8/10/2004 - Football
Pete Medurst On Navy Football

????A few years ago, Navy Media Day was an obligation.
You had to go. Sure it was free food, sandwiches and
cookies, but you knew you weren't really going to feel
much buzz about the program. In 2004, that has all
changed.

????A year after a berth in the Houston Bowl, and an
eight-win season, there is serious talk of perhaps
nine, ten wins and maybe, just maybe, gaining
acceptance from the football gods to even beat Notre
Dame.

????It will take effort, perhaps even greater than a year
ago as the schedule is a bit tougher and its layout a
bit tricky. Case in point, Vanderbilt at home and then
five days later at Air Force. Northeastern is a
tougher 1-AA than VMI. Ask Delaware. The Huskies
actually beat Delaware last year. Don't sell Rutgers
short either. Maybe Soprano's star James Gandolfini
will show up since he won't be back on HBO until the
Spring of 2006. Don't think Navy won't remember
Rutgers' Clarence Pittman's cosmetic touchdown with
1:14 remaining when the Scarlet Knights could have run
out the clock with a knee.

????Can we move ahead to to 2005, Maryland and Stanford
in weeks one and two! Pitt, minus Larry Fitzgerald
thank god in 2006, and California here in 2007. Holy
improving football program Batman! OK wait, back to
the action of 2004.

????Did last year do anything for Navy's program? Or,
will it slowly retreat like it did after the 1996 win
over Cal at the Aloha Bowl?

????"We'll find out this year I think. Certainly it
probably helped with the confidence level. I look at
it as a big part of my job this year is to make sure
it doesn't go too far towards the confidence level. We
have to understand how we had a successful year and
that was by a lot of hard work, fighting, clawing,
scratching and giving it everything we had. I don't
think we're going to show up against anybody on our
schedule and the other team is going to go "oooh" when
we run on the field," Navy Coach Paul Johnson said.

????Aaron Polanco has actually played football before.
People assume he has had no experience behind center
and thats far from the case. Anyone remember Notre
Dame, Baltimore, 2002? Did you know he ran for seven
scores in 2002? Did you know he can throw and runs a
4.59 40-yard dash? Give Paul Johnson this type of
weaponry to go with the Diesel and fleet footed slots
backs like Eric Roberts, Frank Divis and Trey Hines?

????Ok, we know even if Navy goes 11-0, the overall
schedule strength likely won't garner BCS status, but,
as Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuck pointed out
after a successful trip to Houston, Navy people will
travel. That's all Bowl games need to know, so as long
as Navy can be an eight or nine win program, Navy will
play after the Army game on a regular basis.

????"I'm excited to have a chance now to lead this team.
Coach Johnson has done a great job with the other
coaches getting us prepared and now we have to go out
and work hard every day and not rest on what the
program accomplished last year. We have to go out and
make our own name,'' Polanco said.

????As for the Diesel, Kyle Eckel, what more can he do
for an encore? His 1,249 yards were the most for a
Navy running back since Napoleon McCallum scooted for
1,327 in 1985. More important, his 176 yards and
fourth quarter score against Air Force put Navy in
position to win it's first Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy
since 1981.

????"I'm ready for more. I'm confident Aaron can lead the
team at quarterback and I'm ready to go out and do my
part to help us win,'' Eckel said. "We have a great
chance to leave this program with great success but we
have to work as hard as we did last year if not even
harder now.''

????As always, the defense will be the key. The Mids have
a lot of young potentially good football players. Led
by Senior Josh Smith in the secondary, youngsters like
Keenan Little and linebacker David Mahoney will have
to be ready to do even more than they were asked
during their first year at the Academy.

????Yes, it was nice to see writers like Peter Schmuck
from the Baltimore Sun, TV Cameras, and writers who
simply didn't have to ask the question, "How do you
get this turned around?" This boat is now full speed
ahead with all hand on deck, and the sandwiches and
cookies tasted that much better.
????????