Herbert Ortiz is a big man on Navy's campus. The Junior kicker from West Milton, Ohio has again saved the day (and season) for his Midshipmen who found themselves in need of his strong leg yet again. Ortiz, a 92% field goal kicker who's put 23 kicks through the uprights this year, was called on in Overtime of the Army/Navy game to kick another one through to send his team to a win and to let them hang on to their #9 overall record.
Like the week before, Ortiz put it directly down the middle and put the points on the board for Navy to defeat Army in Philadelphia last weekend, 27-24.
It was far from Ortiz's longest kick but it surely had to be the toughest. A whole season on the line for his team, and Ortiz proved he has very little concern for what some would call “pressure.” His kick sending Navy to the end of a regular season that nobody saw coming
Navy finished the season 10-2 and second in the American Athletic Conference behind #7 Houston. In heartbreaking fashion, Navy won't make the conference championship as Houston and Cincinnati do battle this weekend for the conference's top prize.
Is it possible for Navy to get into the playoffs? One could argue with a few shocking upsets this weekend it'd be possible, but for now it's looking like Navy will get themselves into a popular bowl game, have a chance to show the country what they can do, and potentially build off this magical year.