By Pat Mariboe
Senior Writer
The Shoremen moved away from the basketball court and onto the football field last month when they attended a Navy vs. UCF game.
“We had practice that morning at 7:30 a.m., then after we all went over to Coach Aaron Goodman’s house where he and his wife made food for us and we just hung out and watched some college football,” sophomore Alec Lewis said. “Then we left to go to the tailgate for the Navy game; we just threw the football around and then we went into the stadium like an hour before the game, then sat in the stands until the game started.”
Coach Goodman has a unique relationship with Navy, as he spent nine years as an assistant coach there prior to his appointment at Washington College.
Goodman’s connection has allowed the team to participate in exhibition games against his old school; the team will be returning to Navy on Nov. 22 to take on the Midshipmen.
“Coach Goodman was nice enough to set up a great day for us, getting tickets to the Navy vs. UCF game, two top teams in the conference,” junior Kevin McCormick said. “It was cool to see all the students march into the game and the fighter jets fly over. The Navy stadium is a great venue. The weather was nice and the game was exciting. It was a great experience for our team, spending the whole day together and watching two of the best teams in the country play each other.”
The Shoremen have been hard at work this preseason before their season opener against Salisbury on Nov. 15. While the team hopes their work in the gym translates onto the court, a sense of team bonding and unity is what really helps a team climb to the top.
“Going to the Navy game was awesome,” sophomore Austin Allen said. “It was something I’ve never experienced before and it was my first time ever going to a Navy game. We got to the game early and tailgated before, played football, and just had a great time. The most interesting part of the game was seeing the cadets march in and do their cadence. That was something I’ve never seen before and I thought it was really cool that they do that for every home game. As far as bonding, it was great. It honestly just felt good to relax with my teammates after practice and just get away from basketball for a bit.”