Brothers not playing nice

Siblings become rivals for today's Navy-Georgetown matchup

Nick and Ricky Mirabito

While Nick opted to attend Navy, his younger brother chose Georgetown over Navy and Cornell. While Ricky said he chose to go with the Hoyas because of academics, he also acknowledged not being excited about the obligations of attending a military academy.

Because the Mirabito brothers both play attack, they will not tangle with each other on the field today. But the emotion of the moment could be difficult for their parents, who plan to sit at midfield with specially crafted jerseys with Nick's number on the front and Ricky's number on the back.

"It's tough enough when you're going just to watch one of them play, and it's your son out there performing," said Richard Mirabito, a fuel company vice president.

"I'm just hoping that they play well, they don't make too many mistakes, and the best team that plays the best wins. That's all you can really hope for.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing for them."

Both Nick and Ricky said they will shake hands and hug each other after the game. But until then, the silence will continue.

"Any other day of the year, I'm his biggest fan, but for this week, not so much," Nick said.

Added Ricky: "I just want to win. He can do whatever he wants as long as we win."

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