Basic training begins Wednesday in Colorado for the newest class of cadets at the Air Force Academy.

“I wish my summer was a little bit longer, but other than that, I’m ready,” Green said.

His final weekend of summer vacation will coincide with his last high school football game.

Green, who lives in Ridgefield, helped Central Catholic of Portland advance to the Oregon Class 6A state quarterfinals in 2007. Saturday night, he will represent the Rams at the Les Schwab Bowl at PGE Park in Portland, as one of the North team’s quarterbacks.

One final game in the Northwest before beginning his new journey, as a quarterback at the academy, and then, if all goes to plan, a commission in the Air Force.

Green acknowledged he was not so sure about committing to the military when the Air Force first contacted him.

“The more I learned about the Air Force and the academy, it appealed to me,” Green said. “I learned about the great education I can have and a great career I can have after football.”

He already knows he wants to study astronautical engineering — to work with satellites — but he is not sure if he wants to attend flight school.

Technically, Green will not have to make a commitment to the Air Force until after his sophomore year at the academy. But he cannot see himself changing his mind.

“I’m not going to go halfway and stop,” he said. “The opportunities at the academy are phenomenal.”

Football, though, will remain high on the priority list. His ultimate goal is the National Football League.

The Falcons, though, have not exactly produced a lot of pro-type quarterbacks. The Air Force, strange as it sounds, has primarily been using a ground attack through the years.

Green said head coach Troy Calhoun has told him the Falcons will be airing it out more in the coming seasons. Green wants to be part of that process.

“They will still be running a lot, but they’ll be passing more than previous years,” he said.

Green proved, in just one season in Oregon, that he could wing it with the best of them in that state, throwing 29 touchdown passes in the fall.

After missing his junior season to a knee injury, Green made his debut with the Rams — in his home state — leading Central to a riveting 43-40 victory over Evergreen at Vancouver’s McKenzie Stadium. Green’s “Hail Mary” pass to Jordan Freelander covered 59 yards on the final play of the game for the win. Green went 34 of 58 for 364 yards and four touchdowns that night.

Even though he was playing for a Class 6A Oregon team, he had the mindset of a 2A athlete from Ridgefield when he played the Plainsmen.

“I went in there with kind of a chip on my shoulder, to prove 2A was worthy. 2A has got some great football players,” Green said. “The (Washington) 4A teams always get the publicity. I wanted to show that even guys from small towns could compete with the big schools.”

Green began his high school career at Ridgefield, starting as a freshman for the Spudders. The opportunities at Central Catholic were too many to pass on, though, and he left the Spudders after his sophomore season.

“Ridgefield is a great place. The coaches at Ridgefield are phenomenal. Every day at practice, they gave their best. It was nothing against the school or the community. I love everything about Ridgefield.”

Green said he could get more attention from his coaches, year-round, at Central Catholic than he could at Ridgefield. He knew at an early age that he wanted to earn a football scholarship, and he believed the private school in Portland offered a better chance for him to achieve that goal.

He has no regrets because the plan worked to perfection for him. Green said he was offered scholarships from schools such as Northern Arizona, Montana State, Sam Houston State, and Idaho State. He also had an official visit at another academy, West Point in New York.

While he is ready to try his skills in college, he also is excited about Saturday’s game in Portland. After all, it is not common for freshman quarterbacks to see a lot of playing time in college.

“It’s a great opportunity. There are a lot of great players out here,” he said. “It’s kind of the next step between high school and college. If I don’t play next year, at least I get another high school game.”

It probably will not compare to his first start for the Rams, last September at McKenzie Stadium, but Saturday will provide one final chance for Green to play so close to home.