Michael T. Mondak speaks: Small Battles, Big Victories Chapter 5: Military Appreciation Day

In the last post I talked about the bye week that Jackson Pryts, aka The Hermitage Hammer, spent with his little fan Cassie.  This one is about Military Appreciation Day against the Air Force Falcons.

The September air over Beaver Stadium carried a crisp chill and a hum of pride.  It wasn’t just another Saturday in Happy Valley — it was Military Appreciation Day, the kind of day where the colors ran deeper and the crowd stood a little taller.

Red, white, and blue ribbons waved beside the sea of navy and white.  Veterans filled the front rows, saluted by tens of thousands as the Blue Band struck up a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful.”  Fighter jets thundered overhead in perfect formation — three silver streaks carving across a flawless blue sky.  The crowd roared, and the vibrations seemed to shake the very hills around Mount Nittany.

In the locker room below, Jackson Pryts laced up his cleats and tightened his gloves.  The memory of his visit home still sat with him — Cassie’s smile, her faith in him.  That faith had become his fuel.

Coach Smith stood before the team, his tone calm but powerful.  “Men,” he said, “today we honor the men and women who give everything — their comfort, their safety, sometimes their lives — for something bigger than themselves.  That’s what we’re about here.  That’s Penn State football.  So, for four quarters, play with heart.  Play for each other.  Play for every soldier, every veteran, every family that’s ever sacrificed.  And make them proud.”

Helmet taps echoed across the room.  Jackson stood and called out, “We got this!  Family on three!”

The locker room erupted: “ONE, TWO, THREE — FAMILY!”

By kickoff, the stadium was a living flag — stripes of color choreographed in the stands.  Across the field, the Air Force Falcons took the field, sleek in their chrome helmets, their cadet section cheering with military precision.  On the sideline, the ESPN2 crew — Brian Custer and Greg McElroy — prepped for the broadcast.

“Welcome to Beaver Stadium,” Custer’s voice carried through the airwaves, “where Penn State, fresh off a bye, looks to stay unbeaten as they host the visiting Air Force Falcons on Military Appreciation Day.”

From the opening whistle, it was a grinder.  Air Force’s triple-option offense was methodical, draining the clock and testing Penn State’s discipline.  Jackson was everywhere — reading pitches, chasing quarterbacks, plugging lanes.  Midway through the second quarter, on a crucial third down, he shot the gap and crushed the tailback for a big loss.  The crowd exploded, chanting his name.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! It’s Jackson Pryts again!” McElroy shouted over the replay. “He’s been a force at linebacker all season long.

”Pryts diagnosed the triple option play very well.  Nobody blocked the right guard Bullock and Pryts belted Sanders in the backfield, and now it’s going to be a punt for the Falcons.”

Penn State’s offense found its rhythm after halftime.  A long touchdown drive capped by a goal-line sneak by quarterback Drew Allar put the Nittany Lions ahead.  In the fourth quarter, with Air Force threatening, Jackson made the play of the day — dropping back into coverage, leaping to intercept a pass, and rumbling down the sideline before diving out of bounds to a wall of noise.

He popped up, roaring, the stadium shaking with chants of “We Are!”

When the clock finally struck zero, the scoreboard read Penn State 31, Air Force 17.  The alma mater played as the team stood arm in arm, helmets lifted high.  Veterans saluted from the stands, and a few tears glimmered beneath the lights.

In the locker room afterward, Coach Franklin gathered them again.  “That,” he said quietly, “was a win with purpose.  We honor today with how we played — disciplined, resilient, relentless.  That’s Penn State football.”

Jackson sat in his locker, taping off his gloves and glancing at his phone.  A new message had come through — a picture from Cassie’s mom Brittany.  Cassie, smiling in her hospital bed, holding a hand-drawn sign:

“Good job, Jackson! We are… proud of you!”

He smiled, eyes wet.  “We are,” he whispered back.