Midshipmen enjoy historic win

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The walls of Bancroft Hall rocked like never before Saturday night as the Midshipmen in the Naval Academy dormitory watched their football team end its 43-game losing streak to Notre Dame.

Still, it's unclear whether the students were cheering the thrilling 46-44 triple-overtime win or that word had spread that classes were cancelled on Monday because the Midshipmen toppled the Irish for the first time since 1963.

For Midshipmen Matt Willmann, Michael Ross and William Smith, the biggest part of Saturday night was just being witness to history and knowing they can say they were a part of the Brigade when Navy halted the longest consecutive losing streak ever in college football to a single opponent.

“It was just crazy in Bancroft Hall,” said, Smith, of Pittsburgh, as he Ross and Willman ate dinner at Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis. “People were cheering and getting excited like I've never seen before. The three of us were ready to go out for dinner, but knew we couldn’t leave yet because we were witnessing history.”

Ross said the excitement of the win extended beyond the gates of the Naval Academy, as it spilled into the bars and restaurants surrounding City Dock where hundreds of revelling Midshipmen partied into the night. Navy’s victory resonated across the country, as Ross said his brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher Ross called him and to tell him fans attending the University of Tennessee football game in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville cheered when the final score of the Navy-Notre Dame game was announced to the crowd of 96,197.

“It was unbelievable,” said Michael Ross, of Nashville, Tenn. “Strangers were honking their horns at us and just coming up to give us high-fives to congratulate us. Navy has never backed down against Notre Dame. We've always had all the heart needed to win, we just were finally able to put it all together.”

Willmann, a Cincinnati native, said that excitement at Bancroft Hall turned to nervousness and near anger when Navy got called for ass interference as Notre Dame attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game in the third-overtime. But the frustration turned to jubilation one one-play later when Navy linebacker Irv Spencer and defensive end Michael Walsh stropped Notre Dame's Travis Thomas well short of the end zone, ending more than four decades of frustration and futility.

“We joked they should cancel classes for the rest of the semester,” Willmann said.

rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com

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