Mighty Oaks ‘overmatched in all phases’ against Navy Prep, but get to experience game day in a Division I stadium
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The game didn’t go anywhere near the way Salem CC football coach Jay Accorsi had hoped, so the best he could hope for is the players got something out of the experience.
The Mighty Oaks suffered their most lopsided loss of this inaugural season Friday when they fell to Navy Prep 52-0. Not even the defense that had kept them in games all year could help this time. The future Midshipmen probably had more points than the Mighty Oaks had yards.
“They’re really good,” Accorsi said. “When you play the service academies, especially at the end of the year with all the injuries we have – and we had a lot of injuries in the game – it is what it is. We’re not ready to full compete with some of these schools, but I thought it was a great experience.
“It was really the first game our defense was really on their heels; they (Navy Prep) were really exceptional up front on both sides of the ball. I was not sure what they would be like compared to Army Prep. They’re much different than Army Prep. They were more physical, more athletic up front. They were more disciplined. They ran the triple. They ran sprint. They were a handful.
“It was what it was. It was a great experience to be in the stadium. It was really a cool experience, except for the score and the game itself.”
It was a hard game. The Mighty Oaks were without Jimmy Wilson, the quarterback who played most of the last two games now ineligible for the rest of the season, and they lost an offensive lineman and two defensive linemen to injury. Cam Wright started the game at quarterback and did what he could and Kamaj Kearney played late.
“They were really good up front,” Accorsi said. “I was impressed with Army. Navy was really good on both sides of the ball up front. We tried to muster what we could, but we were just simply overmatched in all phases against them.”
The game was played at the U.S. Naval Academy’s Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, a 34,000-seat open-air bowl where the Midshipmen played North Texas the next day.
Approaching the stadium there’s a display of Navy jets, including one of the Blue Angels. Inside, the stadium is ringed with the names of memorable naval campaigns and plaques commemorating the ships that served as well as the usual accoutrements that go with a Division I venue.
“I think the players really got something out of it,” Accorsi said. “Not many junior colleges play in a Division I stadium. I don’t think any junior college’s football play in one of the service academies main stadium. Besides the game and the outcome and really being pressed, my hope was all the players got something out of it being in a Division I stadium at one of our service academies. I thought it would be really important to do and for our players to see what they’re trying to aspire to if they really want to get to other levels and do it.
“(Athletics director Bob Hughes) reminded me it was 372 days since they approved football when we played there, so to think 372 days got us to that point to play in that stadium with the team I think is still an accomplishment. We’ve got a long way to go with the coaching staff, we’ve got a long way to go with the roster, we’ve got a long way to go with the program, but I thought it was a pretty great milestone for the players and the coaches and everybody to be involved and be there.”
The Mighty Oaks (1-6) wrap up their inaugural season with another big task and another new experience. They play their final game Saturday at Erie CC in an overnight trip to Buffalo. The Kats are 5-2 and average 365 yards a game with a game tonight. Among the teams’ common opponents, Erie beat Sussex CC, lost to Nassau and split two close games with Hudson Valley
Quarterback Noah Willoughby has thrown for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. Reginald Hokes III is their leading receiver (19-303), but Hokes, Tristan Park and Troy Singleton-Burnett all have catches over 70 yards; Singleton-Burnett’s went for 92. Their leading rusher is Camren Warburton (292 yards).
