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Soldiers march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore hours before the Black Knights were to face off against the Midshipmen in the 117th Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016.

Soldiers march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore hours before the Black Knights were to face off against the Midshipmen in the 117th Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Soldiers march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore hours before the Black Knights were to face off against the Midshipmen in the 117th Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016.

Soldiers march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore hours before the Black Knights were to face off against the Midshipmen in the 117th Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

U.S. Military Academy cadets march into the stadium before the 117th Army-Navy game in Baltimore on Dec. 10, 2016.

U.S. Military Academy cadets march into the stadium before the 117th Army-Navy game in Baltimore on Dec. 10, 2016. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

West Point cadets march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore ahead of the 117th Army-Navy football game on Dec. 10, 2016.

West Point cadets march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore ahead of the 117th Army-Navy football game on Dec. 10, 2016. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Navy midshipmen march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore ahead of the 117th Army-Navy football game on Dec. 10, 2016.

Navy midshipmen march into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore ahead of the 117th Army-Navy football game on Dec. 10, 2016. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore begins to fill up ahead of the 117th Army-Navy football game on Dec. 10, 2016.

M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore begins to fill up ahead of the 117th Army-Navy football game on Dec. 10, 2016. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

On West Point's side, a cadet holds a taunting sign befor the start of the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore.

On West Point's side, a cadet holds a taunting sign befor the start of the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Getting into the spirit at the Army-Navy game Dec. 10, 2016.

Getting into the spirit at the Army-Navy game Dec. 10, 2016. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Warming up before the start of the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore, MD.

Warming up before the start of the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore, MD. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Navy fans meet Army mascot before the Army-Navy football game Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore.

Navy fans meet Army mascot before the Army-Navy football game Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Navy players warm up before the start of the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore.

Navy players warm up before the start of the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Getting into the spirit before the Army-Navy game, Dec. 10, 2016.

Getting into the spirit before the Army-Navy game, Dec. 10, 2016. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Early arrivals at the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore.

Early arrivals at the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Getting into the spirit at the Army-Navy game Dec. 10, 2016.

Getting into the spirit at the Army-Navy game Dec. 10, 2016. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Navy midshipmen watch as West Point cadets march onto the field before the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore.

Navy midshipmen watch as West Point cadets march onto the field before the Army-Navy game on Dec. 10, 2016, in Baltimore. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Navy fans await the start of the Army-Navy game Dec. 10, 2016 in Baltimore.

Navy fans await the start of the Army-Navy game Dec. 10, 2016 in Baltimore. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

BALTIMORE – Hope springs eternal for the Army faithful gathered at M&T Bank Stadium for the 117th annual Army-Navy football game.

Despite every reason to be disheartened – after all, the Black Knights haven’t come out on top of the vaunted rivalry game in 14 years – the West Point cadets, veterans and alums who poured into the Baltimore Ravens' stadium remained optimistic about the outcome of Saturday’s game.

“The streak stops here,” said Mohamed Sow, a senior at the U.S. Military Academy. “It ends today.”

At first blush, that may seem a tall order for the Black Knights. After all, the Midshipman came into today’s contest with a rivalry win streak older than many of the game’s attendees. And in more than a century of games between the two service academy rivals, Navy leads Army 60–49–7.

But if any year is to be their year, it could be this one.

The Midshipmen are down to their third-string quarterback, Zach Abey, who has only completed seven passes coming into today’s game. Abey looked shaky when he replaced second string Will Worth against Temple last week, throwing two interceptions in a heartbreaking loss that also saw the loss of running back Dishan Romine.

Those injuries have left some Navy fans a bit more reserved about their team’s chances. Even the most boisterous fan had to admit that it’s likely to be a close game.

“It’s going to be a good game,” said Jim Erisman, a former petty officer who served aboard the USS Norfolk in the early 60s. “It’s a toss-up, it really is.”

Navy has looked solid the rest of the year, but this is the biggest game of the year and having an inexperienced player behind center is a soft spot Army will attempt to exploit. And the vaunted Black Knight defense has only allowed 19.1 points per game. Both teams will be looking to grind out a victory on the ground.

The Black Knights will depend on Andy Davidson (821 yds, 5.5 YPC, 9 TDs) to generate points on the ground. Navy will likewise turn to their duo of Chris High and Shawn White to put points on the board. Expect this to be a tough fought ground game, punctuated by a big time defensive standoff.

Sam Yoshino, brother of a U.S. Military Academy freshman, expects a bit more than just a tough fought game though.

“This is our year,” he said. “Navy’s quarterback went down, and we have a lot of reason for optimism. Our defense is the strongest it’s ever been. We’re playing as good of football as we’ve played all season. I’m ready to beat these [players].”

Unlikely? Perhaps. But as Yoshino pointed out, considering the Chicago Cubs pulled out an unlikely victory in the World Series, nothing seems too unlikely for 2016.

darnell.michael@stripes.com

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