Pre-game tri-tip dinner hosted by Fallbrook FFA is a winner

There's nothing like a good pre-game meal, and that's exactly what the Fallbrook High School FFA serves up before every Warriors home football game.

For just $10, fans are treated to a dinner featuring wonderfully-smoked tri-tip, tasty ranch style beans, green salad with choice of dressing, a roll with butter, and refreshing lemonade or water. When the evenings get cooler later in the season, coffee will also be offered.

The barbecue dinner is served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Ag department, which is located at the east end of the football field. Ag teachers and FFA advisors Margaret Chapman, Scott Duffin and Doug Sehnert put on the dinners with the aid of students.

"It's a fundraiser for the FFA, so the kids work it and the profits go back into the chapter treasury," said Sehnert. "And we also have kids that are working it to earn a portion of money to go to the national FFA convention (to be held Oct. 19-22 in Indianapolis)."

These Ag teachers know their beef, so it's not surprising that the tri-tip they carve is tender, moist and bursting with flavor. This writer's first experience with the dinner was before the Warriors' home opener on Aug. 26, and the tri-tip that was so highly-touted by a colleague lived up to the hype. Simply delicious.

So how do they do it?

"We use a dry rub on our tri-tip and then we lock and seal it in plastic bags for 24 hours in a cooler," said Duffin. "And then we slow roast them on our smokers."

Duffin added that oak wood is used and that the tri-tips are in the smokers for "two to 2 1/2 hours." The process results in delectable sirloin goodness that has been attracting football fans to the dinners for more than 15 years.

"It depends on the game, but I'd say we average 100 dinners (a game)," said Duffin. "On homecoming, it can be 200, 225 or 250."

Be advised – this year's homecoming game is Friday, Sept. 30. The other dates in which fans can enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner before the 7 p.m. kickoff are: Friday, Sept. 2; Friday, Oct. 7; and Friday, Oct. 14.

While football games can go either way – one big play could be the difference between a win and a loss – the pre-game dinner is a sure victory for both the customer (who gets a fine meal) and the FFA (which gains some funds for its leadership development activities).

The Fallbrook FFA has long been fielding a strong team of its own. At the San Diego County Fair a couple of months ago, students won banners for market beef, market lamb, market goat and market pig. And as mentioned earlier, Fallbrook FFA will be represented at the upcoming national convention.

Note: In other fundraising news, Duffin announced the Ag department will conduct a plant sale on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. "They are student-grown plants, and plants that we've grown here at the Ag department," said Duffin. "The kids that sell their own plants get to keep that money for their projects. We've had kids do quite well with their projects."