See which Greater Cincinnati football alumni will suit up in Army-Navy Game

While conference championships, bowl bids and playoff berths aren’t on the line, the Army-Navy football game is one of the most important and cherished matchups in college football history because of the way it draws attention to and honors our country’s military.

This year’s game will kick off 3 p.m. Saturday in Philadelphia and will be broadcast on CBS-TV. Several Greater Cincinnati high school stars are slated to take part on the field, led by Nicholas Straw, a senior captain for Navy who was a standout at Lebanon High School.

Straw graduated from Lebanon High School in 2019, and is a captain and starting linebacker for Navy. Members of the Naval Academy class of 2023 just recently received their service assignments and Straw achieved his dream of becoming a Navy Pilot.

The Midshipmen will wear NASA-themed uniforms and helmets during its famed football rivalry on Dec. 10 against Army in Philadelphia.

"As somebody who loves space and studies space, this one has got me super excited," Straw said in a recent USA Today article. "It's my favorite uniform we've had since I've been here."

Straw, 6-feet-2, 230 pounds, is described as a relentlessly positive, unifying, caring force who, from his “raider” position — a hybrid of outside linebacker/defensive end/edge rusher in Navy’s defense — can wreak havoc with his versatile ability to engage bigger blockers, pressure the quarterback, cover receivers in space and smack ball carriers.

This season, he has 46 tackles and one interception, including a season-high of eight tackles against Memphis. He had two tackles in Navy’s loss at the Cincinnati Bearcats this season.

Straw was an all-state selection in football his senior year, serving as a Lebanon team captain.

Other Navy players from Greater Cincinnati

Also for Navy, La Salle teammates Zach Branam and Luke Thiemann are part of the team.

Branam, a sophomore quarterback, has not played this year. Thiemann, a sophomore linebacker, has participated in five games.

Both players were part of La Salle’s OHSAA Division II state champion teams in 2016 and 2019. Thiemann was a team captain his senior year.

Christian Hutchinson, a senior tight end from Mason High School, has not played this year.

Michael Whitehouse, a sophomore defensive end form St. Xavier, has not played this year. He helped lead St. Xavier to the 2020 Ohio Division I state title.

Who are the Army players from Greater Cincinnati?

Jaydan Mayes, a freshman defensive back from Fairfield High School, has played eight games in a backup role. He has two tackles and got his most playing time of the year Nov. 26 at UMass, recording his first career interception.

Davis Wulf, a sophomore offensive lineman from Clinton-Massie, has played in two games, including at UMass.

Camden O’Gara, a junior linebacker from Wyoming, has played six games with 23 tackles. He had one sack and eight tackles at Troy Nov. 12. He helped Wyoming to a state title his junior year and graduated with 485 career tackles.

Trey Gronotte, a sophomore kicker, has played three games and handled the kickoffs for one Sept. 17 at Villanova. He was a record-setting kicker for CovCath and part of two state title teams.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: See which Greater Cincinnati football alumni will suit up in Army-Navy Game