European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday. Decembers 1938 the stars and stripes Page 23 army Navy game life or death for the 89th time by Bill Glauber Baltimore Sun writer West Point . It s All True every blessed cliche bids Hicls inscribed with the words sink Navy and thou shall not lose la Are hanging on front porches flapping in the late autumn Breeze off the Hudson River. Beat Navy is an official greeting just like a Salute. Navy personnel insane enough to venture up Here arc captured and then tortured ,. In a Barber s chair. The buildup around Here is life or death said bit Rambusch army s senior punter thursday night the corps of 4,400 cadets gathered for a Bonfire a party fashioned from equal pans Baso Tunc lumber and hatred for the midshipmen from an Napolis. Friday the football team began its trip to Philadelphia piling on buses and parading before a Row of tanks and cadets in Battle dress. Saturday Well that s inc Only Day of the year that mailers Arney s-2 is. Navy it m their s9lh foot Ball game. It s different said army coach Jim Young. With a Wishbone offence a winning season for inc fourth Lime in five years and a bid to the Sun bowl against Alabama army s football team is everything Navy s wants to be enriched with bowl Revenue and respected for present exploits. I think we re in a position where we. Can be a respectable football team win and have successful sea sons Young said. I Don t think we can be a National Champion. Thai s not realistic.". What army docs Well is live within limits Matching its Small rugged players against a schedule that this year include four division 1-aa opponents. Army also basks in its history. This whole place is tradition said senior outside linebacker Chuck Schortzman. Macarthur. Eisen Hower. Or inside and or outside Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. It s All a part of history. Bui we Winfor Here football players Don t Wear camouflage fatigues Ai a fashion statement they re a course requirement. Most schools Reward the fiercest football player with tiny Ducat letters for each crushing hit. At army the Lough Guys decorate Isdr Iii Kris with machine gun deals. _ the toughest of them All the elite head knockers Are Given Ifica Black death award. Army football is about a lot of Guys who Are put through a lot of turmoil and who come together sat urday to play their hearts out for each other said Sophomore quarterback Bryan Mcwilliams. We be been through hardship but in s All Alt of this happens la be in fashion. The conservative Era has helped All the service academics said Young. Patriotism and the interest in the academics arc positive forces after Vietnam the army Way was t a popular Way of life for High school seniors. The aftershock of that War affected every pan of the United states Militar Academy including its football team. From 1978 through i9e3, army endured six losing seasons under three head coaches. The third head coach in that Era and the 30th in inc school s history. " top a its a s h a is Navy s Bert pan Granta left and army s Mike Braun Exchange pleasantries but Only Well before the liftoff. Was Young a to schem Huchler disciple who had Early head coach ing jobs with Arizona and Purdue. Young 53, is a world War ii Buff who loads up his pregame speeches with military jargon. He samples Cadet life each summer by joining his players on infantry week Maneu vers when i Gol Here they said they did t want to tie anything to the military Young said they were tired of thai. Football was just football. But i relate everything we do to the military aspect using quotes and tactics. Football is a Young loss Nival of his Battles in 1933, his first Mason. A 3-9 year ended with a 42-13 loss to Navy. But Young turned it around inc next season. The secret to his Success was simple he junked a pro pass ing offence for the Wishbone the three Back running attack that was the College football rage Folh 1970s but a relic in the 80s. Army Hen went 8-3-1 in 1984 and Defeated Michigan slate in the Cherry bowl 10-6. The Wishbone is the Ideal service Academy of sense Young said. The Wishbone plays to the service Academy strengths discipline and selflessness. It also covers a weakness size. In the Wishbone Small linemen can pack a Wallop for Power runners ,. Army ranks last in passing out of 104 division to a learns. Under Young army a 24-0 when it passes six limes or fewer in a game army s 357,1-Yard Rushing average is the third Best in the nation the running game has flattened every foe but two Washington and Boston College. The Wishbone has created a new hero for army Sophomore Mike Mayweather a 5-foot-8 halfback who is this Era s or. Outside. Mayweather has rushed for 980 Yards and is at Empting to become the seventh army player to pass the 1,000-Yard Mark i May be an atypical Cadet Mayweather Jaid. I m still grabbing hold to the fact that i m Here. I Nehad a lot of Luck in my mayweathcr1 Mother Frances raised 10 children on her own in a Urti is. Tiuis. Mike attended a pre dominantly Black elementary school and received a scholarship to enrol at St. Louis country Day a prestigious prep school where he was one of Biily two Blacks in a class of 69. Going to St. Louis country Day was a tougher adjustment than going to army said Mayweather. Went from a Tough neighbourhood to a place where inc Rich people went to school. I on saturday at veterans stadium in Philadelphia he again must adapt to the biggest game of army a season. i played against Navy last year the enormity of the game did t really hit me until i walked out of the locker room and Gol on the Field said Mayweather who rushed for 119 Yards in army s 11-3 win Over Navy ,.--.-. in s everything behind the game the history of the game. We re creating another chapter in the histor Book. The pressure to succeed is cadets expect to see Grizzard by the Baltimore Sun Annapolis my. Navy football coach Elliot Uzelac plans to play the Alton Grizzard gues sing game until a few hours before saturday s army Navy confrontation in the Sophomore quarterback in Navy s Wishbone ,.has a sprained knee and is listed As questionable by Nava Academy officials. Grizzard is mending he has practice some and i m going to make the decision saturday morn sea cadets on Page �4 finality makes this rivalry special by William Gilde Washington Post writer i be been in great games said Elliot dict a. Recalling Days As an assistant coach. I be been to the Rose bowl sugar bowl Ohio state Michigan Mich Igan Michigan slate games. And i be Gotlobe honest. 1 Don t think any of them reaches the intensity of s something different when you step on that Field that 1 did not feel in the others ". Uzelac Navy s head coach was sip Ping Coffee one morning recently in vet Erans stadium Philadelphia where army and Navy will play saturday in their 89th meeting. It s Only his second year As the midshipmen s head coach but Uzelac has been there Loo As a Navy assistant in 1971 and 72, he was speak ing of the wherewithal that inc players bring in quest of Victory. You could t ask Lor More they re looking at this game said Uzelac As this is it they re playing for the game itself nothing else. How Many football games have been called the ultimate game to College it happens when a no. I plays a no. 2. Onetime Dallas Cowboy Duane Thomas asked at a super bowl. If this is supposed to be the ultimate game Why is it played next year the ultimate game or As close to it As there May be in football is army Navy. For so Many playing in in it is their most important hour of football and their last. The finality not he degree of play ing Talent makes the game what it is a lot of seniors Are starting to realize that after this it s no More pulling on the pads no More playing against other teams said Navy fullback Bert Panga Lio who Hopes 10 be in the Marine corps. He looked out at an empty Veter ans stadium thai will Rock with Cannon fire saturday in what he Calls definitely the last it was something to think about Nomore playing. An end of something Good. A teammate linebacker Mark Timpo considered it. For 13 years since he was growing up in sarongs Villa Ohio him Pohas worn a football uniform. The better pan of my life he roused standing close to the Field of his last tame. This is it. That s one of the thing about the service academies. You know the Way your athletic career is going to see rivalry on Page 24
