Col. Richard Mannard, brigade commander, 111th Military Intelligence Brigade, accepts the championship trophy for the Turkey Bowl 2012 on Warrior/Sentinel Field Friday.
With an overcast and rain threatened sky, 111th MI Brigade and 11th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade lined up in a face-off on Warrior/Sentinel Field Friday for a gridiron rivalry match that has become a yearly competition for bragging rights. The field was divided with Signal Soldiers lining the north and MI Soldiers lining the south with non-stop shouting and cheering for support of their teams as Maj. Gen. Gregg Potter, commander, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca, approached the 50-yard line for the coin toss that would begin the game.
The Mayor of Sierra Vista, Rick Mueller, was in attendance. When asked who he was supporting, he pointed to the red of his shirt and with a laugh, stated “I am artillery all the way!”.
During the first half, the 111th MI Brigade had closed it out with a 18-0 lead, showing that they weren’t going to go down two years in a row.
During half time, Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Daigle presented the awards to the winners of the Best Warriors Competition. Potter gave words of encouragement to the members of the 11th TTSB deployed in Afghanistan as they watched the game streaming live via the Internet.
The 111th Military Intelligence Brigade makes a hard drive towards the end zone Friday during Turkey Bowl 2012 on Fort Huachuca.
The MI Brigade showed no mercy as they retook the field during the game’s second half, and without hesitation scored another touchdown, shoring the score to a 24-0 lead. The Thunderbirds sent in Chaplain Shelby Grant to claim the QB position. With his appearance on the field, the sun broke through the clouds and cast a ray of light on the 11th Signal Brigade Thunderbirds as they scored their first touchdown making the score 24-6. They dug deep and were able to score their second touchdown of the game bringing it to 24-12 with the MI Brigade still in the lead. There wasn’t enough time to make the big comeback as the MI Brigade showed why their motto is “Always out Front” as they closed out the game, victorious with a 24-12 lead, able to claim bragging rights until the two units meet again next November.
Close to the end zone and another touchdown, the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade fights for victory during the Turkey Bowl 2012 championship game on Fort Huachuca.
