Jake Zuzek led a Navy attack that has won 11 straight over Army. Photo by Jesse Simmers/contrastphotography.com

The 113th Installment of the fabled Army-Navy game was as good a rivalry game as you will ever see. There were great plays by both teams on both sides of the ball and there were mistakes by both teams…Army made the last mistake and that was the difference as Navy edged the Black Knights 17-13 in front of a standing-room only crowd of 69,607.

Trailing with 4:34 left in the fourth quarter, Army started a drive from their own 17 and Navy’s defense, looking tired, had no answers. The Black Knights move the ball all the way to the Navy 14-tard line and seemed on their way to a comeback victory.

On a first and 10 with 1:20 left in the game, quarterback Trent Steelman mishandled the handoff to Larry Nixon who fumbled and the Midshipmen recovered.

Navy ran out the clock and Army (2-10) had lost its 11th straight game to Navy (8-4).

While the Nation enjoyed the ancient military rivalry, the Delaware Valley had its own rivalry going within the game between outstanding players from West Catholic: Running back Raymond Maples for Army and guard Jake Zuzek for Navy.

In 2008 both players were key members of a Burrs squad that was coached by Brian Fluck and reached the PIAA AA State Championship game, losing 35-34 to Wilmington in 2 overtimes. Zuzek played the second half and the overtimes with a broken leg.

That was the last time the two were on the same field as starters.

Maples said, despite the loss, it was nice to see Zuzek doing well.

“Playing with Jake was great,” Maples said. “He did such a great job in high school. Watching him on the field today, Jake is the man. He’s like 318 pounds now. ..a big fellow. I know what kind of heart Jake has, I am just proud of him.”

Maples was asked if he spoke to Zuzek after the game. “Yeah, Jake and I are real cool. He was my center for three years. In high school, so we’re real tight.”

When it is all said and done, Maples will go down as one of if not the best runners in West Point history. The junior tailback rushed for 1,066 yards in 2011. He followed that up with 1059 yards on 196 carries entering the Navy game.

Maples registered his 10th 100-yard game against Navy last Saturday finishing with 156 yards on 27 carries.

Maples said he knows he played well but he made at least one mistake that impacted the game more than his yards.

“I had a good day but I also had a turnover in the first half,” Maples said. “Games like this, every turnover, every yard counts. Who knows what would have happened if I didn’t turn that ball over.  I know I had over a hundred yards myself but the loss makes it much less meaningful.

“It hurts because we were practicing and practicing,” Maples continued. “Every year we come close but we can’t capitalize, and that is what it comes down to, capitalizing on the breaks and we didn’t do that.”

Zuzek’s bio says he is “football smart.” He showed this season that you don’t have to be able to run a 4.4 40-yard dash to have an impact.

When at West Catholic, Zuzek was a dominant lineman who helped lead one of the most prolific high school offenses to ever play in the Philadelphia City Leagues.

With Zuzek clearing paths, the 2008 Burrs squad had Maples teamed with Rob Holloman (Kent State) and Curtis Drake (Penn State) to form trio of 1,000-yard rushers … first team in city history to accomplish that feat …Zuzek helped the offense score state-best 997 total points.

Earlier this season, Zuzek fell on the ball after Keenan Reynolds fumbled into the end zone in overtime against Air Force. His touchdown gave Navy the win and a leg up to win the Commander-In-Chief Trophy.

The 6-foot-0, 318-pounder fell on another fumble on Navy’s opening drive of the third quarter. Had Army recovered, the outcome could have been different.

“When Jake fell on the ball to score against Air Force, I just said ‘thank you Jake,’ Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “I said it again today. Jake is a smart player and always aware of what is going on around him.”

Zuzek, who played special teams last year, said it was great to see his former high school teammate doing well.

“Raymond had a great game,” Zuzek said. “He came out and played just like he did at West Catholic just running all over the place. But I’m glad we won and he didn’t for a change.”

Zuzek said it is a great experience to play in the Army-Navy game, especially when it is in Philadelphia.

“Just coming out and getting to play in the Linc, having all my friends and family here, it was a great experience,” Zuzek said. “It’s a lot different than at West Catholic playing in front of a thousand people instead of 69,000 people here. And playing in front of my home town is really a great experience.”

Jake Zuzek is part of an offensive line that has led Navy to a No. 6 national ranking in rushing offense, averaging 285.45 yards per game going into the Army game.

Won’t take job for granted. Zuzek was asked if the right guard spot was his for the next two years. “That’s what I want to say but you never know,” Zuzek said. “Every job is open every year.”

Zuzek says he stays in touch with his high school coach and said Fluck stays more in touch with his parents. “I know he had tickets to the game,” Zuzek said. “And I am glad he got to see the both of us play.”

Maples also said he stays in touch with Coach Fluck, who won a state title in 2010.

“I talk to him a lot,” Maples said of Fluck. “He’s a good coach. We were tight in high school; he calls on me every time we’re in town.”

Army’s season is over. The Midshipmen though have a post season Bowl date with Arizona State December 29, 2012 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco.

Zuzek said that game was not on his or anyone at Navy’s radar screen.

“The past three weeks we’ve been all about Army,” Zuzek said. “It was cool to find out who we play on the bowl game, but it’s been absolutely everything Army the past three weeks.”

Zuzek said Navy will take the win even though the Army players were saying they handed it to Navy…that the Black Knights were the better team.

“People can call it luck, they can call it anything they want,” Zuzek said. “But we got the ‘W’ at the end of the day. We pushed through; it was a hard-fought game. We knew no matter what, even if Army had not won any games all season that they would give us a game at the end of the week. We just came out and played Navy football.”

Again.