Cadets hit the fields of friendly strife as they competed in five sports for the 2026 Fall Company Athletics Brigade Championships on Nov. 3 at Daly Field and the Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center (ACPDC).
The five sports featured in the brigade championships were functional fitness, soccer, submission grappling, basketball and flag football.
After the participating company teams were introduced at midfield on Daly Field and the national anthem was sung, teams headed to their respective competition areas to contend for brigade titles.
Company I-2 Moose and Company G-4 Guppies headed to ACPDC to compete for the basketball championship.
At one point in the second half, Co. G-4 took an 11-point lead but the Moose hung around and closed it to within three points. However, the Guppies pulled away in the end to take the title by the score of 42-35.
Team captain, Class of 2027 Cadet Daniel Perez, said winning with this group of company mates was “exceptionally special.”
“We were a very good team with four Firsties, playing with my classmates made this special experience extremely special,” Perez stated. “There are also underclassmen on the team who have played for the last few years and seeing them grow and develop as the season went on made the whole experience that much better.”
Perez detailed that their defense was the “single biggest factor” to their victory as they moved extremely well and maintained help side defense while playing disciplined throughout the game.
“Defense has been our strongest asset for the whole season, but it truly came together in the championship game against the best team we played all season,” Perez explained.
Class of 2027 Cadet Brendan Masini had an exceptional game, Perez declared, as he guarded almost every position using “his length and athleticism to limit their effectiveness.” On offense, Masini made the three biggest shots of game, including two corner jumpers coming out of the half and a three-pointer to ice the game in the final minutes.
Perez also credited Class of 2028 Cadets Kevin McFarland and Charles Grigsby for their play throughout the season and giving quality minutes while guarding the opposing team’s best players.
“They were extremely vocal throughout which made our team much closer and, ultimately, helped us play better as the season went on,” he said.
As for winning the championship, Perez has been a part of company athletics basketball for three years, two as coach, and each of the last two seasons they came up short of the title.
“Coaching a winning team means a lot to me because of all the great upperclassmen I played with who did not win a brigade championship,” Perez stated. “We have had great teams for the last three years and as much as this is an accomplishment for the players on the court today, this is also undoubtedly a win for the company and all those Guppies who came before us.”
The Company B-2 Bulldogs and the C-4 Cowboys battled for the soccer title and the Bulldogs came away with a 5-2 win on Daly Field.
The co-captains, Class of 2027 Cadets Noah Loughlin and Hurst Bogardus, had strong feelings on coming away with the brigade championship.
“Everyone put in so much work. Building a winning team has been something we’ve had our eyes on since we were Plebes,” said Loughlin. “This year, we just happened to have the right combination of talent, hard work and passion.”
Loughlin mentioned that Company B-2 hadn’t won anything in company athletics for as long as he could remember, at least since his Plebe year, and that everyone put in the hours over the semester and “it paid off publicly in front of our whole company.”
Bogardus added that “From the beginning, each player had something special and unique to offer. The most special part of working with this group of people was learning who they were, their strengths, their flaws and then assembling the team’s composition that was aligned with their character.”
The best moment of the game for Loughlin was the moment they won.
“Everyone played their heart out and gave it their all the entire game,” he said. “It was really cool to see the emotion on everyone’s faces and our company backing the work the players put in.”
The co-captains credited a couple of players for their work throughout the season, Class of 2027 Cadets Joshua Tyron and Noah Liesen.
“Tyron was essential to the team,” Loughlin said. “Hurst and I had very little soccer knowledge going into the season … Tyron imparted his soccer knowledge to others throughout the season in practices and games while also playing through injury for a majority of the fall. Our success would not have happened without him.”
Bogardus added that Liesen was important to the team’s success, but not just because he had the highest goals scored per game average.
“He demonstrated discipline, work ethic and consistency by being a reliable teammate on the field, and a good friend to others off the field,” Bogardus concluded.
Company F-2 Zoo and the I-3 Icemen competed in Functional Fitness with the Zoo coming away with the win based on time.
Submission grappling took place on the grassy area across from Battle Monument, where Company A-2 won the overall team event, 192-187. Thirteen cadets also earned individual titles, including Cadets Kaitlyn O’Connor (Co. A-1), Molly Seidman (Co. G-1), Taylor Pelchat (Co. E-1), David Linn (Co. F-2), Justin Woolery (Co. A-3), Al Quesami (Co. E-1), Andrew Zwernemann (Co. A-2), Cruz Pryor (Co. D-1), Marcus Reum (Co. A-2), Samuel Bethke (Co. I-3), Benjamin Garcia (Co. G-1), Caden Watson (Co. D-3) and Austin Mahnke (Co. F-3).
The last event of the evening was flag football on Daly Field where the Company A-1 Axemen faced Company B-4 Buffaloes. The Axemen earned the brigade title with a 19-15 victory over the Buffaloes.
The Axemen coach, Class of 2027 Cadet Zach Olson, revealed that the Axemen hadn’t won the Brigade Finals in flag football since 1995.
Company A-1 secured its spot in the championship game on the day of the finals due to roster complications involving the Company D-2 Dragons. Having to adapt to playing within a few hours without much notice, the Axemen overcame the adversity to earn the win.
“We assembled a team, took the fight to B-4, and won,” Olson exclaimed.
He complimented his squad for having smart players who constantly adapted to the opposing teams while also giving kudos to the defense.
“We have the best defense in West Point Flag Football that made multiple stops at the goal line,” Olson said. “Smart players and a dog-eat-dog mentality drove us to victory.”
Olson said quarterback, Class of 2027 Cadet John Painter, was the intellectual and innovative force that helped the team to victory.
Overall, Olson admits he doesn’t know much about football but took the job as coach to be with his friends and started to dress the part with some flair.
“Funny hats and coats became a good source of levity for the guys on the field,” Olson concluded. “Calling plays off the Waffle House menu play card helped everyone have fun and play for the love of the game.”