Navy dominates in annual Tri-ROTC football game
Bradley Wilson
When most people think of football on Sunday, they think of professional teams grinding it out on the gridiron. However, on the eighth of November, an annual tradition was continued at Valley Fields that many students may not be aware of. For the past several decades, the men and women of Marquette’s Army, Navy, and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps have gathered to play several games of flag football against one another.
Despite being played in front of a small audience of ROTC instructors and students, these games carry the weight of bragging rights for the winning teams for an entire year. “The games mean a lot because they are a means to compete against our counterparts in a less formal environment, pomp and circumstance aside.” said the Navy ROTC team captain Cletus Ketter.
“Competitions are displayed on a much larger scale on national television between West Point and Annapolis. However, it means just much to the ROTC cadets and midshipman who are itching to take the field and show the other branches who deserves to be the best man to man and in the need. In the end, we will be the same rank as the players on the Academy that are seen on television.”
What these matchups lack in hype and a big stage, they make up for in intensity and passion. All of the teams have very athletic competitors, who leave all of their emotions out on the field. The ROTC flag football games generally become tackle football and the refs do not stop the cadets and midshipmen from having their fun. Unlike the intramural games, pass rushers and blockers can use their hands and fumbles are live.
This year Navy dominated the competition. They secured wins over both Army and Air Force in the women’s and men’s games due in a large part to a strong interest from their freshman class. In fact both Navy teams did not give up a single offensive touchdown all afternoon. With these victories, Marquette’s Navy ROTC will be able to hold win back “the Jug” from Army. “The Jug” is just what it sounds like, a trophy jug which the winner gets to hold onto until the next time they lose. They were also able to win back “The Boot” (which is surprise, surprise a mounted boot) a trophy the Navy midshipmen have withheld from Air Force for the past several years.
Meanwhile, the female Army team was able to post a crushing shutout win over the female Air Force team while the male Air Force squad overcame a surging Army team. Each of the matchups featured all the exciting plays of any college or pro football games including option reads, diving catches, a pick six, ankle breaking cut backs, and even a shanked field goal. Okay, so maybe it is not the same level of talent, but it is just as exciting nonetheless. These events may feature the traditional competition between rival branches of the military, but in the end they are all in good fun because every competitor is really playing for the same team.
When most people think of football on Sunday, they think of professional teams grinding it out on the gridiron. However, on the eighth of November, an annual tradition was continued at Valley Fields that many students may not be aware of. For the past several decades, the men and women of Marquette’s Army, Navy, and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps have gathered to play several games of flag football against one another.
Despite being played in front of a small audience of ROTC instructors and students, these games carry the weight of bragging rights for the winning teams for an entire year. “The games mean a lot because they are a means to compete against our counterparts in a less formal environment, pomp and circumstance aside.” said the Navy ROTC team captain Cletus Ketter.
“Competitions are displayed on a much larger scale on national television between West Point and Annapolis. However, it means just much to the ROTC cadets and midshipman who are itching to take the field and show the other branches who deserves to be the best man to man and in the need. In the end, we will be the same rank as the players on the Academy that are seen on television.”
What these matchups lack in hype and a big stage, they make up for in intensity and passion. All of the teams have very athletic competitors, who leave all of their emotions out on the field. The ROTC flag football games generally become tackle football and the refs do not stop the cadets and midshipmen from having their fun. Unlike the intramural games, pass rushers and blockers can use their hands and fumbles are live.
This year Navy dominated the competition. They secured wins over both Army and Air Force in the women’s and men’s games due in a large part to a strong interest from their freshman class. In fact both Navy teams did not give up a single offensive touchdown all afternoon. With these victories, Marquette’s Navy ROTC will be able to hold win back “the Jug” from Army. “The Jug” is just what it sounds like, a trophy jug which the winner gets to hold onto until the next time they lose. They were also able to win back “The Boot” (which is surprise, surprise a mounted boot) a trophy the Navy midshipmen have withheld from Air Force for the past several years.
Meanwhile, the female Army team was able to post a crushing shutout win over the female Air Force team while the male Air Force squad overcame a surging Army team. Each of the matchups featured all the exciting plays of any college or pro football games including option reads, diving catches, a pick six, ankle breaking cut backs, and even a shanked field goal. Okay, so maybe it is not the same level of talent, but it is just as exciting nonetheless. These events may feature the traditional competition between rival branches of the military, but in the end they are all in good fun because every competitor is really playing for the same team.
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