AIR FORCE ACADEMY — There was a time, before any of today’s players at Navy or Air Force were in school, that the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy seemed to have a permanent place in the trophy case outside of Colorado Springs.
Leading up to 2003, Air Force had won or retained the trophy in competition with Army and Navy for 12 of 13 years. But since 2003, Navy has made the trophy a fixture in Annapolis, Md.
The first game of the series to determine if Navy can win the trophy for a sixth straight year is Saturday at Falcon Stadium.
“Over the last five years, Navy has fought for it, worked for it, recruited for it, earned it,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said, “and that’s why the trophy resides in Annapolis.”
Six of Calhoun’s assistant coaches played for Air Force, and their combined record against Navy was 15-2. If Calhoun’s time as an Air Force player is added to the mix, the advantage jumps to 19-2.
But none of Air Force’s coaches, including Calhoun, has been on the winning sideline as a coach against Navy.
“It’s going to come down to the fourth quarter,” said defensive coordinator Tim DeRuy-ter, an AFA defensive end from 1982-84. “Navy has made the plays in the fourth quarter. Confidence could be a factor. They’ve taken that from us and we have to take it back.”
Added tight ends coach Ben Miller, an AFA offensive tackle from 1999-2001: “The momentum has swung so much to their favor. The Navy players are coming into the game saying, ‘We’ve beat these guys five years in a row and we’ll beat them again.’ ”
AFA co-offensive coordinator Blane Morgan and receivers coach Mike Thiessen were the Falcons’ starting quarterbacks from 1997-2000. Thiessen, who was the starter in 1999 and 2000, said the Falcons used to have the swagger Navy now owns in the series.
“The fact that we hadn’t lost to them, we kind of approached every game that we would win,” Thiessen said. “As a coach, you still feel as if you have a lot to do with the outcome and what’s going on. It’s not like you’re up in the stands and helpless.”
Morgan was 20-3 as a starter from 1997-98, including 3-0 against the service academies.
“When I played it wasn’t any bigger or smaller of a game than it needed to be,” Morgan said. “Everybody knows what you’re playing for. It comes down to four or five plays and one team makes them and one team doesn’t. We blocked a punt to beat them my junior year (10-7).”
Former Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge experienced both ends of the spectrum, the winning side as a junior in 2002 but losing in 2003, which was started the Falcons’ current losing streak.
“It was a nicer experience being on the winning end, but not so nice being on the losing end when it counted,” Harridge said, noting that the loss as a senior erased a trip to the White House to receive the trophy. “I still catch a lot of heat from other Air Force players who never lost to either Army or Navy.”
Irv Moss: 303-954.1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
