Football: Defense rules the day as Team USA routs Rising Sun in eighth Tomodachi Bowl

NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan — If the best offense is a good defense, as the saying goes, then Team USA hit the mother lode Sunday and snapped a two-game Tomodachi Bowl losing streak in the process.

The Americans prevailed 23-3 in the eighth renewal of a friendship game pitting players from 10 Department of Defense Education Activity high schools in Japan, Okinawa, Korea and Guam against Japanese high school and college players from the Tokyo area.

The game honors Operation Tomodachi, in which Japan’s and America’s militaries partnered in the wake of the Great Tohoku Earthquake and resulting tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011.

David Key of Camp Humphreys, South Korea, returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown – one of five takeaways for Team USA on the day. Blackhawks teammate Junior Gregory also intercepted two passes in the matchup at Atsugi’s Reid Memorial Stadium.

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