A Civil War: Army vs. Navy, Feinstein - B+

                    "At Army and Navy, the players understand the difference between football and war...there is a bond between the players and their schools like no bond between any other rivals in sports." "At every other school in America, the hardest part of any football player's day is football practice. At the military academies, the easiest part of a football player's day is football practice." This is the story of the 1995 Army-Navy game.

                     It was once the most important football game, college or pro, played in America. In the 1940's, the game decided a national championship. As recently as 1963, Navy was ranked number two in the nation. Vietnam ended that, as the academies fell out of favor. The performance of the football teams declined dramatically. There were occasional winning years in the 1970's and 80's, but they were few and far between. The quality of the opponents diminished, and both teams deteriorated. Before the 1994 Army-Navy game, it was clear that the Army coach had lost the club, but the AD kept Bob Sutton on for another year. Matters were worse in Annapolis where scandals rocked the academy and there was no connection between the student body and the players. Navy announced Charlie Weatherbie as its new coach at year's end. Throughout the spring and summer, the dozens of young men on each team continued their brutal schedules of studies, practice and military training. Each team was made up of young men who had one goal in life - to play big time college football. All loved the game, but they were not big enough, fast enough or strong enough to play for the Division I powerhouses. So, they went to the academies and endured the discipline and structure that barely gave them a moments respite. 

                      Army opened up at home with an easy win against Lehigh, but lost to Duke a week later by 2 points. If instant replay had existed then, they would have won the game, as the refs botched a late call in Duke's favor. Navy crushed SMU in their opener and lost to Rutgers a week later. Army lost a close one at ranked Washington in week 3. Navy lost at home to Wake Forest 30-7 even though they were favored by 10. It was a complete and total humiliation. They recovered and defeated Duke the following week by 21. Army tied Rice in week 4 on a last second  field goal. After a bye week, Army played magnificently at the Meadowlands losing to Notre Dame by a point. Navy suffered through consecutive losses to Virginia Tech and the Air Force Academy before beating Villanova. Army crushed BC in a monsoon a week after the ND loss and then handily outscored Colgate. They lost the following week to E. Carolina. Navy played Notre Dame in South Bend in snowy weather and was leading at half time, but couldn't hold on. Each team had two games remaining before Thanksgiving. Navy beat Delaware and Tulane to move their record to 5-5. Army lost to Air Force and defeated Bucknell to go to 4-5-1. Both teams had outperformed their previous year's records. The big game was December 2nd in Philadelphia.

                 It was the 96th meeting. Army had won 45, Navy 43. There had been seven ties. Amazingly, after almost a century, the point differential was 54. The Middies had lost the previous three. This was their seniors' last chance. Navy scored after a turnover within the first two minutes. Army tied at 3:20 left in the first. The only score in the 3rd was a Navy field goal. Navy opened the fourth with another FG. An Army fumble gave Navy the ball on Army's 14 yard line. Navy was 4th and goal on the 1, and a field goal would have required two Army scores. Navy attempted a short pass that failed. Army had the ball on their own 1. There were 8:23 left. They marched down the field, and were 4th and 24 at the Navy 29 with 1:29 left. A completed pass put Army on the 1. They scored, kicked the extra point and were ahead 14-13 with 63 seconds left. Navy countered and the game came down to a Hail Mary with 2 seconds left. Army intercepted and won. Half an hour later, Jim Cantaloupe, Army's defensive captain walked into the Navy locker room still in uniform. He found his Navy counterpart, Andy Thompson, and hugged him while Thompson sobbed. Navy's seniors had lost four games by a total of six points.

                A magnificent book about magnificent young men. Once again, thanks to my brother for the recommendation.