By Joseph P Cirone

ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 1, 2008) – A contingent of 10 to 18 year old male and female members of the Washington Navy Yard-based Henry E. Mooberry Division of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps attended a U.S. Naval Academy Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) program to expose the Sea Cadets to the academy and emphasize its academic disciplines.

Following the day-long program, the Sea Cadets helped cheer the academy’s football team on to an exciting 33-27 victory during its final home game, which extended into overtime, against the Temple University Owls.

U.S. Naval Academy football players mix it up with Temple University during the exciting game. Photo by Joseph P Cirone

27 Sea Cadet members went to the academy’s STEM program, learning about Naval Architecture; Aerodynamics; Time, Speed and Distance calculations; Robotics and Fluid Dynamics, during classroom and hands-on laboratory sessions.

Cadets Farzam and Plata (left to right) operate a submersible robotic “vessel” designed in the Naval Academy’s Robotics Lab. Photo by Joseph P Cirone

Following the academic sessions ashore, the Sea Cadets got underway on an academy training vessel, YP-696, for a cruise down to Severn River into Chesapeake Bay, before returning to Annapolis.

Cadet Thompson (left) steers YP-696 down the Severn River, while Brazilian Navy Lieutenant Commander Julio Petrrotta, an International Exchange Officer at the Naval Academy (right) serves as the forward lookout watch officer. Photo by Joseph P Cirone

During the cruise, the Sea Cadets learned about vessel operations, electronic charting, radar and how to properly apply navigational “rules of the road,” while dodging the many sail and power vessels also sharing the waterway. Sea Cadets had the opportunity to learn about the functions of a Combat Information Center (CIC) and steer the vessel as a helmsman – using electronic and “sailor’s-eye” navigation.

Cadet Griffin hooks wires to a battery to allow a submersible robotic vessel to operate in the Naval Academy’s test pool. Photo by Joseph P Cirone

Once ashore, the Sea Cadets marched a mile and a half from the academy to the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to help cheer the Naval Academy Midshipmen onto victory during an exciting football game – their final home game of the 2008 season, in front of a near capacity crowd of 34,775 in the 35,000 seat stadium.

Brazilian Navy Lieutenant Commander Julio Petrrotta, points out features inside the wheelhouse of YP-696 to Sea Cadet personnel during a cruise down the Severn River. Photo by Joseph P. Cirone

Following the pre-game ceremonies which included the traditional march of the Corps of Cadets onto the field, the flyover by a C-130 aircraft from VR-53 based at Naval Air Facility Andrews, and the recognition of First Classmen playing their final home game, the game started with the Midshipmen quickly putting points on the scoreboard and the Owls matching it. Both sides battled into halftime, with the score remaining 7-7.

The third quarter and most of the fourth were commanded by Temple, outgunning Navy by two touchdowns, leading 14 points and doing its best to show Navy and its hometown fans that the “invaders” were a force to be reckoned with and not just “fly-by-night” Owls.

Possibly recalling famous quotes from naval history lessons, such as “We have not yet begun to fight,” when it intercepted a Temple pass and ran it into the end zone, Navy defense showed Temple that Annapolis was indeed a Navy town and all “invaders” would be successfully repelled. The interception brought Navy to within seven points of a tie game.

The Midshipmen, perhaps inspired by the impressionable minds, enthusiastic cheering of support and stomping of feet on the aluminum bleachers by the Sea Cadets looking on, just feet from the team’s field position, combined aerial tactics and a ground game, with the precision of a SEAL platoon, doing everything it took to get the ball into the end zone, tying the game, 27-27, with one minute, 37 seconds left on the game clock.

With just over 30 seconds left in the game, the Temple offense was held in place by a strong and determined Navy defense. After two failed attempts to gain yardage, Temple elected to run the final seconds of the game’s clock out and try its best in overtime.

Winning the coin toss, Temple began the fifth quarter (overtime) on offense. Amid tremendous excitement from both teams and their fans, and in spite of coming within inches of the goal line, Navy’s defense, stubborn as goats, full of adrenaline and with the loud support of its home crowd proved too tough for Temple to overcome.

Navy’s possession of the ball was equally exciting. Even Bill the Goat was pacing back and forth during the tense minutes between plays. Driving toward the goal line with the determination of a Marine company taking an enemy held beach during an amphibious landing, Navy’s fourth down attempt to cross the few inches into the end zone were breathtaking and successful. The stands erupted into cheers and the Sea Cadets jumped with joy, displaying pride of “their” Navy and Marine Corps shipmates.

Sea Cadets throw their hands in the air and express joy for their Navy and Marine-Corps shipmates, following the tie-breaking touchdown made by the Naval Academy Midshipmen football team offense against the Temple University Owls, in its final home game for the 2008 season, in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, before a near-capacity crowd of 33,775 people. Photo by Joseph P. Cirone

Navy conducted the biggest fourth quarter comeback in the school’s long history, beating Temple and securing a spot in the Eagle Bank Bowl. “Simply unbelievable, how exciting” exclaimed Sea Cadet Ensign Janice K. Lavoie, the Sea Cadet unit’s medical officer and Fairfax County, Virginia resident.