourth round prior to defeating Malachi Huffman of Woodberry Forest that earned him the silver medal.
Despite falling to St. Christopher's Tyler Hood in the first round, sophomore Yannick McLean made a run in his first ever league championships. The White Plains, Maryland native defeated Nolan Buck of Norfolk Academy, Salhab Ferran of Collegiate and Mason Greenberg of Woodberry Forest in rounds three through five to win the silver medal.
The squad returns to the mat Friday, February 16 at the VISAA State Championships at the Potomac School. The competition starts at 3 p.m.
Fork Union Defeats the Field School in its Season Finale
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
CROZET, VA – The Fork Union Military Academy middle school basketball ended the season with a 51-42 victory at the Field School Tuesday afternoon.
"It is always good to end the season with a win," said head coach Darren Keithley. "We had a fast start and a 16-point lead in the first half of the game, but the Field School was well-coached and made a run to tie the game. After a timeout and refocusing ourselves, we retook the lead and didn't give up. I am so proud of our team and how they handled the season."
Fork Union was led by seventh-grader Ethan Wells, who drained several three-pointers, and eighth-grader Ryan Hunt, who had a solid all-around game of rebounds, points and defense.
The win lifted the Blue Devils to 2-5 on the season.
If you haven't already, please download the Fork Union Athletics Mobile App for all game day information right at your fingertips!
Up Next in FUMA Athletics:
Friday, February 9
- PG Basketball vs. Hargrave Military (at Massanutten Military) • 3:30 PM
- Track & Field at St. Christopher's JV Invitational • 4:00 PM
- Junior Prep Basketball vs. Prince Edward High School • Canceled
- Prep Basketball vs. Prince Edward High School • Canceled
Saturday, February 10
- Track & Field at Virginia Prep League Championships • 12:00 PM
- PG Basketball vs. Academy of Central Florida • 12:45 PM
Tuesday, February 13
- Junior Prep Basketball vs. St. Christopher's School • 4:30 PM
- Prep Basketball vs. St. Christopher's School • 6:00 PM
Thursday, February 15
- PG Basketball at Hosanna Prep • TBA
Friday, February 16
- Swimming & Diving vs. VISAA State Championships • 9:00 AM
- Wrestling at VISAA State Championships (Potomac School) • 3:00 PM
- Junior Prep Basketball at Woodberry Forest School • 4:30 PM
- Prep Basketball at Woodberry Forest School • 6:00 PM