All gave some, some gave all. Let us honor those who served.To those who fought, to those who tried, to those who gave their very lives. A hero is someone who has given his or her life for something bigger than oneself. We remember and never forget. We shall always appreciate the service of our active and retired military. This is a small way for us to recognize those at the intersection of service and football. Thank you.
Albright (16 rostered players from SEPA—including the kneeler) was all over the news in October for what may have been an overblown media portrayal of kneeling during the Star-Spangled Banner. Regardless of your view or opinion, we STAND and salute our current and former service men and women. We are grateful for the liberties provided by those that fought for our freedom and the privilege of enjoying the game of football as players, fans and coaches. The NFL panders to our military and police, and has watched viewership decline over 9% compared to last year. The gods will choose to watch a game Saturday instead, more on that at the end. (coincidentally, the Eagles have a bye).
The 4 major Service Academies (Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) all have admissions rates that make many of the US News top 25 colleges and universities envious. Coast Guard (which is no breeze) has the highest acceptance rate at 16%. These famed places are building our future leaders of tomorrow. The alumni networks of these academies are extremely strong, and have placement rates into top business schools only to be matched historically by Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford.
The admissions process is much, much different. All require fitness tests (6 events: sprinting, a mile run, sit-ups, push-ups, throwing a basketball from the knees and pull-ups) and medical exams administered by Pentagon-approved doctors. All, except the Coast Guard Academy, require nominations, which usually come from members of Congress. Congressional offices will usually require interviews, sometimes with the member of Congress themselves, but more often with an aide or an appointed panel of veterans. Of the new cadets at West Point, nearly 1,200 — about 9 of 10 — had earned varsity letters, and 808 had been varsity team captains. Roughly the same numbers are true at the Naval, Coast Guard and Air Force Academies. Cadets basic training is a six-week crash course in soldiering that plebes know as Beast.
Oh, and the academics are no joke either. These students are fully subsidized by the government, except for a small amount to cover uniform costs. They earn every penny. This is not college, but a way of life. Building character, mental and physical toughness and esprit de corps. All good characteristics that employers desire. These are not regular college student athletes. They have chosen a more challenging path and that is why they will likely be future leaders in whatever endeavor they choose.
We STAND and salute the following dozen players from SEPA playing at “military academies”:
ARMY West Point (2): Hatboro resident from Wood, Chadds Ford resident from Tatnall DE.
USNA (NAVY) (4): Philadelphia resident from Wood, Doylestown resident from Wood, Glen Mills resident from Unionville and Pennsbury kid playing Sprint football.
COAST GUARD ACADEMY (CGA) (3): Jamison resident from CB South, Kennett Square resident from Kennett, Glen Mills resident from SJP.
UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY (USMMA) (2): Ambler resident from Germantown Academy, Warrington resident from CB South
Lastly, we had a difficult time trying to confirm a Bucks County or Montgomery County address but wanted to acknowledge another young man that graduated from North Penn that is attending VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE (VMI).
Six of the twelve (half) are playing FBS football, the highest level. 5 are at the non-scholarship Division III level and the carpetbagger is playing FCS. It is worth noting that Steve has been lampooned (see STEVE’S VERDICT) but has delivered many kids to college rosters. Including three (25%) of these great young role models. Nice work. Two more are from CB South.
We also salute former SEPA players and servicemen. Kuberski, Eckel, et alia. This list is long and distinguished. Feel free to give a shout out to your favorites.
In a few weeks, on December 9th, the 118th Army Navy game will be played. 86 of the 117 contests have taken place in the City of Brotherly Love. Special game with very special meaning with a great history in our back yard. Navy leads the all-time series 60-50-7. Coolest tradition in this “battle” is the “losing team” joins the victors in singing their alma mater to its students as a sign of solidarity.
In closing, it is worth noting that there is a noon game to be played tomorrow on ESPN3. It is the Division III version of Army Navy. It is called The Secretaries Cup and it pits the aforementioned USMMA versus CGA. 5 SEPA kids in the mix. Awesome that it is played on Veterans Day. There are no losers in this game. The 4-4 Mariners travel to New London, CT to take on the 3-6 Bears. Historically, they first played in 1949, but the Secretaries Cup moniker became official in 1981 and they have played every season ever since. USMMA leads the all-time series 31-14 and leads 24-12 in The Cup contests. Great kids representing our area and country and playing for the love of the game. The gods have it queued up on the DVR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Albright (16 rostered players from SEPA—including the kneeler) was all over the news in October for what may have been an overblown media portrayal of kneeling during the Star-Spangled Banner. Regardless of your view or opinion, we STAND and salute our current and former service men and women. We are grateful for the liberties provided by those that fought for our freedom and the privilege of enjoying the game of football as players, fans and coaches. The NFL panders to our military and police, and has watched viewership decline over 9% compared to last year. The gods will choose to watch a game Saturday instead, more on that at the end. (coincidentally, the Eagles have a bye).
The 4 major Service Academies (Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) all have admissions rates that make many of the US News top 25 colleges and universities envious. Coast Guard (which is no breeze) has the highest acceptance rate at 16%. These famed places are building our future leaders of tomorrow. The alumni networks of these academies are extremely strong, and have placement rates into top business schools only to be matched historically by Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford.
The admissions process is much, much different. All require fitness tests (6 events: sprinting, a mile run, sit-ups, push-ups, throwing a basketball from the knees and pull-ups) and medical exams administered by Pentagon-approved doctors. All, except the Coast Guard Academy, require nominations, which usually come from members of Congress. Congressional offices will usually require interviews, sometimes with the member of Congress themselves, but more often with an aide or an appointed panel of veterans. Of the new cadets at West Point, nearly 1,200 — about 9 of 10 — had earned varsity letters, and 808 had been varsity team captains. Roughly the same numbers are true at the Naval, Coast Guard and Air Force Academies. Cadets basic training is a six-week crash course in soldiering that plebes know as Beast.
Oh, and the academics are no joke either. These students are fully subsidized by the government, except for a small amount to cover uniform costs. They earn every penny. This is not college, but a way of life. Building character, mental and physical toughness and esprit de corps. All good characteristics that employers desire. These are not regular college student athletes. They have chosen a more challenging path and that is why they will likely be future leaders in whatever endeavor they choose.
We STAND and salute the following dozen players from SEPA playing at “military academies”:
ARMY West Point (2): Hatboro resident from Wood, Chadds Ford resident from Tatnall DE.
USNA (NAVY) (4): Philadelphia resident from Wood, Doylestown resident from Wood, Glen Mills resident from Unionville and Pennsbury kid playing Sprint football.
COAST GUARD ACADEMY (CGA) (3): Jamison resident from CB South, Kennett Square resident from Kennett, Glen Mills resident from SJP.
UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY (USMMA) (2): Ambler resident from Germantown Academy, Warrington resident from CB South
Lastly, we had a difficult time trying to confirm a Bucks County or Montgomery County address but wanted to acknowledge another young man that graduated from North Penn that is attending VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE (VMI).
Six of the twelve (half) are playing FBS football, the highest level. 5 are at the non-scholarship Division III level and the carpetbagger is playing FCS. It is worth noting that Steve has been lampooned (see STEVE’S VERDICT) but has delivered many kids to college rosters. Including three (25%) of these great young role models. Nice work. Two more are from CB South.
We also salute former SEPA players and servicemen. Kuberski, Eckel, et alia. This list is long and distinguished. Feel free to give a shout out to your favorites.
In a few weeks, on December 9th, the 118th Army Navy game will be played. 86 of the 117 contests have taken place in the City of Brotherly Love. Special game with very special meaning with a great history in our back yard. Navy leads the all-time series 60-50-7. Coolest tradition in this “battle” is the “losing team” joins the victors in singing their alma mater to its students as a sign of solidarity.
In closing, it is worth noting that there is a noon game to be played tomorrow on ESPN3. It is the Division III version of Army Navy. It is called The Secretaries Cup and it pits the aforementioned USMMA versus CGA. 5 SEPA kids in the mix. Awesome that it is played on Veterans Day. There are no losers in this game. The 4-4 Mariners travel to New London, CT to take on the 3-6 Bears. Historically, they first played in 1949, but the Secretaries Cup moniker became official in 1981 and they have played every season ever since. USMMA leads the all-time series 31-14 and leads 24-12 in The Cup contests. Great kids representing our area and country and playing for the love of the game. The gods have it queued up on the DVR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE