After a tumultuous first year in the new-look SPC, FWCD football entered the 2013 season with high hopes and championship aspirations. The Falcons rode the strong play of their skilled running backs as well as  hard-nosed defense to three straight blowout wins over Greenhill, Southwest Christian, and Grace Prep to open the season.

However, the opening of conference play meant matching up against the powerful Houston schools that frequently dominate SPC athletics. Similar to last year, the Falcons faltered against Kinkaid 55-14 in a neutral site Sunday game in which Florida St. commit Mavin Saunders caught three touchdown passes.

Undiscouraged and with playoff hopes intact, Country Day rebounded at home with a dominant 29-0 win over St. Johns in a game that served as revenge for last year’s 49-14 St. John’s victory.

The next week, the 4-1 Falcons prepared to make a tough trip to Houston to take on the Houston Christian Mustangs, who won last year’s matchup 38-0 at Rosacker. The Mustangs yet again had Country Day’s number, and emerged victorious 34-0.

In Country Day’s toughest test of the year, the Bellaire Episcopal Knights and touted running back Tyreik Gray made the trip to Fort Worth the next week. Despite an excellent team effort, the Falcons were overwhelmed and defeated 49-14 by perhaps the best team in SPC after All Saints.

With two games to go, the 4-3 FWCD team still had a shot at making a playoff run, but first had to get past St. Andrew’s, a team that hadn’t won a conference game in four years. Country Day got the Crusader’s best shot on St. Andrew’s senior night, and it proved to be too much for the Falcons. After trading punches for much of the second half, the Crusaders won 26-25 on a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter, ending the Falcons’ playoff hopes.

However, the season was far from over. One all-important game remained on the schedule. In one of the biggest matchups in school history, Country Day took on Trinity Valley in not only the Battle of Bryant Irvin, but also FWCD’s Homecoming and 50^th anniversary. Although neither team was playoff bound, emotions ran high on October 26, and there was much more on the line than a playoff berth.

Fireworks lit up the stadium six times that night as the Falcons trounced the Trojans 40-14 in the seniors’ final game. Sophomore standout Brandon Evans struck twice on the ground for touchdowns, and JR Gideon ’14 added one of his own. Sophomore quarterback Jacob Rains, who replaced the injured Mixson Staffel ‘15 late in the season, passed for two touchdowns, one to Gideon and one to Caleb Rooker ‘14. The Falcons also scored a defensive touchdown on a play in which linebacker Campbell Boswell ’14 stripped the Trojan quarterback of the ball and returned it 40 yards for a score.

Country Day finished the season with an emotional victory that sent the team’s 18 seniors off in the best way possible. Captains JR Gideon ’14 and Robert Arnold ’14 led the group through the highs and lows of the year, and set a great example for the younger members of the team. Although the season didn’t end with a ring, it did end with the Battle of Bryant Irvin trophy staying right where it belongs.