For many years, students at Fauquier High School (FHS) have complained about the sports teams’ lack of success and the difficulty they have in securing wins. However, the 2025-26 year looks promising as fall sports have flourished.
The fall sports season kicked off with a varsity field hockey scrimmage at Albemarle High School, which ended with a victory for FHS. As the season has progressed, the field hockey team has earned a 7-2 record.
The team works well together, which is reflected on the field. With as many as 30 girls trying out every year, a spot on the team is coveted. Though the team does not make cuts, it allows the program and players to grow. Currently, the field hockey team at FHS is one of the decorated sports teams. “As a team we’ve managed to get to states… and I mean all together we’ve won some really intense shootouts and overtime situations,” stated captain of the team, senior Kierstin Settle. She also believes that in order to be “a good functioning team…we have to be able to…appreciate everyone’s different skill levels.”
The team has played complete games and has even had to mercy rule [ending the game early due to the score being too high for one team] or go to a shootout [where the teams tie and each team takes turns trying to get the ball in the net] against a team this year. So far this year, the team is off to a strong start.
Moving on to another field sport — football. The FHS football team is not known for any remarkable wins in the past few years. That is not the case this year, though. The varsity team won their first game with a complete shutout, final score 62-0 against Manassas Park. This was a huge deal to the team as wins are hard to come by.
The starting quarterback, senior Amari Martin, got injured early in the season, so junior Cameron Kabinski had to step into the new role. Kabinski hopes to “…hopefully make the playoffs because…I want to see where I can take the team.” The team members view themselves as one big family, which helps their performance on field. While the Falcons did lose the bird bowl this year, their hard work will hopefully pay off for the next games.
The girls’ volleyball team is setting itself up for a good season. They’ve had many close games and pulled out many wins, and the team is ready for the challenge.
Many players enjoy playing for the team at FHS, although there is always room to improve with communication on the floor, many players still have a great time. Senior Bailey Payton has many memories from her four years of playing for FHS, saying, “One of my favorite memories is in sophomore year when we made it to the state quarterfinals.”
Midway through the golf season, the team is still fine-tuning their skills. The team started as a hidden gem, but it has recently had a lot more membership. This year, the golf team strives to uphold last year’s winning streak, having practiced in the off-season with many team members. “All the practice and work we put in, and everyone just getting along really helps,” said senior Aiden Brennaan.
Of the many fall sports that are hosted here at FHS, cheerleading is one of the most popular. FHS is home to sideline cheer and competition cheer teams, and so far, these cheerleaders have experienced many hurdles with routines, meets and coaches.
At the beginning of the year, the cheerleading team was without a coach, but Assistant Principal Dianna Story stepped in. With Story’s help, the team was set back on track for an enjoyable season. As junior Alexis Kanarred said, “It’s very fun and everybody gets along. It’s like a sisterhood, very positive, and we always work hard. We’re all very dedicated.” The team has gone to states in the past few years and has done really well. The cheerleaders hope to keep crushing it at competition and hyping up the zoo at games.
