Johnnies Hammer Home Navy Defeat

Midshipmen Lose Every Game Despite Recent Whiff of Reversal

Geremy Coy's ball hit the stake with a dull thud at 4:27 p.m. yesterday, sealing an emotional victory for St. John's College in its annual croquet match against the U.S. Naval Academy. Red-clad teammates mobbed the senior and doused him with beer, a scene reminiscent of the 2004 Red Sox world championship win, except for the hammer-and-sickle designs on the jerseys.

"It's their time," said Sam Spalding, a former imperial wicket, or team captain, for St. John's, smiling from the sidelines.

It was the 19th victory for St. John's in 24 years of crosstown croquet. But Navy hired a professional coach and upgraded its equipment, and two of the five midshipmen victories have come since 2001, a striking comeback after years of relentless defeat.

The mids took the field in their customary white lettermen sweaters. The Johnnies, whose uniforms change dramatically each year, elected for red T-shirts emblazoned with the symbol of communism and the letters "SJCCCP," a play on the acronym for the Soviet Union.

St. John's clinched the best-of-five series in consecutive games before a crowd estimated at 3,000. But all involved agreed that both teams had come to win, not just drink -- although there was also plenty of that.

After Coy's victory shot, someone cued the Queen song "Another One Bites the Dust." But everyone knew Navy would be back.

"Can we beat them? Yeah," Spalding said. "But we're not going to hold them."