Army West Point Athletics
Friday, September 25
Philadelphia, Pa.
4:00 p.m.
Army West Point
at
Temple
Photo by: J Banzet / Army Football
Army at Temple: A Homecoming in the City of Brotherly Love
September 24, 2026 | Football
PHILADELPHIA – Eighty years ago, College Football Hall of Fame coach Red Blaik led Army to a national championship with a 9-0-1 campaign that featured Heisman Trophy winning backs Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard.
The Black Knights, one of the most storied programs in the history of the game, are coming to play Temple on Sept. 25 with four on the roster from the Philadelphia area hoping to impact the 4:00 p.m. game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Juniors Xavier Archawski (Ardmore) and Nick Buchys (Langhorne), sophomore Nick McGlynn (Philadelphia) and freshman Darian Smith (Downingtown) are among 10 Army players from Pennsylvania competing for head coach Jeff Monken, the longest-tenured coach at Army other than Blaik.
These four impressive cadets with Cradle of Liberty connections take great pride in being part of a program with five national titles, nine Lambert Trophies and 10 Commander-in-Chief's Trophies. The Philly area cadet-athletes have great memories from their high school athletic careers and hope to add similar accomplishments at Army, which opened 2026 with a 59-3 win over Bryant before falling to South Florida, 28-24.
Archawski, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound left tackle, is looking for his first game action this fall. The Systems & Decision Sciences major played in 12 games last fall. He was a two-time all-state pick at Lower Merion High who says private coaching from a former Philadelphia Eagles practice squad player was most impactful on his football career. Archawski trained with Greg Isdaner, who was an All-Big East lineman at West Virginia and currently coaches at Germantown Academy.
"He (Isdaner) was a selfless guy who didn't ask for any compensation. He was a great role model in my life. He reached out to (college) coaches and took my game to the next level," said Archawski, whose most memorable high school moment was walking out on the field for his first varsity start as a freshman at Arnold Field at Lower Merion.
"No other feeling like Friday night lights. Seeing the lights and all the fans was pure enjoyment," said the two-time Narberth 4th of July Jubilee pie eating contest champion.
The apple pie eating offensive lineman, who would choose to wash one down with a cheese steak from Angelo's Pizzeria, is a fourth-generation military man. "My dad wasn't very smart, he served in the Navy, but he will be rooting for us and is in the West Point Society of Philadelphia."
His grandfather was in the French Navy and his great-great-grandfather fought in World War I with the Polish Armed Forces.
Archawski's favorite aspect of the Army West Point experience is personal development and the time and effort professors put into each student. That and the true brotherhood of the institution and football program are why he chose the school.
Buchys, who is listed as No. 2 defensive tackle on the depth chart, has four total tackles including a half a sack in two games. Prior to this fall, he saw action in seven Army contests over his first two seasons.
The two-time, first-team all-area defensive pick at Neshaminy High who logged 32 tackles for loss with eight sacks among his 138 career high school tackles, also earned all-conference honors on offense. He's now a 6-foot-2, 275-pound Systems & Decision Sciences major at Army with fond memories of his Philly area days.
Unforgettable among those memories are three teammates and friends, Jack Dunkley, Joey Zack and Kyle Cunningham, who played together from ages 5 to 18 before they all headed off to college football careers.
"We built a special connection over that time," said Buchys, whose favorite memory of Neshaminy High School was his initial varsity contest, where he had the sack that clinched the victory against a rival that had been winning most of the recent meetings.
Buchys aspires to the success of his three siblings, who are a nurse practitioner, occupational therapist and an osteopathic doctor. He believes the West Point experience will set him on a similar path.
"I'm at Army because I want to surround myself with elite people, and it sets me up to be the best version of myself," said Buchys, whose favorite cheese steak comes from Jay's Joint in Langhorne. "The friendships I have created will last a lifetime."
McGlynn, an inside linebacker and War Studies major, is seeking his first varsity action at West Point. The 6-foot-1, 233-pounder was a first-team all-state linebacker and a two-time conference defensive MVP at St. Joseph's Prep.
The most influential person on McGlynn growing up was his high school defensive coordinator, Shawn Stratz. "Coach Stratz had big impact on my life, was very supportive of all my decisions and helped me get to where I am."
McGlynn and his teammates won their third 6A state championship his senior year against North Allegheny. "Seeing it all come together for the third time was so special with that group of guys," he said.
The kid who grew up going to the Macy's Christmas show in Philly with his great aunt and uncle has been focused on a West Point career for a long time.
"I always knew I wanted to serve, especially after visiting here and seeing the brotherhood. The relationships you build with other cadets is unique. Seeing the people grow in my company from plebe year to now is really cool," said McGlynn, another fan of Angelo's cheese steaks in South Philly.
Smith, a cornerback hoping to make an impact his freshman year, has not played in either game but has impressive credentials coming from Downingtown West High School. He was a two-time all-state pick and a three-time all-conference selection who totaled 117 tackles and five forced fumbles.
BLACK KNIGHTS FROM PHILLY AREA
No. Name Cl. Pos. Hometown High School
34 Darian Smith Fr. CB Downingtown Downingtown West
46 Nick McGlynn So. LB Philadelphia St. Joseph's Prep
56 Nick Buchys Jr. DL Langhorne Neshaminy
78 Xavier Archawski Jr. OL Ardmore Lower Merion
OTHER ARMY-PHILADELPHIA CONNECTIONS
Brett Toth, former Army OL who was with the Eagles for three stints, and was on the Super Bowl LIX championship team. He is currently with the 49ers.
Alejandro Villanueva, who was a tackle/wide receiver for Army before trying out with the Eagles and becoming a Pro Bowl pick with the Steelers.
The Black Knights, one of the most storied programs in the history of the game, are coming to play Temple on Sept. 25 with four on the roster from the Philadelphia area hoping to impact the 4:00 p.m. game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Juniors Xavier Archawski (Ardmore) and Nick Buchys (Langhorne), sophomore Nick McGlynn (Philadelphia) and freshman Darian Smith (Downingtown) are among 10 Army players from Pennsylvania competing for head coach Jeff Monken, the longest-tenured coach at Army other than Blaik.
These four impressive cadets with Cradle of Liberty connections take great pride in being part of a program with five national titles, nine Lambert Trophies and 10 Commander-in-Chief's Trophies. The Philly area cadet-athletes have great memories from their high school athletic careers and hope to add similar accomplishments at Army, which opened 2026 with a 59-3 win over Bryant before falling to South Florida, 28-24.
Archawski, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound left tackle, is looking for his first game action this fall. The Systems & Decision Sciences major played in 12 games last fall. He was a two-time all-state pick at Lower Merion High who says private coaching from a former Philadelphia Eagles practice squad player was most impactful on his football career. Archawski trained with Greg Isdaner, who was an All-Big East lineman at West Virginia and currently coaches at Germantown Academy.
"He (Isdaner) was a selfless guy who didn't ask for any compensation. He was a great role model in my life. He reached out to (college) coaches and took my game to the next level," said Archawski, whose most memorable high school moment was walking out on the field for his first varsity start as a freshman at Arnold Field at Lower Merion.
"No other feeling like Friday night lights. Seeing the lights and all the fans was pure enjoyment," said the two-time Narberth 4th of July Jubilee pie eating contest champion.
The apple pie eating offensive lineman, who would choose to wash one down with a cheese steak from Angelo's Pizzeria, is a fourth-generation military man. "My dad wasn't very smart, he served in the Navy, but he will be rooting for us and is in the West Point Society of Philadelphia."
His grandfather was in the French Navy and his great-great-grandfather fought in World War I with the Polish Armed Forces.
Archawski's favorite aspect of the Army West Point experience is personal development and the time and effort professors put into each student. That and the true brotherhood of the institution and football program are why he chose the school.
Buchys, who is listed as No. 2 defensive tackle on the depth chart, has four total tackles including a half a sack in two games. Prior to this fall, he saw action in seven Army contests over his first two seasons.
The two-time, first-team all-area defensive pick at Neshaminy High who logged 32 tackles for loss with eight sacks among his 138 career high school tackles, also earned all-conference honors on offense. He's now a 6-foot-2, 275-pound Systems & Decision Sciences major at Army with fond memories of his Philly area days.
Unforgettable among those memories are three teammates and friends, Jack Dunkley, Joey Zack and Kyle Cunningham, who played together from ages 5 to 18 before they all headed off to college football careers.
"We built a special connection over that time," said Buchys, whose favorite memory of Neshaminy High School was his initial varsity contest, where he had the sack that clinched the victory against a rival that had been winning most of the recent meetings.
Buchys aspires to the success of his three siblings, who are a nurse practitioner, occupational therapist and an osteopathic doctor. He believes the West Point experience will set him on a similar path.
"I'm at Army because I want to surround myself with elite people, and it sets me up to be the best version of myself," said Buchys, whose favorite cheese steak comes from Jay's Joint in Langhorne. "The friendships I have created will last a lifetime."
McGlynn, an inside linebacker and War Studies major, is seeking his first varsity action at West Point. The 6-foot-1, 233-pounder was a first-team all-state linebacker and a two-time conference defensive MVP at St. Joseph's Prep.
The most influential person on McGlynn growing up was his high school defensive coordinator, Shawn Stratz. "Coach Stratz had big impact on my life, was very supportive of all my decisions and helped me get to where I am."
McGlynn and his teammates won their third 6A state championship his senior year against North Allegheny. "Seeing it all come together for the third time was so special with that group of guys," he said.
The kid who grew up going to the Macy's Christmas show in Philly with his great aunt and uncle has been focused on a West Point career for a long time.
"I always knew I wanted to serve, especially after visiting here and seeing the brotherhood. The relationships you build with other cadets is unique. Seeing the people grow in my company from plebe year to now is really cool," said McGlynn, another fan of Angelo's cheese steaks in South Philly.
Smith, a cornerback hoping to make an impact his freshman year, has not played in either game but has impressive credentials coming from Downingtown West High School. He was a two-time all-state pick and a three-time all-conference selection who totaled 117 tackles and five forced fumbles.
BLACK KNIGHTS FROM PHILLY AREA
No. Name Cl. Pos. Hometown High School
34 Darian Smith Fr. CB Downingtown Downingtown West
46 Nick McGlynn So. LB Philadelphia St. Joseph's Prep
56 Nick Buchys Jr. DL Langhorne Neshaminy
78 Xavier Archawski Jr. OL Ardmore Lower Merion
OTHER ARMY-PHILADELPHIA CONNECTIONS
Brett Toth, former Army OL who was with the Eagles for three stints, and was on the Super Bowl LIX championship team. He is currently with the 49ers.
Alejandro Villanueva, who was a tackle/wide receiver for Army before trying out with the Eagles and becoming a Pro Bowl pick with the Steelers.
Players Mentioned
OL
/ Football
DL
/ Football
ILB
/ Football
CB
/ FootballThursday, September 24
Thursday, September 24
Wednesday, September 23
Wednesday, September 23