PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Navy sprint football team (7-1) dropped a 13-0 decision to Army West Point (7-1) in the Collegiate Sprint Football League Championship game on Friday night at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The Midshipmen concluded the season 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the South Division.
"It was a tough loss for the team tonight,"
Major Jason Dewald, USMC said after the game. "It was a great season and without a doubt we played hard the entire game. Unfortunately, we faltered in our execution and we put ourselves in some tough spots to dig out from. I am proud of this team and the seniors that have added to the legacy of this program."
Defensively, Navy was able to hold the potent Army West Point attack to under 300 yards of total offense (266 yards). The Mids held the Black Knights to just 80 yards on the ground and 186 yards in the air. Navy recovered a pair of fumbles, while also picking off a pass.
David Postma (Bellevue, Wash.) led the team with eight total tackles (all solo), including a tackle for loss. The senior added a fumble recovery and a pass break up.
Troy Monroe (Columbus, Ga.) finished the game with five stops, including 2.0 tackles for loss with a sack and a quarterback hurry.
Adam Weissenfels (Richland, Wash.) had an interception, while
Tom Jacobsen (San Francisco, Calif.) recovered a fumble.
Offensively, Navy was unable to find a rhythm. The team rushed for 84 total yards, while finishing with just 41 yards in the air. Quarterback
Braydan Chmiel (Warrenton, Mo.) led the charge on the ground, amassing 44 total yards. He also passed for 41 yards for 85 total yards.
Caleb Champion (Milton, Fla.) added 24 yards on the ground, while
Jay Cooke (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) led the team with 18 receiving yards.
Army West Point scratched the scoreboard in the first quarter to take the early lead. The Black Knights capped a six-play, 49-yard scoring drive with a seven-yard touchdown run by Matthew Sauter. The point after touchdown attempt was no good, leaving the game at 6-0 with 3:15 to play in the first quarter.
The score remained 6-0 until the fourth quarter. Army West Point added an insurance touchdown with 5:07 remaining in the game. The Black Knights used a 56-yard touchdown pass to Nitai Chun from Ryan Sullivan. The extra point was true, putting the designated home team in front 13-0.
The Midshipmen were unable to muster enough offense to take the lead, falling 13-0 to their rivals.
Navy finished the season 7-1, going a perfect 7-0 in the regular season. For the second consecutive season, the Mids claimed the South Division title to earn a spot in the CSFL Championship game.
