The Armchair Quarterback praises Falcons, near and far

By Ralph Hitchens

First, a belated congratulations to two of our Poolesville Falcons football stars – wide receiver Jonah Hessels and quarterback Kirby Carmack. Both were named Honorable Mention All-Gazette here in Montgomery County, and Hessels was also named All-League Montgomery 3A/2A by the Washington Post. It’s tough to get noticed on a losing team, and even tougher when you miss a couple of games due to injuries, as did each lad. Well done, Jonah and Kirby!

Then there are the Falcons of the US Air Force Academy, who came up short in a thriller against Toledo University in the Military Bowl at RFK this week. Man and boy, the Armchair Quarterback has been a fan of Falcons football. Although I did not attend the Air Force Academy I grew up there, with an Air Force father who was one of the Academy’s original faculty members; I also served in the Air Force for more than 20 years, active and reserve – the “wild blue yonder” is in my blood. USAFA, like the other service academies, is a small school playing with the big boys in Division I-A. The Falcons have been generally successful on the gridiron lately, competing in the Mountain West Conference where their inability to put 300-pound linemen on the field is less of a liability than it would be elsewhere. And like their sister academies the Falcons have long embraced the option offense, which makes for exciting play. Air Force finished 7-5 during the regular season, including wins over both Army and Navy, thereby keeping custody of the much-prized Commandant’s Trophy. The Military Bowl game against Toledo was a wild offensive shootout. Air Force scored with less than a minute remaining in the 4th quarter to make it 42-41, and a safe PAT kick would have put the game into overtime. Instead the Falcons, like our own Poolesville Falcons several weeks ago against Pikesville, courageously elected to “man up” and play for all the marbles. Breaking from a kicking formation they attempted to run for a two-point conversion, only to have a lateral go out of bounds. Heartbreaking it surely was to lose such a close one, but no one can doubt that the Falcons left the field with heads held high.

With that thought I wish all Falcons fans, near and far, a happy New Year.

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