AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Today will be like old times in Falcon Stadium.
Fisher DeBerry will be on the sidelines. The Falcons and Wyoming Cowboys are pitted in a key Mountain West game.
The latter is correct, but DeBerry only is a ceremonial part of the game that kicks off at noon.
Current Air Force coach Troy Calhoun started a game-day routine several years ago where former AFA players serve as honorary captains at the coin toss activity. The academy has designated this weekend as football alumni weekend, and up to 200 are expected to take part.
DeBerry was on the sidelines as Air Force’s head coach for 23 of the 49 games in the series against Wyoming from 1984-2006. Today he’s one of the honorary captains.
“I’ll always be an Air Force Falcon,” DeBerry said this week. “I was blessed to have great players and great assistant coaches. I’m just thankful they let me drive the bus.”
DeBerry also will be honored at halftime for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is Dec. 6 in New York. In 23 seasons, DeBerry’s Air Force teams compiled a 169-109-1 record.
But for the present, Air Force and Wyoming are jockeying for position in the MW standings for bowl-game consideration. Both teams need seven victories to be able to play in a bowl game and both need two more to reach the minimum.
“We’ve put ourselves into a position to make our games very important,” Calhoun said this week. “They’d be important games no matter the circumstances.”
Air Force skidded to three straight losses in October and needs to win at least two of the last three games to reach seven.
Footnote. AFA senior linebackers Patrick Hennessey and Ken Lamendola, both participating because of an extra semester gained because of injuries, will graduate Dec. 14. If the Falcons gain a bowl berth, they’ll be eligible to play.
Irv Moss: 303 954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
