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Cal Ripken
Three Flucos win Three Straight TJYFL Championships and 22 Games
Three Flucos Earn Perfect Seasons Three Years in a Row
Dr. Greg Domecq
Three 12U players from Fluvanna County have accomplished a feat that no NFL team has done in the history of the Super Bowl. Quarterback/linebacker Derek Domecq, running back/linebacker Caleb Grimes, and offensive/defensive lineman Camden McDonald who were all part of the 2010 Fluvanna Gold Team that won the TJYFL Governors Championship have now won twenty-two consecutive games along with three regular season and league championships.
"We all feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play together for three years," said Derek Domecq. "We have learned the value of hard work and what it takes to be successful both on and off the field."
All too often some adults minimize the importance of winning in youth sports. Perhaps former Virginia coach Al Groh said it best when he said, "You don't build self-esteem through praise. You build self-esteem through repeated accomplishment over time."
"I think that the discipline I have learned through athletics has helped me to be a better person and a better student in school," said Caleb Grimes. "It's a great feeling to work with your friends to accomplish a goal."
These three young Flucos have joined forces in other arenas as well. Domecq and Grimes played together on two undefeated Fluvanna Parks and Recreation regular season and tournament championship basketball teams in 2008 and 2010. McDonald joined both Domecq and Grimes on a regular season and tournament champion Fluvanna Youth Baseball team in 2009, and Domecq added another regular season baseball championship and a 10U Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken District V baseball championship in 2010.
"I don't think it is an accident that the three of us have been on teams that have experienced so much success," said Camden McDonald. "We have learned a lot from each other, and we have been able to tell our teammates what it takes to win the right way."
Winning together the right way has been a staple of these young men's lives for the last three years. The trio just learned that their streak will come to an end before the next football season begins. Although no team has been able to defeat these young Flucos, Caleb's dad Ricky, who coached the the two FCPR championship basketball teams and two of the three TJYFL championship teams, has taken a job in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"Coach Grimes always told us that our team was made up of our brothers, and it was our job to make sure that nothing bad ever happened to our brothers," reflected DJ Domecq. "Even though Caleb will be far away, he'll always be in our thoughts when we take the field. I'll always remember how hard we worked to be the best team we could be, and we have formed a friendship that I will never forget."
And that, my friends, is what competitive athletics are all about!
About the Author
Greg Domecq is in his year as the Associate Principal at Western Albemarle High School in Crozet, Virginia. In May of 2009, Domecq was presented the Alton L. Taylor Award from the University of Virginia Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa naming him the outstanding administrator in the region. Domecq's current responsibilities at Western include support for the English and Special Services Departments as well as the collaborative initiative, coordinating substitutes, the honor council, transportation, and 10th & 11th grade discipline. Over the years at WAHS, Dr. Domecq has also had oversight of the athletic department, Physical Education Department, textbooks, and teacher duty. On the county level, Domecq served on several committees including the School Business Alliance, the high school discipline steering committee, the behavior management committee, the International Baccalaureate Exploratory team, and the Teacher Performance Appraisal Steering Committee. He is credited with writing the TPA Process Manual, a user-friendly handbook that outlines the implementation of the Teacher Performance Appraisal model.
During Domecq's tenure at the Crozet school, the Warriors have been recognized for several outstanding accomplishments. A few of these accolades are as follows:
- WAHS was identified in January of 2008 as one of only ten high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia for the Governor's Award for Educational Excellence.
- Western consistently earned SAT scores more than one hundred points over the Virginia and National averages. These scores catapulted the school to a national ranking of 401 by Newsweek magazine in 2006.
- The Warrior Athletic Department earned the prestigious Wachovia Cup for the first time in 2004 recognizing WAHS as the best all-around AA program in the state. Western captured the award again in 2005 becoming only the third school in history to earn back-to-back titles. The Warriors returned to the top-of-the-list for the third time after the 2008 school year.
In 2004 Domecq earned his doctorate in Administration and Supervision from the Curry School at the University of Virginia. His minor areas included Curriculum and Instruction as well as Social Foundations in Education. His dissertation topic, "A Ninth Grade Transition Program, " studied the results of the Summer Leadership Academy at Monticello High School. Domecq has given numerous presentations in the Charlottesville area including visits to the University of Virginia, Piedmont Virginia Community College, Mary Baldwin College, State Farm Insurance, and the Waynesboro Kiwanis Club.
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Mike Bordick
Cal Ripken State Tournament