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East Carolina will be playing against North Carolina State in the Military Bowl Saturday at 5:45 p.m. That was the very bowl game Ruffin Mc Neill coached in the first year he was head coach at ECU.

Lincoln Riley was the offensive coordinator and Brian Mitchell was the defensive coordinator. It was cold that week and Washington D. C. had a blanket of snow. A young head coach with several young assistant coaches that year, hmmm, this is what we have this year.

Rather than play Maryland, as in the past, we will play our longtime, close to home rival, NC State. We will have to play our best game for us to win. We have a head coach with four games under his belt, coach Blake Harrell.

The transfer portal will have a lot to do with the game. several East Carolina players have entered the transfer portal and will not be allowed to play. NCSU has the same problem.

We will be going to the game and visiting my daughters! Annapolis is only hours from where they live in Ocean City MD. While visiting them for Christmas and getting in some shopping at the outlets there, we will go to the bowl game with the kids and cheer on the Pirates!!

Wishing the Pirates all the luck in the world! Tracey and I will be cheering them on from the stands as always. I hope everyone has a great holiday with their families. Go Pirates!

They were the best of times with the best of friends and in the best of places Washington, N.C. The Original Washington!

Harold Jr.