Written by Ivan Maisel at ESPN.com
Army quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw took the snap, touched his knee to the M&T Bank Stadium turf, handed the ball to center judge Tom McCreesh, then turned toward the Corps of Cadets and delivered a victorious uppercut into the frigid evening Saturday. The Black Knights beat No. 25 Navy21-17, snapping a 14-game losing streak to their mates in arms and biggest rivals.
The entire Army team rushed the field, nearly trampling McCreesh. The corps leaped over the wall and engulfed their classmates. Fifteen years — and nine days, to be exact – between victories is an eternity when you play only once a year.
“Surreal,” Army wide receiver Edgar Poe, one of six senior starters. “It still doesn’t even feel like it’s real.”
How could it? In the time since Army won 26-17 on Dec. 1, 2001, Army has beaten Navy 181 times in 23 other sports. The Black Knights won 10 straight in baseball. They enjoyed two winning streaks of eight matches in volleyball. They won seven straight in rifle, a sport you would think Army would win, just as the Navy women and men last week extended their winning streaks in swimming to 28 and 26 meets, respectively.
But in football, there has been nothing — until Saturday.
“We heard for a long time at West Point about the streak,” Army third-year head coach Jeff Monken said. “It feels good to be part of the team that kind of put that to an end. Interestingly enough, I was in the other locker room when the streak started, so I’m really proud to be on this team to see the streak come to an end.”
The last Army victory occurred fewer than 12 weeks after 9/11. Monken was a Navy assistant with current Midshipmen head coach Ken Niumatalolo. Miami won the national championship that season. Eli Manning started his first game. Not for the Giants — for Ole Miss. The site of the game, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, has been gone for 13 years.
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