BALTIMORE, MD — There was a definite Yellow Jacket spin for two rival academy cadets when they got together at the December 10 Army-Navy football game.

Brian Hazen is in his senior year at West Point and Brian Grimm is in his second year at Annapolis. Both Brians have been friends since starting school in Eldred and have been in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and played Eldred Central School (ECS) football and baseball together while growing up and then graduating together from ECS in 2012.

They arranged to meet at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, when the Black Knights and the Midshipmen met in the 117th renewal of the nation’s most watched collegiate football rivalry.

Hazen is the son of Garry and Linda Hazen of Glen Spey and Grimm’s parents are Bob and Donna Grimm of Barryville.

Brian Hazen has received the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent’s Award for Excellence twice. This prestigious award is given to cadets who prove themselves to be outstanding militarily, physically and academically. When all programs are weighted equally, he is in the top 5% of his class.

Hazen has earned his Airborne Jump wings at Fort Benning, GA, and he earned the title of “Best Squad Leader” and was awarded for that while leading the Cadet Candidate Basic Training. He was also given the opportunity to train at French Commando School, the French equivalent of the U.S. Army Ranger School, and received the highest award offered, Moniteur avec Aptitude, upon his completion of the training.

Hazen has been on the Competitive Rock Climbing team for the last three years, and last year finished in the top 20 Speed Climbers at Nationals in San Diego, CA.

He is majoring in kinesiology, and chooses his first post on February 17. As previously mentioned, he will serve as an infantry officer, and he hopes to post at Fort Bragg, NC with the 82nd Airborne.

Brian Grimm is third-generation Navy. He enlisted in the United States Navy and went to Boot Camp in Great Lakes, MI, in November of 2012. He went to Machinists Mate “A” School in January of 2013, and then on to Nuclear Power School for a year in Charleston, SC.

After graduating one of the hardest schools in the Navy, Hazen applied for the Naval Academy and was sent to the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, RI for 10 months.

He was accepted and now is in his second year at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, working on getting a degree in economics. He is holding a 3.7 GPA. He is undecided as to what to do after that, but is leaning toward Navy EOD (Explosives Ordinance Disposal) or possibly taking a commission in the Marine Corps and joining the USMC Ground community.

The meeting in Annapolis was set up between the boys. They have kept in touch over that last three years, and wanted to catch up during half-time.