Trevor Phipps
It has been an active period in the regional sports world during the last few weeks, so here are a few highlights of the Best and Worst developments.
Air Force Lose Football Thriller in Military Showdown
The Air Force football team welcomed Army for the first time since 2019 on Nov. 1 to a crowd of nearly 40,000. The stadium’s recent expansion allowed for a larger number of fans than in recent years, producing a real winner for pigskin Falcon buffs. The only downer was a slight reduction in flyovers due to the government shutdown.
Both military colleges put on quite a show with the contest staying close throughout the entire game. In the end, Army barely overcame the Falcons with a walk-off field goal to make the game 20-17 in the end.
Fans started arriving early as the new stadium expansion caused unprecedented traffic issues. In fact, some spectators felt like they had spent more time waiting in traffic, entering and exiting the Air Force Academy, than they spent watching the game.
But in the end, the wait was worth it as both teams put out solid games to the delight of their large respective fan bases. Although there probably were more Falcons’ fans present, the presence of those sporting Army colors was definitely prominent.
Due to the looming government shutdown, the pre-game flyover was cancelled. But at halftime, the Air Force pilots did put on a vintage plane flyover show.
The game was mostly a defensive match throughout with the scores staying low. Both teams seemed to rely heavily on their running game during the entire match.
Army took the lead early in the game as they were the first to put up a touchdown. Army then continued to lead 10-3 at halftime.
But once the teams came back from the locker room, the Falcons energy seemed to change. The Falcons answered with a touchdown in the third quarter to tie the game at 10.
In the fourth quarter, the teams traded touchdowns to keep the score tied at 17 in the match’s final seconds. The Falcons had one last chance at the end of the game, but they lost the ball to a fumble which pretty much cost them the victory.
Falcons’ QB Liam Szarka completed 13 passes out of 17 attempts for 161 yards. Szarka was also the team’s leader on the ground with 29 for 91 yards. But the QB did fumble the ball twice and throw two interceptions.
The recent loss dropped Air Force to 2-6 for the season. After their loss to Army, they were in next to last place in their Mountain West Conference. But this is a rebuilding year for Air Force, so there is no use in getting hung up on winning records.
Last Saturday, the Falcons played San Jose State on the road, but results were not quite in come press time. This Saturday at 10 a.m., the Falcons battle the 6-3 UConn Huskies on the road.
The Falcons play their last home game on Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. against the 6-3 New Mexico Lobos. Air Force then ends their season on the road against their in-state rivals, the Colorado State Rams at 1 p.m. on Nov. 28.
Minor League Baseball Leaves Region and State
Baseball fans across the Pikes Peak region were delivered a menacing and devastating curve ball, when it was announced that the Rocky Mountain Vibes Pioneer (rookie) Baseball League team would not be playing in Colorado Springs past the 2025 season. In fact, the news came about after it was already announced that the Northern Colorado Owlz team went out of business and the Grand Junction Jackalopes would be relocating out of the state to Modesto, California.
Absolute bummer for local baseball fans, who loved the convenience and festive environment of Blocktickets Park on the east side of Colorado Springs, or earlier called the UC Health Park or the Security Service Field.
KRDO 13 announced on Oct. 29 that the team would officially be leaving Colorado Springs. The team’s owner D.G. Elmore cited changes to the Pioneer League over last few years that have made running a minor league baseball team in the city “unsustainable.”
Elmore confirmed to KRDO 13 that the Vibes will not be on the field playing anywhere for the 2026 baseball season. He told the news station that there is unfortunately nothing to fill the void for baseball fans in the Pikes Peak region.
Last summer, the Northern Colorado Owlz resigned from the Pioneer League citing financial issues. The team then finished the 2025 season playing in Colorado Springs as the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. The Grand Junction Jackalopes then announced their move to California last September.
The Pioneer League will continue with most of the teams located west of Colorado (with several in California.
Elmore and his family founded the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 1988 after they bought the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League and relocated it to Colorado. The team first served as the Triple-A farm team for the Cleveland Indians before the state got its own MLB team (the Colorado Rockies) in 1993. This partnership worked great for a number of years, with local fans getting a chance to see some of the key Rockies’ stars, who occasionally were assigned minor league duty for training and rehab purposes.
But then after the 2014 season, the Rockies ended their partnership with the Sky Sox, opting to play in Albuquerque, mainly due to the Pikes Peak region altitude situation. The Colorado Springs team then played as the Triple-A affiliate for the Milwaukee Brewers until 2019 when the team rebranded to the Rocky Mountain Vibes and joined the Pioneer League.
