Army seeks end to Navy dominance

Teams to renew annual flag football rivalry at 1 p.m. Saturday on Navy’s home turf at Silverdale Stadium

David Poe / Northwest Guardian

In today’s joint-service culture, Army green and Navy blue might not be as competitive as they once were ... unless you add a football.

For the 12th time in as many years, with support from Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord will face off against sea service foes from Navy Region Northwest in the Army-Navy flag football game, maybe better known as the Puget Sound Classic. The game will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Silverdale Stadium on the West Sound.

Rear Admiral Douglas Biesel, Navy Region Northwest commander, said whether it’s the local rivalry or the 120-year old college football classic between the service academies, he knows Army-Navy football history is on the blue side.

“Navy has won seven out of 11 games so far, and we are looking forward to making it eight,” he said. “Having athletic talent is one thing. Our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen also demonstrate extraordinary teamwork, intelligence and heart.”

With respect for the admiral, Col. Thomas Brittain, JBLM commander, said the Army’s appreciation for their cohorts in blue won’t get in the way of a victory for his Soldiers in the annual grudge match.

“This is Army’s year to sink Navy,” Brittain said, and he plans to be in attendance to see it happen. “We have great respect for our outstanding Navy brothers and sisters here in the Pacific Northwest, and we’re thankful for the courage and professionalism they demonstrate every day. With that said, I can’t wait to eat roasted Navy goat after we win.”

Lonnie Meredith, a coach for the Army team, has been affiliated with this Army-Navy game since 2001, when he was a Soldier here. He said Brittain’s confidence in the players isn’t unfounded.

“These Soldiers hustle and go all out,” he said. “Nobody is going to be able to fault their effort and energy.”

His team has worked hard on fundamentals and execution, Meredith said, and the Soldiers will need to dig deep for a victory in Navy country tomorrow.

“With deployments last year we have a few returnees, but not many from last year’s team,” he said. “But that’s the challenge of coaching. A lot of these guys are young Soldiers; they desire to play, and they want an opportunity to represent their service and compete. They’re going to get that chance.”

While the score will be kept and the history will continue, Biesel said he felt in the big picture of military service, the victors won’t be who scores more points tomorrow, but instead who “gave it their all,” an ideal that is not service specific.

“After the game, we are all part of the joint military service, working side by side in defense of our country,” he said. “I encourage everyone to come on out to the game and support their favorite team.”

Brittain added that after the dust settles, the tradition of the game will be remembered far longer than any final score. His senior enlisted adviser, Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Barnes, who also predicted a road victory for the Army squad, said while pride in a military team is a great thing to have, pride in America’s military team trumps all the rest.

“Over the last four years, I have been privileged to witness this tradition and to see our Soldiers, who are part of the world’s greatest ground forces, and our Sailors, themselves part of the world’s greatest navy, clash in the Puget Sound classic,” he said. “In the end, we are all part of one team — our United States armed forces.”