CULVER - “I'm a legacy, they have to let me in,” Kent “Flounder” Dorfman from National Lampoon's Animal House.

Being a legacy helped the helpless Flounder join the Delta House in the comedy hit Animal House, but legacies have also helped the Culver Military Academy Eagles this season.

When CMA battles for the sectional championship tonight against the New Prairie Cougars, the team will be relying heavily on senior running backs Neven Fingerhut, Andy Parchman and Dee Warr - all CMA legacies.

“My uncle went here, and that's where he told me I was going to go,” Warr said of his guardian Doc Warr. “But it's been fun here.”

Parchman, a senior from Baltimore, Md., also ended up at the Academy after his father and brother graduated from the institution and Fingerhut is following in the footsteps of his brother, Nolan.

“It's kind of funny because my older brother, who graduated in 2003, roomed with my older cousin when they went to school here,” Fingerhut said. “Now, I'm going to school here, rooming with my cousin (Josh Workman), who is the younger brother of the cousin Nolan roomed with.”

Because Warr's uncle is in the United States Air Force, he's been moved all over the country, but is currently calling Boston, Mass. home. Of the three, Fingerhut has the fewest miles to travel, calling North Judson home.

“Football is football, anywhere you go,” Fingerhut said about playing for CMA rather than North Judson.

As a sophomore, Fingerhut broke CMA's single game rushing total, with 322 yards against Fairfield, and this season, he became the Eagles all-time leading rusher. With those kind of numbers, some of his North Judson friends may be wishing he was still a part of their program.

“Being a day student, I go home every night, so I still hang out with all my friends from home,” Fingerhut said. “After four years, they don't really say too much (about attending CMA).”

No matter where they're from, all three have been football players for a long time.

“I've been playing since I was 8 years old,” Warr said. “I grew up in Cleveland, so I began playing Pop Warner then. I've also lived in Texas, so I've also played Pop Warner there.”

Parchman also credits his introduction to football at the age of 8, while Fingerhut began carrying the pigskin as a third grade student.

“My dad began the Pop Warner program in North Judson, so that's when I began,” he said.

No matter when they began playing, or where they began, they've all come together now. With the combination of the three, they've given CMA one of its best seasons ever, with a 9-2 mark. The only time the Academy has ever won 10 games was in 1903.

“All three are four-year seniors,” CMA coach Andy Dorrel said. “They've been focused in the program for four years, and they understand what we expect from them. They also run the offense to its greatest potential.”

In CMA's offensive scheme, Fingerhut plays the role pounding the ball up the middle, while Parchman and Warr use their speed on the outside edges. This season, Fingerhut has rushed for 1,237 yards and 19 touchdowns, while Parchman has racked up 735 yards and five touchdowns and Warr has a touchdown to go along with his 541 yards.

“At some point this season, all three have led the team in rushing in a game,” Dorrel said. “All three attack the line of scrimmage, and more importantly, they are outstanding blockers.”

And for the guys, they each know their role on the offensive side of the ball.

“Neven is the fastest of the three of us,” Parchman said. “If defenses come up to focus on me or Dee, we can go with Neven up the middle.”

In CMA's 21-13 win over NorthWood last Friday, the Panthers defense was focused on shutting down Fingerhut. With that idea, Fingerhut was limited to 40 yards in the first half, but Warr picked up the slack, putting up 40 yards in the first half himself. Stopping Fingerhut may have worked in the first half, but with Warr picking up 40 yards on six carries, they had to adjust.

With the adjustment made to limit Warr, Fingerhut racked up 96 second half yards along with two touchdowns. On the game, Fingerhut finished with 136 yards on 30 carries, while Warr only needed nine carries to rack up 117 yards.

“Our offense is based on what the defense gives us,” Fingerhut said. “With Dee and Parchman, it's great because they're also amazing blockers.”

The three haven't only ran up yards on the opposition, they've also helped to spark fan interest in the team.

“The first couple years I was here, there were small crowds,” Parchman said. “Last year, and this year, we've just been winning and the crowds just continue to grow.”

At CMA, students come from literally all over the world. So for many, the game of football is alien to them. Because of that, many students had to be forced into staying for the entirety of a football game. This year, however, they're attending because they want to.

“Our cheerleaders, along with Shannon Van Landingham and Student Activities Coordinator Ann Norton, have been extremely supportive of the football team,” Dorrel said.

“It's also been fun to see the Latino and Korean students have fun with football,” the coach said.

For tonight's game, a CMA fan bus will be used, for only the second time.

“It feels pretty good,” Warr said about the support the team is receiving.

Along with support, the team has also been garnering respect following last week's win over the defending 3A state champions.

“It was a big deal,” Warr said about defeating NorthWood.

“That was kind of one of our main goals,” Parchman said of defeating the team which had ended CMA's season three years in a row.

“It was amazing,” Fingerhut said of the win. “They had ended my season the last three years.”

Now with the NorthWood team out of the way, the Eagles will now look to win the Academy's second-ever sectional championship, the first coming in 2000.

“Our sophomore season, we were 4-6, and this year was one of CMA's first nine-win seasons,” Warr said. “It's been a lot of fun and we want to finish strong. We have a lot of potential.”

If they are to finish strong, they may need to defeat the 3A, 5th-ranked New Prairie Cougars.