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Fort Riley takes McConnell Air Force Base in annual game

Dec. 30, 2015 | By Hannah Kleopfer
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    A strong second half boosted the Fort Riley team to a 26-6 victory over the squad from McCon­nell Air Force Base Nov. 21 at Sacco Soft­ball Complex, garnering the home team the coveted Fort Ri­ley vs. McConnell AFB Annual Flag Football Game Trophy.

    The game is the only one they play during the year and Fort Riley and McConnell take turns as host.

    Fort Riley took a 9-0 lead into the halftime break, then extended their advantage in the second half. The defense was stout holding Mc­Connell scoreless until the waning minutes of the contest.

    “The game started back in 2009 as a scrimmage between Fort Riley and McConnell and they didn’t ex­pect us to come down there and beat them, but we did,” said coach Jason Lafasciano, a member of the Mission Training Complex staff, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. “It’s become a big deal.”

    To prepare for the one game, both teams held try outs and practices.

    Before the game started, teams lined up for the National Anthem and then went into the coin toss with Fort Riley’s defense starting the game. Fans started lining the sidelines to support their Soldiers while they kept each other excited for the game by running up and down the sidelines with their teammates.

    “Army has always got to beat Air Force when we play football,” said 1st Lt. Brett Perkins, 1st Bat­talion, 5th Field Artillery Regi­ment, 1st Armored Brigade Com­bat Team, 1st Infantry Division.

    “Defense is holding up and offense is doing what they got to do to win the game,” said Sgt. Thomas Wright, 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st ABCT.

    “It’s a partnership between Riley and McConnell,” Lafascia­no said. “You get the interaction between Army and Air Force that you might not get day-to-day. We … get the support from the base community and the post community.”