By Michael Hoffman

Military Times staff writer

WASHINGTON D.C. – Having already beaten Wake Forest once this year, it looked like Navy would waltz to an easy victory over the Demon Deacons in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl on Saturday at RFK Stadium after senior cornerback Rashawn King scooped up a fumble and sprinted into the end zone putting Navy ahead by 20 in the first half.

However, the touchdown, much like Navy’s lead, only proved temporary as Wake Forest, led by a perfect performance by quarterback Riley Skinner, rallied to beat Navy 29-19 as the Midshipmen finished the season 8-5.

King’s touchdown was called back after the referees reviewed the play and ruled Wake Forest fullback Mike Renfrette’s knee hit the turf before the ball squirted loose. It would have been King’s second touchdown of the afternoon in his first game back since his father, Drexel King, died suddenly two days before the Army-Navy game.

A Demon Deacon offense that has struggled all season and looked half asleep up to that point seemed to wake up once they got a second chance. Skinner and junior running back Kevin Harris, who ran for 136 yards, led Wake Forest on a 98-yard touchdown drive right before halftime cutting Navy’s lead to 13-7.

Up to that point, Navy had dominated every facet of the game.

“We wanted to jump on them early as we did last time,” said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo whose team led Wake Forest 17-0 at half in the two team’s first game of the season in which Navy won 24-17.

But like the first game, Wake Forest owned the second half and Skinner, who threw four interceptions in the first game, finished this afternoon without an incompletion on 11 attempts for 166 yards and a touchdown.

He torched Navy’s defense by evading the rush and giving his receivers time to sneak behind Navy’s secondary for multiple long completions.

Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green said he thought his defense had a coverage sack on the 44-yard pass Skinner had to wide receiver Chip Brinkman that set up a touchdown pass three plays later to tight end Ben Wooster in the fourth quarter, which put Wake Forest ahead to stay, 22-19.

“He did a good job of keeping the ball alive and scrambling. We had good coverage initially and I thought we had a sack, but then [Brinkman] comes all the way across the field. I give Skinner all the credit in the world,” Green said.

Before Wooster’s touchdown, Navy had wrestled back momentum and the lead after Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada ran in a touchdown from two yards out on third and goal. It was Navy’s first drive after Wake Forest had taken their first lead, 14-13, in the third quarter. The senior quarterback and three-year starter, who finished the day with 85 yards rushing, willed the Midshipmen back when he scampered 35 yards on the drive’s first play.

However, it wasn’t enough.

A fumble by Kaheaku-Enhada on fourth down with 1:51 remaining and Navy trailing by three ended the Midshipmen’s comeback effort. Two plays later, Wake Forest fullback Rich Belton put the Demon Deacons up by ten with a 35-yard touchdown run. Navy fans started heading to RFK Stadium’s exits shortly after.

“We just let it slip out of our fingers,” King said.

Despite the loss, King’s teammates and coaches said how happy they were to see King score a touchdown with his mother sitting in the stands watching.

“When he scooped up that ball and scored I had to hold back tears. If he would have gotten the second one, oh my gracious,” said Green, who holds a special bond with King and his family since he recruited and coached him.

King, who sat out the Army-Navy game to be with his family in Raleigh, N.C., said he received no pressure from coaches to play in the bowl game, but he knew he would have the strength when his mother traveled to D.C. to see her son play.

Immediately after he scored, King found his mother in the stands where they made eye contact on his way back to the sideline after scoring Navy’s first touchdown of the afternoon.

King makes up a senior class Niumatalolo described as “special” as it’s the third group of Navy seniors who have played in bowl games all four of their years at the Naval Academy.

Standing outside his team’s locker room shaking hands with his players as they walked out to the team bus, Niumatalolo reflected on those seniors and his first year as Navy’s head coach following Paul Johnson who left to coach at Georgia Tech.

“I knew If we just continued to do what we were doing we’d be okay and hopefully be successful so there could be some pride” in the football team throughout the Navy, Niumatalolo said.

Next year he said he is confident Navy’s football program will remain successful despite losing most of its offense to graduation including Kaheaku-Enhada, fullback Eric Kettani and slotback Shun White. However, backup quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who showed the potential to be Navy’s next star during games against Temple and Notre Dame, returns next year as a junior.

“We got some younger guys that can play,” Niumatalolo said. “I feel good about the guys that are coming up.”

Fighting back tears, he said this game didn’t change how he felt about those seniors and how it hurt to watch them take off their pads for the last time before pursuing careers in the Navy or Marine Corps.

“It’s pretty emotional because there is a finality to it,” he said. “Every year after a bowl game it’s pretty emotional in the locker room…We know they’ll be in harm’s way.”

Army again failed to have any answers for Navy’s option offense that featured two rushers who eclipsed the 100-yard mark and helped Navy march to is seventh straight victory over Army and sixth straight Commander-in-Chiefs trophy in the 109^th meeting between the service rivals.

Questions remained if Navy could continue to dominate Army after coach Paul Johnson, who revived the program in 2002, left for Georgia Tech last year. Earning a bowl bid, winning eight games and most importantly beating Army 34-0, first year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, a former assistant under Johnson, has resoundingly answered those questions.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our seniors. To play our rivals and shut them out, play the way we did in the most important game of the year and get a convincing win. It’s a great tribute to the seniors,” he said.

Navy’s defense, which is often overshadowed by its option offense, blanked the Black Knights in the most lopsided victory between the two academies since 1973 when Navy beat Army 51-0.

It was Navy’s punter, though, who played a large role in conserving the shutout midway through the first quarter after he watched the snap sail over his head and into Navy’s end zone.

Niumatalolo screamed from the sidelines for sophomore punter Kyle Delahooke to take the saftey. Delahooke didn’t listen. He calmly picked up the football and booted the ball to midfield with two Army players bearing down on him.

“I am yelling at him to take a safety, run out of bounds, don’t give up a touchdown, but the kid had enough composure to get the ball, to turn around and see he had time, and get it off,” Niumatalolo said. “I think that was the turning point of the game.”

Like it did all game, Army’s offense stalled on the next possession and punted back to a Navy team who had its starting senior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada back from a hamstring injury he has fought all year.

Sophomore Ricky Dobbs and senior captain Jarod Bryant had played well in his stead leading the team to two victories and almost a third over Notre Dame, but coaches decided on Thursday to start Kaheaku-Enhada when they saw he was healthy.

“Ricky has been playing great but there is an experience factor that Kaipo brings that you can’t coach. Kaipo has been through big games,” Niumatalolo said.

Kaheaku-Enhada orchestrated an offense that out gained Army with 430 total yards to the Black Knights 154. He threw for one touchdown and ran for 43-yards, but it was the way he read Army’s defense and knew when to stick it in fullback Eric Kettani’s gut or pitch to slotback Shun White that left Army chasing Navy ballcarriers all afternoon.

“Playing in this offense [Kaheaku-Enhada] knows what changes to make and knows how to read the defense. Not to take away anything from the other two guys, but I think he’s more fit for this offense,” White said.

White, who ran for 148 yards, broke out early scoring first for Navy on their first possession on a 65-yard touchdown run.

“Coming into the game coach wanted me to bust a long run. I told him if you give me the ball I’ll probably take one to the house,” he said. “I think it was a very important play because it got the offense going and from that point on it was like a steamroll.”

Niumatalolo said White’s run settled the team down after the pre-game ceremonies rife with pageantry that included flyovers by Air Force One, Navy FA-18 fighter jets, AH-64 Apaches helicopters and UH-1 Huey helicopters. The Army Golden Knight and Navy Leap Frog jump teams also landed on the field before kickoff.

President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were in attendance at the sold out Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia sitting on Army’s side first before the traditional crossing of the field at halftime to sit with Navy leaders.

Navy’s team played with heavy hearts despite the win after learning senior cornerback Rashawn King’s father, Drexel, died suddenly from a heart attack Thursday night at the family’s home in Raleigh, N.C. King returned to Raleigh to be with his family and didn’t play Saturday.

King’s father was close to many of the players often hosting tailgates after the team’s home games. Navy wore a black sticker with his initials D.K. on the back of their helmets.

“Drexel was a father figure to many players on our team,” Niumatalolo said. “His passing was more than just the passing of a player’s parent. A lot of guys knew him.”

Army entered the game confident they could end their losing streak to Navy as they played better in the second half of the season winning three of their last six.

Senior fullback Collin Mooney and sophomore quarterback Chip Bowden looked more comfortable in the option offense Army adopted this year, but Navy’s interior defense stuffed Mooney up the middle and appeared to confuse Bowden who ran for six yards on 14 carries.

Mooney was limited to 54 yards, but did set the Army single season rushing record with a one-yard run on the game’s final play surpassing former running back Mike Mayweather with 1,339 yards.

Meanwhile, Navy fullback Eric Kettani busted runs through the middle of Army’s porous defense totaling 125 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown.

Army coach Stan Brock, who switched to the option offense this year opposed to Army’s previous pro-style throwing offense, said the game against Navy would be a barometer for his team’s progress earlier this week.

But, after the game he said he didn’t think the difference between his team and Navy’s was 34 points. During the press conference he also hinted at the fact his job might be in jeopardy.

“I don’t think you can base our season and our growth on one football game. I don’t think the distance between the two academies is 34 points. We stick with the plan and hopefully I’m allowed to stick with the plan,” Brock said.

Meanwhile, Navy’s football program continues to ride its recent wave of success as it prepares to play in the EagleBank Bowl Game on Dec. 20 in Washington D.C. and White said the team is looking forward to its trip to the White House to accept the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy for the sixth straight year.

“Going to the White House is always a good thing for our team. We’re kind of making it our tradition now…hopefully after I leave they will visit again,” White said with a wide smile.

New “Enforcer” Jerseys

Both teams unveiled new Nike “Enforcer” jerseys with Army featuring camouflage pants and helmets with black tops and “DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY” written on their backs.

Navy’s uniform pants emulated the Marine Corps Elegant Dress Pants with anchors on their shoulders. Navy’s helmets remained gold.

White said he liked the new jerseys although they were a bit tight and he struggled to turn his head at first.

Kettani jokingly said Army’s new uniforms helped them blend into the field and he wasn’t a fan of their new helmets.

“I couldn’t see them really; they’re camouflaged,” Kettani said. “One guy caught me, it was like, ‘What’s going on?’ It freaked me out. Their helmets were kind of gross.”

As John Feinstein said two weeks ago when he sat down with the blog, “it’s just not Army Navy if the game isn’t close.” I just walked through the cadet corps and the disappointment of another loss is written on their faces. A third straight West Point senior class will graduate without seeing Army beat Navy with this loss.

Army again had great field position after kick returner Patrick Mealy ran Navy’s kickoff back 63 yards to the Navy 27. Army’s offense again couldn’t move the ball and didn’t score after a fake field goal failed.

If Army is going to have any chance to come back in the second half senior fullback Collin Mooney will need to get on track because he’s only rushed for 15 yards thus far. He’s run for 1,285 yards this season.

Army running back Ian Smith ripped off two decent runs, but other than that Navy’s defense has stifled Army’s rushing attack.

Navy has been able to move the ball led by quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada who returned from injury and started in place of sophomore quarterback Ricky Dobbs.  Navy drove the ball inside Army’s 10, but had to settle for a field goal after Army’s defense stiffened and kept the cadets in the game. This could have gotten ugly if Army would have fallen behind two touchdowns early, but Army quarterback Chip Bowden is going to need to get his offense to move the ball or this could be another blowout.

Considering Navy’s run of  dominance, Army’s confidence had to be shaky to start off with and the ease Navy showed scoring couldn’t’ have helped.

The corps of cadets are also sporting camouflage baseball caps to match their team.

Have to say the camouflage pattern looks better on the helmets than I thought, but the “duty, honor, country” on their backs is a bit of the top and makes them look like a walking recruiting billboard. What do you think?

Jason Watkins/staff

The cadets ran approximately 144 miles while the midshipmen ran approximately 123 miles.

Photo by Jason K. Watkins

Army’s team just ran out onto the field with their new Nike “enforcer uniforms that feature digital camouflage pants. The rumors about camouflage helmets to go along with the pants turned out to be untrue. Army stuck to the gold helmets.

Walking into the game today and talking to some alums about the potential change to cammie pants, there was mostly a negative sentiment about it.

Photo by Jason Watkins