Army Football Pays Tribute on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11

by Warren Rosenberg - MetroSports Magazine, September 11, 2021

On September 11, 2021, the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States, all on hand at West Point’s Michie Stadium helped honor America, honor the lives lost, and recognize the heroic efforts of those who work to keep us safe in a touching pre-game tribute.

Photo Credit: GoArmyWestPoint Instagram

Everyone in attendance in the stands was given an American flag to wave during the pre-game tribute. Every member of the Army Black Knights football team ran onto the field proudly carrying an American flag and were joined by Yonkers firefighter and 9/11 first responder, Steve Trizano and U.S. Marine Rocky Sickmann, one of the hostages held in Iran at the end of the Carter administration.

Photo Credit: West Point Cadet Media Group

This was also the first game held at Michie Stadium with a full capacity crowd of over 25,000 in almost two years due to Covid pandemic restrictions. With seven New York Metro area cadets on the Black Knights roster, and under the guidance of head coach Jeff Monken, the Black Knights captured their second win of the season in a tight game against Western Kentucky with the final score of 38-35. It was the first time that Army has beaten Western Kentucky in their four meetings and the fourth time in Coach Monken’s eight year tenure that Army has started a season with back-to-back wins. It was also the Black Knights eleventh straight win at Michie Stadium.

Celebrating the win over Western Kentucky on 09/11/21 Photo Credit: GoArmyWestPoint Instagram

Team members hailing from the New York Metro region include quarterback Christian Anderson out of Cardinal Hayes high school in the Bronx, offensive linebacker Jimmy Carlo from St. Joseph’s Regional high school in Ringwood N.J., wide receiver Isiah Alston who played his high school ball at Mater Dei Prep in Carteret, N.J., running back Justin Lescouflair from Freeport N.Y and Freeport Senior high school, cornerback Bo Nicolas-Paul from Hillside high school in Irvington, N.J., linebacker Tyler Rafferty from nearby Newburgh N.Y. and the Newburgh Free Academy, and defensive back Damon Washington out of the Blair Academy in East Brunswick, N.J.

Bronx native Christian Anderson had a stellar performance and was named named Player of the Game. Army head coach Jeff Monken tweeted "tough, gritty performance by senior QB Christian Anderson in the victory over WKU. ⁦@ArmyWP_Football⁩ Player of the Game rushed for career-high 119 yds. and passed for 77 yds and a TD. " Thankful for the guidance provided by his high school coaching staff, Anderson commented, "Always give thanks to my Hayes family - wouldn’t be where I am without them."

Above: Christian Anderson. Photo Credit: GoArmyWestPoint.com

Could it be that the Army Black Knights are on their way to claiming consecutive Commander-in-Chief’s trophies having won that honor in 2020. MetroSports Magazine’s John Chuhran was on-hand in 2018 when the Black Knights received their previous Commander-in-Chief’s trophy from president Donald J. Trump. The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the American college footballl series among the teams of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY (Army Black Knights), the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD (Navy Midshipmen) and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO (Air Force Falcons).

Above: Army Black Knights receiving 2018 Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

Next up for the Black Knights are the UConn Huskies at Michie Stadium on Saturday, September 18th.