Navy senior wrestlers John Jarrod and John Cox have never seen the Army-Navy football game in person.
It’s the biggest event of the fall semester, but Navy’s wrestling team cannot attend because the annual Nittany Lion Open at Penn State always falls on the same weekend.
“It’s usually listening to it on the bus ride over to Penn State on a radio on one part of the bus, and everyone just shouts the score every couple of minutes,” said Cox.
Navy football is one of the most inclusive events at the Naval Academy, that is, if a mandatory event can be called inclusive. Nearly the entire brigade — e.g. student body — is required to attend every home game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Almost every Midshipman will board a bus early Saturday morning bound for Philadelphia.
“We’re out there every chance we can get. If we have duals and all that other stuff coming up, it stinks,” said Jarrod. “We love all the football guys, and we want to be out there to support them. We talk about it on the team, ‘I can’t wait until the year after Igraduate. Maybe I’ll go to the Army-Navy game.’ I hear it’s so much fun. It’s really a bummer to miss it.”
Cox, whose brother just moved to Philadelphia, is already making arrangements for 2008.
“I’ve been talking to my dad,” said Cox. “We’re going to have a family reunion next year for the game.”
Army (3-8) vs. Navy (8-3)
» Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
» When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
» TV: CBS
» Outlook: While the magnitude of the rivalry can hardly be overstated, neither can the matchup of Navy’s top-ranked rushing offense (333 yards per game) against Army’s 115th ranked rushing defense (193 yards allowed per game).
The Midshipmen can retain the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy with a victory and their seniors can become the first class in history to go 8-0 versus Air Force and Army.
Army senior Jeremy Trimble (Ashburn/O’Connell High) is the second-ranked punt returner in the nation. He also averages more than four receptions per game.
Navy senior quarterback Brian Hampton, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Rutgers, will dress for the game and wants to down the ball in the fourth quarter should Navy be assured of a victory.
