Navy Rugby Overwhelms Air Force, 78-0, to Retain Lt. Col. Kevin Shea Memorial Cup

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Navy men’s rugby turned its service-academy rivalry with Air Force into a showcase Friday evening, rolling to a 78-0 victory at the Prusmack Rugby Center and retaining the Lt. Col. Kevin Shea Memorial Cup for the eighth consecutive meeting.

The Midshipmen improved to 2-0 with their second straight shutout to begin the season. Five Navy players — Andrew Baublitz, Ian Bullock, Sean Donohue, Jake Cornelius and Adam Mertens — scored two tries apiece as the Mids piled up 12 tries and controlled the match from beginning to end.

The significance went well beyond the final score. Navy and Air Force met on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, adding another layer of meaning to an already important matchup between the two service academies.

Navy director of rugby Gavin Hickie called the occasion “incredibly special,” noting the significance of playing a fellow service academy at home on the anniversary.

Navy Takes Control Immediately

Air Force never had an opportunity to settle into the match.

Following an early Falcons knock-on, Navy used quick and efficient passing to create space for Baublitz. The senior center finished the possession with the opening try just before the five-minute mark.

Kade Williams converted to give Navy a 7-0 advantage.

Only four minutes later, the Midshipmen struck again. Navy turned a lineout into a powerful maul, and Bullock finished the possession with a try. Williams added another conversion, and Navy had built a 14-0 advantage less than nine minutes into the contest.

The early scores established the pattern for the entire evening. Navy pressured Air Force defensively, forced mistakes and continually turned those mistakes into scoring opportunities.

Defense Creates More Offense

Navy’s defense was just as impressive as its attack.

The Midshipmen repeatedly forced Air Force into turnovers and spent much of the first half operating in Falcons territory. That pressure produced Navy’s third try when Donohue took advantage of an intercepted Air Force lineout and scored in the 18th minute.

Navy continued pushing forward.

Dalton Sand collected a pass following a five-meter maul and crossed the line in the 25th minute. Williams converted, extending Navy’s advantage to 26-0.

The Midshipmen needed only about two more minutes to score again.

Bullock broke through the Air Force defense for his second try, making him the first Navy player to record multiple tries in the match. Williams’ conversion pushed the score to 33-0.

Navy was not finished.

Mids Turn Air Force Yellow Card Into Points

Air Force’s problems increased when the Falcons were assessed a yellow card, leaving Navy with an opportunity to attack with a numerical advantage.

The Midshipmen capitalized.

Operating from a five-meter scrum, Donohue moved the ball to Cornelius, who crossed the try line in the 35th minute. Williams again converted, and Navy’s advantage reached 40-0.

The Mids then delivered one more blow before halftime.

Following a stolen Air Force lineout, Navy quickly attacked and found Baublitz with space. He ran in untouched as the first half expired, recording his second try and sending Navy into halftime with a commanding 45-0 lead.

Seven tries in 40 minutes had effectively decided the outcome.

Navy’s combination of physicality, discipline and speed left Air Force without an answer.

Second Half Brings More of the Same

A 45-point advantage did nothing to slow the Midshipmen after halftime.

Baublitz began the second half by breaking deep into Air Force territory. His run eventually created an opportunity for Cornelius, who finished the possession with his second try in the 45th minute.

Williams converted, extending the lead to 52-0.

Two minutes later, Mertens joined the scoring barrage. The senior lock broke free down the sideline and crossed the line for Navy’s ninth try. Another Williams conversion made it 59-0.

Mertens was not finished.

Another stolen Air Force lineout gave Navy possession, and Cornelius found Mertens in space. Mertens scored his second try in the 54th minute, pushing the margin to 64-0.

At that point, four Midshipmen had already scored twice.

Donohue soon became the fifth.

Donohue Adds His Second

Navy continued dominating the scrum and possession battle as the match moved past the 55-minute mark.

Donohue took the ball directly from a Navy scrum and crossed for his second try in the 59th minute. Sam Pirkl, who had entered from the bench, converted to extend Navy’s lead to 71-0.

That gave Baublitz, Bullock, Cornelius, Mertens and Donohue two tries each.

Those five players accounted for 10 of Navy’s 12 tries.

It was an extraordinary display of balance. Instead of relying on one player to generate the offense, Navy attacked Air Force from multiple positions and consistently found different ways to break down the Falcons defense.

Reserves Finish the Rout

Even as Hickie turned to his reserves, Navy continued producing.

Pirkl helped create the final score of the evening when he found sophomore Noah Wiidakas open for a try in the 62nd minute. Pirkl converted again, bringing the score to 78-0.

Neither team scored over the remainder of the match.

For Hickie, the contributions from Navy’s younger players were an encouraging part of the performance. He said it was satisfying to see them becoming integrated into the squad while continuing their development.

The depth could become particularly important as Navy moves into the Rugby East portion of its schedule.

Williams Controls the Kicking Game

With Navy scoring 12 tries, the kicking performance could easily get overlooked.

Williams made sure the Midshipmen consistently added the extra points.

The senior flyhalf/fullback converted seven kicks, accounting for 14 points. Pirkl added two conversions after entering the match, giving Navy nine successful conversions overall.

Williams has taken over the kicking responsibilities this season and has quickly established himself in the role. In Navy’s 50-0 season-opening victory against St. Bonaventure, he converted six of seven conversion attempts and added a penalty kick for a team-high 15 points.

Navy has now scored 128 points in its first two official matches while allowing none.

That is a remarkable 128-0 scoring margin to begin the season.

Historic Numbers for Navy

The 78-0 victory was not simply another lopsided win. It earned a place in Navy’s record book.

Navy’s 78 points and 12 tries both tied for the fourth-highest single-game totals in program history. Its nine conversions tied for third most, while the 78-point margin equaled the third-largest victory in program history.

The Midshipmen also posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Navy accomplished the feat that year with a 78-0 victory against Notre Dame followed by a 117-0 win over Delaware.

This year’s team has now opened with a 50-0 win against St. Bonaventure and a 78-0 victory against Air Force.

The numbers show just how dominant Navy has been through the opening two matches.

Navy Continues Dominance of Air Force

Perhaps the most impressive trend is Navy’s continued control of its rivalry with Air Force.

The teams were competing for the Lt. Col. Kevin Shea Memorial Cup for the 13th time. Navy first won the trophy matchup 24-10 in 2011, while Air Force’s most recent victory came by a 32-31 score in 2016.

Navy has won every meeting since.

The Midshipmen beat Air Force 46-7 in 2017, 38-22 in 2018, 81-5 in 2019, 65-0 in 2021, 71-0 in 2022, 50-8 in 2023 and 79-14 in 2024. Friday’s 78-0 victory extended that streak to eight consecutive meetings.

Since Navy elevated men’s rugby to varsity status in 2022, the series has been especially one-sided.

Navy has defeated Air Force 71-0, 50-8, 79-14 and now 78-0 in the four meetings since becoming a varsity program.

That gives the Midshipmen a combined 278-22 advantage over Air Force during those four games.

Remembering Lt. Col. Kevin Shea

The trophy itself carries substantial meaning for both service academies.

Lt. Col. Kevin Shea graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1989, where he lettered in football and played rugby. He participated in the 1987 Freedom Bowl and was a member of Air Force’s 1989 collegiate national championship rugby team. Shea was nominated for a Bronze Star with valor before his death.

Playing for a trophy bearing Shea’s name already makes Navy-Air Force rugby different from an ordinary regular-season match.

Playing it on Sept. 11 made Friday’s meeting even more significant.

Navy honored that occasion with one of the most complete performances in program history.

Another Strong Start for Navy

The Midshipmen have quickly established themselves as a team to watch again nationally.

Navy opened the season by defeating St. Bonaventure 50-0 on Aug. 29. Seven different players scored tries in that victory, while the defense forced turnovers on all five St. Bonaventure possessions that reached Navy’s 22-meter area.

After an exhibition victory over the Potomac Exiles Rugby Club, Navy returned to official competition and produced an even more dominant result against Air Force.

The expectations surrounding the program are understandably high.

Navy reached the CRAA Division I-A national championship game last spring before falling 36-22 to California. The Midshipmen finished that campaign 11-2 after advancing through the national playoffs.

Navy also knows what winning a national championship requires. The program captured its first Division I-A national championship in 2023, completing an 18-0 season with a 28-22 victory over California.

This year’s team has a long way to go before it can begin thinking about another championship appearance, but consecutive shutouts are an excellent place to start.

Rugby East Play Begins Next

Navy’s next challenge comes away from Annapolis.

The Midshipmen travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, to face Mary Washington at noon Saturday, Sept. 19. The match will mark Navy’s first Rugby East Conference contest of the season and its first road match.

Mary Washington will represent a different challenge, particularly with Navy playing away from the Prusmack Rugby Center for the first time this fall.

After that, one of the biggest matches on Navy’s schedule arrives.

The Midshipmen return to Annapolis on Sept. 26 to face Army in the annual Star Game.

Before worrying about Army, however, Navy will turn its attention toward opening conference play successfully against Mary Washington.

MSB Take

Navy did much more than beat Air Force. The Midshipmen completely controlled every meaningful phase of this rivalry matchup.

Scoring 78 points will grab everyone’s attention, but the zero on the other side of the scoreboard may be even more impressive. Navy has played two official matches this season and has not surrendered a single point. The Mids have outscored St. Bonaventure and Air Force by a combined 128-0.

The balance offensively is also difficult to ignore. Baublitz, Bullock, Donohue, Cornelius and Mertens all scored twice. Sand and Wiidakas added tries, Williams handled most of the conversion duties and Pirkl came off the bench and immediately contributed.

That is not an offense dependent on one star. Navy can attack from seemingly everywhere.

There is also no minimizing what this rivalry means. Navy has now retained the Lt. Col. Kevin Shea Memorial Cup eight consecutive times, and doing so with a 78-0 victory on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 made this particular meeting especially memorable.

Navy entered this season coming off another appearance in the national championship game. Two matches do not determine whether the Midshipmen will get back there, but this is about as impressive a start as anyone could ask for.

Now comes Rugby East play, beginning with Mary Washington.

If Navy continues combining this kind of defense, depth and scoring balance, the Midshipmen are going to be an extremely difficult team to beat.