Photo By 1st Lt. Tyler Dovel | Pfc. Jamie Hosman takes the handoff and sprints around the defense.... read more read more
LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — It’s late afternoon, Feb. 3, 2013, as two teams of highly-trained athletes make their way onto the field. Pigskin in hand and fighting off the cold wind, they stare each other down while the referee explains the rules. The stakes are high - for the victors of this game will retain the bragging rights for the rest of the Operation Enduring Freedom 12-13 deployment.
It all started when Command Sgt. Maj. Keith Evans of Task Force Diehard walked past the row of offices with a gleam in his eye.
“We’re going to play some football!” he bellowed. “1700! Down by the old field past the dining facility!”
It had been a gloomy day on FOB Shank. The snow had been piling up for two days and the overcast skies were blocking out the sunlight.
Adding to the impact of the daily grind was the anticipation of the Super Bowl being aired at 3 a.m. the next morning. But for some, this was too far away, and they were going to have their football now. Evans and Capt. Jericho Jones, the team captains, began dividing up the players, as one team donned reflective belts.
“Two-hand touch, three consecutive successful plays are a first down,” 1st Lt. Willie Mays, the referee, explained between puffs of his cigar. Touchdowns were to be worth seven points.
The first score of the game was a safety, giving two points to Jones’ non-reflective belt team. Each quarter was 15 minutes, with no time allotted for time-outs. Both teams scored three touchdowns each, putting the score at 23-21. As the sun was setting, the snow began to fall again. With only a minute left in the fourth quarter, Evans’ reflective belt team had possession of the ball, and fought desperately to get a final touchdown in.
With 30 seconds left, their quarterback threw an interception, securing the victory for the non-belted team.
With joyous celebration, trash talking and complaints directed at the ref, both teams joined together for one final group photo, before heading off the field to get ready to watch their team compete in Super Bowl XLVII.
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2013 03:05 |
| Story ID: | 101888 |
| Location: | LOGAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 211 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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