U.S.
Army-Navy 2017: Black Knights hoping to forge a winning streak
Stars and Stripes
December 8, 2017
The Commander in Chief's Trophy is up for grabs as Navy looks to avenge last year's defeat at the hands of the Black Knights. The trophy is largely for bragging rights between the service academies and isn't always awarded to the winner of the Army-Navy game. This year, it is. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)
The Commander in Chief's Trophy is up for grabs as Navy looks to avenge last year's defeat at the hands of the Black Knights. The trophy is largely for bragging rights between the service academies and isn't always awarded to the winner of the Army-Navy game. This year, it is. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)
West Point graduate, Heisman Trophy winner and former Army infantry officer Pete Dawkins signs a helmet at the pre-game media event held in Philadelphia ahead of the 2017 Army-Navy game. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)
PHILADELPHIA — The 118th Army-Navy Game kicks off at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. The 2016 edition of the storied rivalry resulted in a 21-17 Army victory in Baltimore that ended a 14-game losing streak to its fierce rival.
The Black Knights (8-3) will look to make it two in a row when they square off with the Midshipmen (6-5) in conditions that are expected to be chilly and snowy, weather that should hardly hinder either the team’s run-heavy triple-option offense.
As if the competitive fire needed fanning, the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will be on the line during Army-Navy for the first time since 2012. The trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the service academy competition between Army, Navy and Air Force, has only been up for grabs in this matchup seven times since its inception in 1972.
Army hasn’t taken home the trophy in more than two decades.
“It’s one of those special privileges that we haven’t seen for a while … it’s one of their top goals and they’ll have an opportunity to realize that tomorrow,” said Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr., the superintendent of West Point.
But that’s tomorrow. Tonight, the festivities surrounding the biggest game of the military sporting world are just beginning and fans far and wide have joined in the revelry.
On Friday, Stars and Stripes settled in for the big showdown by participating in USAA’s Military Alley at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. We went four quarters with luminaries from the football, business and broadcasting worlds to get their takes on Saturday’s game.