Before members of Operational Test Command broke for the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, a certain matter needed to be settled Nov. 27 on the field outside of OTC Headquarters on West Fort Hood: Would the OTC Turkey Bowl trophy reside with the East or with the West this year?

In a first-to-21-points format of ultimate football, with two footballs simultaneously being played each round, the East Team emerged victorious.

“I got here in June, but from what I can understand, the West side won it last year,” said Maj. Erik Summers, the captain of the East Team, “so we had to reclaim what was properly ours.”

Key to the East’s winning effort was crisp passing and ability to adjust on the fly.

“Initially, we wanted to have half our team focus on offense and half on defense, but as the change of possession happened so quickly, you just had to focus on the ball that was closest to you whether it was going forward or backward,” Summers said. “I’d like to say there was a better strategy, but I think it was our athleticism that pulled us through there in the end.”

Event organizer Capt. Romelo De Los Santos said making the switch to ultimate football, played similarly to ultimate Frisbee, kept the action constant and fluid.

“Last year, we did traditional football, and we decided to change it up,” De Los Santos said.

In fact, they almost went with the wild idea of playing with actual turkeys but instead opted for the common pigskin.

“We were actually going to spice it up,” he said with a smile. “That would have been nice, but it didn’t work out. Maybe next year.”

Under the rules of ultimate football, at the beginning of each round, both teams punt a ball to the opposition at the same time. From there, each ball independently can be advanced or change possession based on whether or not the team with possession of the ball throws a completed pass.

Staff Sgt. Arturo Saenz, one of two officials refereeing the match, said players had three steps to move from when the catch was made. After that, their feet were to be frozen.

“You run out of room,” Saenz said, noting aggressive defenders. “Space closes in quickly.

“There was some nudging here and there, but overall, they did a good job and played by the rules.”

Summers spoke to the tight quarters at times during the game.

“I took (an elbow) in the gut when I was trying to block (a pass),” Summers said. “I felt that pretty good, but I didn’t deliver any.”

De Los Santos, from what he observed, thought the East Team came out more prepared.

“I don’t know if they practiced or not,” he said. “It looked like there was better passing going on on the (East) side.”

At one point early on, OTC Command Sgt. Maj. Antoine Overstreet, fresh off of subbing into the game, found himself making an athletic grab in the end zone to give the West Team a point.

“I was fortunate enough to score one,” a humble Overstreet said after the game. “My team had the ball and I figured I’d work myself over to the corner, and fortunately (my teammate) saw me and threw it up.”

Whether on the winning or losing team, the Turkey Bowl served its purpose of providing the unit with a fun-filled event.

“It also helps us get ready for the holidays, so we have room to put some of the weight back on,” Summers joked. “We got to lose as much as we can before we get all of that turkey in us.”

On a more serious note, he added, “It loosens the spirits and gets us focused away from our day-to-day work and lets us relax before a four-day weekend going into the holiday.”

Overstreet shared Summers’ sentiments.

“It’s always good to get out there with the younger Soldiers,” Overstreet said. “I enjoyed the camaraderie before Thanksgiving.”