Special Delivery Game Ball Arrives Courtesy of 54th Helo Squadron

The evening was almost perfect for a first ever homecoming game. Minot North High School, the Sentinels, in their home blue uniforms were warming up prior to taking the field against the St. Mary’s Saints from Bismarck.

The parking lots around the stadium were packed with Minot North fans arriving for a 7 PM kickoff. On their way into the stadium, they were greeted by Gate City Federal holding a tailgating event and passing out free hot dogs.

The electricity of a homecoming game was in the air, but there was something more, and it probably had to do with the rumors that had been floating around the Minot North of the special pre-game festivities that would involve the arrival of the game ball via helicopter.

A couple of weeks prior, at a Minot State University Beaver football game Col Jesse Lamarand, command of the 5th Bomb Wing, had delivered the game ball to Herb Parker Stadium after a Huey hovered above the 50 yard line and dropped him on a tether to field level.

The delivery of the game ball to Minot North would be a bit different. The schedule would include a flyover of 2 Huey helicopters from the 54th; one of the Hueys would peel off leaving the other to land on the 50 yard line; there would be 3 passengers: Col Jimmy Schlabach, Commander of the 91st Missile Wing, Col George Chapman, Deputy Commander of the 91st Missile Wing, and Chief Becky Thomas, Command Chief of the 91st Missile Wing.

The buzz in the crowd gave us a hint that someone had spotted the Hueys in flight just to the North of Sentinel Field. Before the helo landing we would have school songs from St. Mary’s and Minot North. There would be an ROTC presentation of the colors followed by the singing of the National Anthem. The anticipation of the event that was to come had everyone on their feet, and then as scheduled, the final approach to the field. The helo was months in the making. First requested by Mr. Bill Cox, now an assistant principal at Minot North of Col Kenneth McGee, then Commander of the 91st Missile Wing. Col McGee passed the request on to Col Schlabach, Col Chapman, and Lt Col Kurt Skarstad, Commander of the 54th Helo Squadron.

The paperwork and months of preparation was accomplished by the 54th in close coordination with the 91st Missile Wing.
If you haven’t been in proximity to a Huey as it sets down, my best description would be a mild tornado for about 15 seconds. Once the landing took place, the game ball was brought to the sidelines by Col Schlabach and handed over to the referee team for the coin toss.

The helicopter departed, the coin toss took place, and as one of the Minot North players yelled on the sidelines: “The Air Force did their part, now it’s our turn.”

Col’s Schlabach and Chapman, and Command Chief Thomas were quick to point out the coordination it took for an event like Friday night to happen. Col Schlabach’s description was “you know, we wanted this moment and this event to be special. Every high school student living on base is zoned into Minot North. It’s important for these kids to have continuity with each other. We also show everyone the professionals that these air crews are, and they are absolutely astounding.

The excitement here is through the roof.” Col Chapman who has a senior who will graduate in May as part of the first graduating class at Minot North said that “it’s hard to keep things like a helicopter flyover and landing a secret, but those are the helicopters that they see on the base, it’s the ones they hear. Homecoming to a Minot Air Force Base student means something a little different, coming to this school and seeing these types of events makes them feel like they belong.” Chief Thomas shared “I just love it. We are getting involved here, and we feel connected here.” Schlabach continued “we want to make the base an integral part of the Minot. So much of our hearts and souls are here with our kids and our families.”

The game? Well Minot North lost 42-41, but I don’t think the score is going to be what’s talked about when Homecoming 2024 is discussed in future years. My guess? “Do you remember homecoming 2024 and the helicopter that brought in the game ball?” On the way out I heard a couple of St. Mary’s students asking each other, “Do you suppose they could drop a game ball from a B 52?”