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During the mid-nineteenth century, able-bodied young men were urged by journalists to "Go west young man."
One hundred and fifty years later, Middletown native and recently installed Towson University head football coach Rob Ambrose hopes homegrown pigskin talent opts to venture east to join him and a slew of Frederick County players and staff members in rebuilding the Tigers.
The entire Towson program took their respective places within the bleachers of Unitas Stadium Tuesday morning. Amongst those braving the late summer heat were a combined dozen players and staff members calling Frederick County addresses home.
"It's great, I love it," Urbana alum Brent Hawkins said. "I love the competition and think we work a lot better as a team."
Products from five county schools will lineup for Towson this season. Along with Hawkins (linebacker), Urbana claims Wes White (tight end) and defensive back Matt Ray. Thomas Johnson provides offensive lineman Colin Bass while linebacker Todd Cox is a Linganore graduate. Tuscarora's Billy Stup, whose parents attended Towson, redshirted as a freshman and recently shifted from linebacker to fullback while Maryland School for the Deaf product, and heralded recruit, Ryan Bonheyo just arrived on campus.
"It's nice to know people when you arrive at a school," Stup said. "It's a great environment, great place to be and it's a great education."
Freshman quarterback Tyler Campbell and sophomore defensive back Nick Oates both list Frederick as their hometowns but attended Good Counsel and Springbrook respectively.
Aiding Rob Ambrose in guiding the Tigers is younger brother Jared Ambrose. The Middletown High and Shepherd University alum will handle the tight ends after honing his coaching chops at his alma mater and at Delaware. Assistant coach Brian Fleury also claims Middletown as home.
Senior tailback and Linganore alum Matt Castor recently left the team, sighting undisclosed personal reasons. Castor was Towson's leading rusher with 543 yards and five touchdowns on 144 carries during his junior campaign.
Rob Ambrose has spent his entire adult life as a member of the Frederick County football aristocracy. His father Tim Ambrose helped build Middletown into a regional pigskin power and is now the school's athletic director. Don't think Rob Ambrose forgets where his roots are.
"It's a well I've been swimming in since I was four or five," Rob Ambrose said. "So yeah, I'll continue to do that."
Old rivalries, i.e. Linganore-Urbana, have been tossed aside in the promotion of the common good. No Hawks, Lancers, Titans, Patriots or Orioles were anywhere to be found Tuesday, only Tigers.
"We're all pretty much friends," Hawkins said. "We're a family here."
Towson, which finished 3-8 overall and 1-4 within the Colonial Athletic Association South Division, opens the season on September 5 at Big Ten Conference foe Northwestern. The Wildcats are only the second Bowl Championship Series (formerly Division I-A) opponent the Tigers have ever faced. They opened last season with a 41-13 loss at Navy.
