Air Academy High School - Vapor Trails Yearbook (USAF Academy, CO)

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as Xb: Row 1: Sidney Nicholson, Doug Smith, Ralph Rodriguez, managers Jill McLean, Todd Kopas, Tami Kirazes, Don Wood, Tad Wood, Brandon Rowe. Row 2: John Zavarelli, coaches Bart Stevens, Norm Fleischauer, Dom Luppino: head coach Gary Barnett: coaches Rick Unks, Bob Atkinson, and Rod Dobbs: Lee DePalo. Row 8: Steve Turner, Andy Johnson, Scott Jackson, David Mediavilla, Tyler Walters, Mike Doyle, Ed Glaza, Mike Lee, Jim Vetack. Row 4: Doug Edwards, John Mitchell, Anthony Nicholson, Grant Smith, Jeff Ziegler, Mike Ager, Steve Wallisch, Dave Grines, Don Walsh, John Williams. Row 5: Curt Sanders, Mike Armstrong, Todd Walters, Craig Koepping, Danny Cubero, Dave Egan, Jim Haring, John Colvard, Jeff Haring. Row 6: Jeff Runnfeldt, Tim Daniels, Bill Evans, J.R. Black, Brian Bullard, Pat Rice, Pat Forde, Bill Butler, Bruce Lockwood, Richard Jackson. All-Area wide receiver David Mediavilla surges into the end zone, where he spent most of the season Cbelowj. Scoreboard AA vs. OPP. 16 Alamosa O 10 Widefield 6 12 Central 28 35 Centennial 14 12 Mitchell 34 34 Coronado 8 16 Doherty O 38 Palmer 13 7 Wasson 26 PLA YOFF5 17 South 6 20 Arvada West 10 3 Fairview 0 29 Mitchell 32 9-4 Sports I 181

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21 Rookies Beat Cdds In Season Play As the 1981 high school football season opened, most people around the state assumed Air Academy would be in a rebuild- ing stage. Having lost 21 of 22 starters from the squad, the Ka- dets' prospects seemed grim. However, most people failed to consider the hearts of the 21 rook- res. After the annual Blue-Silver game, the Kadets tested their skills against the Alamosa Moose. After an easy 16-0 victory, the Ka- dets seemed to be picking up where last year's team had left off. Widefield was next in line, and the Kadet's rock-ribbed de- fense shut down speedster Darryl Clack and snuffed the Gladiators 10-6. The Kadet machine traveled next to Pueblo where the usually stubborn Kadet defense was ripped and the offense smothered by the Wildcats. The humiliating loss sparked the Kadets who went on to annihilate Pueblo Centennial 35-14. Next was 9651 ranked Mitchell. The Kadets fell 34-12 to a tough Maurader de- fense and a rambling back named Jeff Legette. The loss, which would have discouraged most teams, only inspired the Ka- dets, who then exploded for three straight victories against Coronado, Doherty, and Palmer. The last regular-season game was against Wasson. Although Air Academy was already guar- anteed a spot in the playoffs, the game was a highly emotional battle with the T-Birds coming out on top. ln the game against the Fairview Knights, Pat Rice evades a tackle by pitching the ball to waiting running back Jeff Ziegler Ctopl. Displaying the final score, the Falcon scoreboard announced the victory of AA's quick little rich kids over the Fairview Knights Cmiddlej. Avoiding the defensive lineman, Jeff Ziegler goes to the outside for a twenty yard gain Cbottomy. 180 I Sports

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Quick Kids Stun Critics With the regular season over, the Kadets had one objective: a state championship. Again as at the start of the season, many doubted the young team's chances of even making it past districts, much less to the state playoffs. Again the critics were wrong. Crushing the Ieague's southern division champs Pueblo South 17-6, the Kadets qualified for the preliminaries of the state play-offs, where they were pitted against giant Jeffco League champs Arvada West. A 20-10 vic- tory there propelled them to the quarterfinals against the Boulder Fairview Knights. Up to this point people had been saying Air Academy was lucky to have come this far, and now they contended that there was no way the quick little rich kids could possibly beat Fairview, but again the Kadet brawlers beat the odds. Before a large crowd at Falcom Stadium a stalwart defense again rose to the occasion, and the Kadets rode a first-quarter field goal to a 0-0 win. Crosstown rival Mitchell, still carrying the 41 ranking in the state, was the semi-final oppo- nent for the Kadets, and the two teams squared off for what be- came the most exciting 48 min- utes of high school football in southern Colorado history. After a tug-of-war of scores and emo- tions, the game was finally tied 29-29. Finally, an overtime Ma- rauder field goal settled what es- sentially was the Colorado high school state championship. During a scrimmage held at the K-Dome field, Bruce Lockwood prepares to hike the ball to Pat Rice Ctopj. The tension of being a head coach shows on the face of Gary Barnett as he prepares to send in the defense Cmiddle leftb. Defensive line- man Mike Ager prepares to sack Boulder Fairview's quarterback. Cmiddle rightj. Escaping the tackle of the opponent, Tad Wood crosses the endzone for a touch- down Kbottomj. 182lSports