The Bird Bowl is a significant football game ”in Fauquier County history.”Liberty High School and Fauquier High School battle it out on the field to see who will win the Bird Bowl trophy. Liberty High School has been on a winning streak since 2002, which is why this game is highly anticipated. Alumni from both Liberty and Fauquier come out to this once-a-year event to cheer on their schools. 

The Bird Bowl has become more than just a football game: It’s a way for the players to showcase their talents. It’s a day full of pride, joy, excitement, nerves, tradition, and spirit. It’s a way for family and friends to come out and show their love, commitment, and compassion for the players. 

Liberty and Fauquier have a long history. For one, these two schools are both rival schools. Fauquier High was the first high school in FCPS, soon to be joined by Liberty High. This created a competition between the two. Their mascots are also very similar. The Fauquier Falcons and the Liberty Eagles participate in this football game to essentially see who the better “bird” is, hence the name Bird Bowl. 

Since it is Liberty High School’s 22nd consecutive year of winning, the pressure is high. The football team has been training every day, getting stronger and more put together. Angel Meijas Reyes, a senior at Liberty said, “We just practice every day with consistency and just 110 percent all the time.” It’s easy to feel pressured because of this once-in-a-year football game. However, LHS football players don’t let the nerves get the best of them. Every day, they show up to practice and get to work. Gavin Cook, who is a junior at Liberty said, ”We just have laser focus during practice and we don’t feed into distractions like social media.” 

The LHS football team also has some pre-game traditions to get them in the Bird Bowl spirit. Coach Odlum said, “We do a lot of film work, whiteboard work, a walk-through, and we eat together.” They also like to pray together. The Bird Bowl brings our players closer together. They become more than just a football team. They become family. 

The Eagles are hoping for another win to continue their winning streak. They’ve had many victories in the past. “There is a lot of jumping up and down, a lot of high fives, a lot of yelling too, but all of that just brings everyone closer together so that’s what the real celebration is,” said junior, Gavin Cook. Cook is going into his second year playing in the Bird Bowl. As much fun as celebrating is, the Eagles don’t let it affect their training. “When we win, we celebrate on Friday, and on Monday, we get back to work”, said senior Caleb Owens. After their win, they start practicing again to ensure that the next Bird Bowl is also going to be successful. 

Everyone is hyped up and ready to go out to the field and support the players. Keeping their winning streak alive is hard, but Liberty doesn’t back down from a challenge. So come on out and cheer for your school. Good luck and we hope another win is in the bag for the Liberty Eagles!