Gigi's Birthday Dinner

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Jon's Fan Club

Jon gets all the credit for his performance on the field, but we in the bleachers did our best to lend our support to his effort and the Patriot cause! It was a four year tradition of his family and friends to sit on the top three rows right under the press box. Whenever Jon's name was called a chuckle would ripple out from the crowd around us after our noise and screaming subsided!

Uncle Bill and Aunt Tami came up from California and were at a game every year - most often multiple games per year. I couldn't find a photo of them, probably because they were always the ones holding the cameras and taking some of the awesome photo's found here. If anyone has a photo of them at the games, please forward me a copy! They get the awards for traveling the furthest and best photography.

Matt, Kelly and Rachel also travelled a distance from Utah many times to take in some games. Matt gets the award for the most enthusiastic fan. (see photo below :) Kelly the award for most concerned fan. She was always making sure Jon was healthy and unhurt! And don't even get me started on Rachel - Cutest ever grandaughter award, of course!

Kim and Aaron were faithful, true blue, every week fans. Aaron gets the award for the best coach, not on the field! I wish the coaches would have listened to you more this year :) Kim the award for "best sport" for going to all the games to support her brother, even though football (sports in general) are Way Down on her list of favorite things to do!

Adam and Andrew and a zillion of their friends were loud and proud. They get the award for bringing the most "extras" and getting the crowd going! Special thanks for helping video tape all the games.

Val, Rick, & Mom Cantrel were at ALMOST EVERY GAME! I bet they maybe missed 5 games in all four years. Mom even went all the way to CDA with us this year! They get the award for "Faithful, come rain or shine!" Katie gets the award for "MOST FAITHFUL COUSIN" award. She's a big part of the reason that Val and Rick missed very few games :) She also gets the award for "the most adorable Centennial cheerleader ever born!"

Geff and Kathleen Anderson were another pair of faithful Jon and Centennial fans. They saved the top row seats for every one of us at every home game. Even after their son, Matt, graduated two years ago. And Geff never once forgot the M&M's! Awarded: "Home seat saver award!"

Lastly, the "True and Faithful, Home or Away, Rain or Shine, Never Missed a Game, Seat Saver at Away Games, and How Can She Know Every Single Person in Boise On a Personal Level (including Coach Neumann) award goes to Farrell's sister, Laurie! Wow! She made it a point to get to every "away" game first and save the seats for the rest of us. How can you top that!

Thanks everyone for your love and support of Jon and our family!!! Here are a few shots of the "Jon Firkins #76, cheering squad through his four years on Varsity!"

Jon's 2008 Football Photo's

I have been very lazy about updating Jon's amazing senior year of football but I will just fill you in on a few details. He started at defensive end/defensive tackle for his 4th consecutive year of high school on the Varsity team. Amazing athlete! I think as a freshman he was about 180 pounds. This year as a senior he weighed in at 250 pounds and 6'2" (with cleats on :)

The team's season was not Centennial's most successful, due a large part on an ineffective offense and questionable offensive coaching (my opinion) but as always, the teams defense rocked. I think we ended up with the 2nd best defense in our conference!

Last night at our awards banquet we found out that Jon was selected by the coaches of our conference as the "All Conference Defensive Player of the Year", which is quite an accomplishment and reflects the dedication and devotion he has put into this program. I know there were a number of talented athletes from all of the schools that could have been eligible for this award and I know Jon feels honored to have been selected. He was also recognized for not missing one practice all summer, being a team captain and mentor to the younger players, and chosen by his peers as the most valuable defensive lineman on the Centennial team in 2008.

I think that one highlight of the evening for Farrell and I may have been when a parent of another player pulled us aside and thanked us for raising such a fine young man. Apparently this man's son had been having a very difficult time feeling his self worth on the team and wasn't sure he wanted to even keep playing until he was moved over to the defensive line. Jon took him under his wing and gave him the encouragement he needed to keep at it. He's now very excited to stay with the program! Wow, I'm proud of this kid of mine!!!