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Army defeat Navy 34-30
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Posted on Dec 07 1998
PHILADELPHIA— Army vs. Navy is supposed to more than just a game, but not like this.
Army beat Navy 34-30 Saturday, but the highest-scoring game in the 99-year history of the rivalry was marred by an accident in which nine people fell out of the stands and were injured.
The accident occurred after Ty Amey’s 70-yard touchdown run gave Army a 31-30 lead. A railing in the east end zone gave way, and Army cadets and prep students fell about 15 feet onto the field. The extent of the injuries wasn’t immediately known.
After a 31-minute delay, Eric Olsen’s 26-yard field goal provided the final margin as Army (3-8) avenged last year’s 39-7 loss to Navy (3-8) at Giants Stadium.
Army came back from a 30-19 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter, preventing the Midshipmen from winning consecutive games in the series for the first time since 1982-83. It was Army’s sixth victory in the last seven years, and the sixth game in the 1990s decided by fewer than five points.
Army’s Tony Coaxum atoned for getting burned for an earlier touchdown with an interception that stopped Navy’s desperation drive with three seconds left.
But the scary accident cast a somber tone over the postgame celebration.
The uniformed fans were cheering for television cameras after Army took a 31-30 lead on a Amey’s 70-yard TD run with 7:33 left in the game. A railing in the first row of the east end zone gave way, causing the personnel to fall.
Several stretchers were summoned, and the game was suspended with 6:08 left as four ambulances drove onto the field. CBS reported that the worst injury was a broken leg.
The injured were four cadets from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and five students from academy prep school in Fort Monmouth, N.J., said Army’s sports information department.
Gerald Ravitz, father of Army co-captain Neil Ravitz, was on the field and said he saw the first person to hit the ground.
“It could have been my kid in the stands,” said Ravitz, in tears.
Associated Press
