A squad of 15 police officers from the Tucson Police Department easily handled the Army flag football team yesterday in what was a final tune-up for the two teams before the Army vs. Navy game to be held on campus next month.

The officers, in their mid-20's and early 30's, outmuscled the roughly 30 university ROTC students, winning 42-8.

The game was set when the Army realized the Tucson Police had a competitive team. Both teams wanted to get prepared for upcoming games. The Army will play the Navy on Dec. 6 and the Police Department plays in the Toys for Tots tournament of December 1.

"We heard the police department had a team and we said Îhell, why not? It'd be a good way to gauge how we're doing and have some fun," said Cadet Major Nicholas Williams.

The game featured repeated long pass attempts and multiple quarterback sneaks. Though the game used flags instead of tackles, the game was very physical. The two lines pushed and shoved to create holes and to sack the quarterback. One burly police officer came out of the game with a knee injury.

For the Army team, made up of roughly 30 university ROTC students, the game served as their final preparation before the local Army-Navy match up, which coincides with the national Army-Navy game.

On the sideline Navy Linebacker and business management senior Jason Montes talked about the preparation the two teams put into the game.

"It's a competitive thing every fall. It's pretty important to win. It's

bragging rights," he said, adding that the Navy has been practicing since mid-October for the game.

Present in an eagles' nest were 4 navy scouts vigorously taking notes, showing how serious the upcoming game, now in its fifth year, has become.

"This year's game is like a tiebreaker. We won the first game, then they won two, and we won last year," said Ed Giron, a physical education senior.

Giron summed up the two teams' strengths and weaknesses with a splash of trash talking.

"Our offensive line and defensive linebackers are strong. Their receivers are quick, but their defense, mediocre," he said. Montes said that the Army scouted the Navy's game with the Police Department the same way the Navy was scouting Sunday's game.

The police department remained stoic on the sideline, contrasting with the social tone with the Army. They play less for pride than for charity, looking forward to the Toys for Tots tournament. The Toys for Tots game features 10 teams, one marine team, one fire department team and eight law enforcement teams.

The Police Department understated their victory and argued that the Army team is better than the Navy team. Last weekend the Police Department defeated the Navy 38-22.

"The army team is better. They have quicker guys," said Officer Vince Tracy.