Falcon Force Takes Flight

Holy Bowl is a core memory from my freshman year. It was fun winning and all, but what really stuck with me was those seniors all the way at the bottom of the bleachers. The ones who wore the overalls and led the cheers throughout the game. They were Falcon Force. 

Now the Class of ‘23 are the reigning seniors. We are back for our final year, and we are the ones younger students look up to in the school. Most importantly, this year brings a new Falcon Force. 

“We want to make Falcon Force known and we just want everyone to know who we are,” says Falcon Force Commissioner Nolan Fernandez (‘23). 

Our first look at the new team was at Lock-In for the Class of 2026. What immediately caught the seniors eyes the diversity of the group — there are people whom you would have never thought to be in a group together. 

However, their chemistry as a group is unmatched. They have the energy, hype, and spirit this school needs. 

“We all work well together because we all have the common interest of being spirited and bringing that energy,” Nolan says. 

If you do not know the senior class, you would have never guessed that they haven’t been friends for the last four years. Seeing them together at football games instantly brings back those memories from freshman year football games and the pure excitement of attending games and cheering on the team no matter the outcome. 

“We just have so much spirit flowing through all of us and we are unstoppable,” said Falcon Force team member Ofa Po’oi (‘23). 

Despite having a rocky high school experience due to the pandemic, the Class of ‘23 has a connection with the school like no other. But the current sophomore and junior classes did not have that initial freshman year experience we had. Due to those years being online and hybrid, our school lacks the spirit it used to have. 

“It’s hard for students to have school spirit for a school they barely attended,” Ofa shared. 

One of Falcon Force’s priorities is to bring back that spirit that was lost.

“We want to bring back rallies, large student sections, and cheers to make people want to come to the games,” Tiana Johnson (‘23) shared. 

To Falcon Force leadership, all student involvement matters, even from our new freshmen.

“Our goal this year was at Lock-in to make the freshmen feel as welcome as possible and make sure that they know all the cheers,” Tiana said.

Falcon Force is most focused on inclusivity and student involvement. Bringing back a community after the pandemic is essential to the team. To them, Falcon Force cannot be Falcon force without student engagement. 

@Wearethemob2023 is the Instagram account created by Falcon Force. The term “mob” stands for Mouths Of Brothers. Back in the 90’s, the student section was originally called the ”mob” and this year it’s making its comeback.

“The mob is Falcon Force, the students, the teachers, its everyone,” Nolan shared. 

This account was created to engage with the students and is a way for Falcon Force to get feedback from students, share pictures and videos from the student section, and share the spotlight with everyone. 

“You are not just going to see pictures of Falcon Force — we want you to send in pictures from the student section with you and your friends getting hyped, or even videos of you guys cheering,” Tiana shared. “We want to feature everyone to show that we are inclusive and everyone should participate.”

“One of the biggest things we stress is being inclusive. We want involvement from all classes, even the freshman,” Ofa mentioned. 

In my conversations with Nolan, Tiana and Ofa, I heard the term inclusive, inclusivity, or inclusiveness at least 100 times. They want involvement at student sections and rallies, but they also want to hear your ideas. 

“We are always so open to ideas because, if anything, we need ideas,” Ofa shared. 

For lowerclassmen, it might be intimidating coming up to these seniors. Tiana has some advice to those nervous to talk to Falcon Force members.

“Come up to us, introduce yourself, and pitch your idea. We are always open to hearing new ideas. We are open to change — we do not have to stick to what other Falcon Forces have done,”. 

Through these interviews, I got some insight into how the team works and their planning process. These meetings are far from quiet — they are loud and chaotic, just like a big family dinner.

“We probably meet three times a week,” Nolan shared. “We coordinate a lot of activities and events, and we text constantly.” 

“We are constantly bouncing ideas off each other, building off one anothers ideas, and keeping the room positive and open to anything,” Nolan shared.

“Let’s change it up, let’s do something that the students are not going to expect,” Tiana mentioned.

This group has so many ideas to bring back the spirit and make this year one of the best. 

“We all have the same mission statement: we want to make sure everyone feels included and to make sure everyone is having fun,” Ofa shared. 

Everyone is excited to see what else Falcon Force will bring. Teachers and students are ready to see the spirit restored within the school. This group has such a strong bond like a family. 

“We are all supportive of each other and that’s where the group’s strong point is. By the end of this year, we will have made a name for ourselves as Falcon Force and inspire the freshman just as we were inspired,” shared Nolan. 

Their devotion and desire to bring back that lost spirit is apparent when in myconversations with Falcon Force members. Their emphasis on inclusiveness and student involvement is powerful in uniting the community. They want to leave the school with a new sense of spirit and how Falcon Force is more than just those 13 members — it’s everyone at CB. 

“Come ready to cheer, support our team, and go all out, bleed blue,” shared Tiana.