Alpena’s annual Valor Game will begin with a sound rarely heard over a high school football field: F-16 Fighting Falcons roaring north to south over Wildcat Stadium just after the national anthem and before kickoff Friday, Sept. 18.
The flyover is scheduled for the 7 p.m. Big North Conference game between the Alpena Wildcats and Gaylord. It will be the first flyover in Alpena Wildcats football history and is intended to honor missing service members, veterans and first responders on National POW/MIA Recognition Day.
The aircraft are expected to pass seconds after the anthem, giving fans a rare view of jets that train at the nearby Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. The planes belong to the 149th Fighter Wing, based at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas. The unit is in northern Michigan this month for training.
How the Alpena flyover came together
Alpena CRTC officials announced Sept. 8 that the flyover had received official approval. Lt. Col. Lucas Freudenburg, commander of the Alpena CRTC, said the timing is designed to place the pass immediately after the anthem.
“As soon as the national anthem ends, which should be about 7 p.m., that’s when the flyover will happen,”
Arranging the event required more than a last-minute request. Alpena coach DJ Szymoniak began the process after arranging flyovers during his previous years as Gaylord’s head coach. Retired CRTC member Dustin Budd handled much of the paperwork, while the base supplied information needed to move the request through Air Force channels.
After approval, CRTC officials contacted units scheduled to be in the area to ask whether one would participate. The 149th Fighter Wing volunteered.
The operation involves personnel across the base, including maintainers, air traffic control, airfield managers and CRTC firefighters. Freudenburg described the effort as a coordinated base-wide undertaking and said officials hope the community turns out for the game.
A tribute, a football game and a former rivalry
Alpena Public Schools has presented Friday’s event as more than a conference home game. Superintendent Dave Rabbideau invited families to attend, with a tribute planned for missing service members, veterans and first responders in addition to the flyover.
For Szymoniak, the flyover is an unusual spectacle for a small northern Michigan town. He is in his second season leading Alpena after coaching Gaylord for four years, making Friday’s opponent a familiar program and adding a personal connection to the matchup.
“It’s an honor,” Szymoniak said. “You see these types of events on television for big-time college and pro football games, and to be able to bring that type of excitement to our little town is pretty unique.”
The coach also expects the Wildcats to face a pregame atmosphere unlike their normal routine and possibly the largest crowd many players have experienced. He has urged the team to manage its emotions, remember the purpose of the event and stay focused on the game.
“Remember why we are here,” Szymoniak said. “We get to play this game because of the freedom our military and our veterans fought for.”
Alpena enters Friday at 1-2. The Wildcats opened with a 27-8 win at Boyne City, followed by losses at Cadillac, 34-21, and Escanaba, 29-12.
Szymoniak said the team must carry forward the effort it showed in its first three games while reducing mental errors. He said the coaching staff has addressed those problems by simplifying the game plan and acknowledged that mistakes have not come only from players.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium, with the F-16 flyover planned immediately after the national anthem.