WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point sprint football team takes the star with a 40-6 victory over Navy in the annual Star Game on Saturday at Shea Stadium.
The win was Army's second in as many contests in the 2017-18 Star Series, presented by USAA, after the golf team defeated the Midshipmen, 6.5-4.5, last weekend.
The Black Knights improved to 4-0 on the season, while Navy fell to 3-1.
Army put up 40 points on Navy for the first time since the 1998 Anthracite Bowl in Pottsville, Pa., when it captured a 43-8 win.
Senior wide receiver Ty Galyean posted two of the team's five touchdowns on the afternoon on five receptions for 51 yards. Junior quarterback Keegan West led Army's offense, completing 22-of-28 passes for 242 yards and three scores.
Defensively, the Black Knights held Navy to just 207 yards of total offense. The defensive unit also blocked a punt and a field goal, as well as recording an interception and four sacks.
ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES
- Army improved to 35-42-1 in the all-time series against Navy and 29-32-1 in Star Games.
- The Black Knights now hold an 18-13-1 edge at West Point against the Midshipmen.
- Army has won four of the last six meetings against Navy, including the last three at Shea Stadium.
- The Cadets are the only remaining undefeated team in the Collegiate Sprint Football League.
- West posted season highs in pass attempts (28), completions (22), passing yards (242) and passing touchdowns (3) in today's game.
- Galyean and Mike Shannon each posted a team-high five receptions in the game.
- John Herrmann booted the longest punt of his career at 73 yards.
- Connor Long posted a career-highs in tackle for loss (4.5) and sacks (3.5).
- Nathan Lopez recorded his fourth-career interception and first of his senior campaign.
- Curtis Jezerick recorded the first punt block of his career.
- Jake Marchillo blocked a field goal attempt for the first time in his career.
- It was Marchillo's second block overall after he blocked a punt that resulted in a safety against Cornell in 2015.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, Army forced Navy into a three-and-out and took over with good field position at its own 46-yard line.
- The Black Knights needed just three plays to travel the 54 yards into the end zone with juniors Keegan West and Clayton Carter connecting on a 46-yard pass to put Army head, 7-0.
- Navy's next possession yielded 55 yards, thanks primarily to a 51-yard run by Brandon Coleman which brought the ball to the Army 24 before the offense stalled at the 20-yard line. Senior Jake Marchillo broke through the offensive line on a 37-yard field goal attempt and blocked the kick to keep the Midshipmen off the board.
- Army was unable to do much on its next drive, but a booming 73-yard punt by John Herrmann backed Navy up deep in its own territory at the 7-yard line.
- Connor Long came off the right flank and brought down Coleman from behind for the safety on his first of 3.5 sacks on the day to extend Army's lead to 9-0.
- Another three-and-out by the Army offense allowed Herrmann to pin the Midshipmen deep in their own end once more, this time forcing them to begin from the 8-yard line.
- The Cadets managed to come up with a block on special teams once again as senior co-captain Curtis Jerzerick was able to block the punt and get the ball back for the Army offense at the 12.
- Sophomore Jake Gigliotti needed just one play to increase the lead for Army as he scampered into the end zone, capping a 16-point performance in the first quarter for Army.
- Navy broke through with roughly five minutes remaining in the first half on an 18-yard pitch and catch by Coleman and Julius Lee, but failed to convert a trick play for the two-point conversion.
- Army answered just before the intermission on a one-yard rush by West to put the Black Knights up 23-6 headed into the locker room.
- Galyean scored the next two touchdowns for the Black Knights with 10:31 remaining in the third quarter and 10:40 left in the fourth. Both catches came on passes from West.
- Navy made a change at quarterback as Braydan Chmiel entered the game following Galyean's second score, but his first throw was intercepted by Nathan Lopez and taken the other way for the Cadets.
- That drive was capped with a 27-yard field goal by Peter Davis, who was perfect in all six of his kicks on the day.
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