Its 4:40 on a Thursday evening and Bob Ziegler is on his way to Middletown High School with his son Judd so that they can get a pool workout in from 5 to 6, an hour-a-day cardio that will become a ritual for the next few months. This will be no simple workout; Judd has a rod in his femur. He broke his leg in the fall during football and the rod was put in just two weeks prior during an intensive surgery. Judd’s pool time will help with both his recovery and strengthening.

“Before I was able to walk (after the surgery), my dad was taking me to the gym to lift for an hour, and Coach Lynott was letting us into the pool to swim for an hour,” said Judd. “We continued this almost every day until the doctor cleared me.”

After a hard hit at practice toward the beginning of the 2010 football season, Judd’s junior year, his leg began to bother him.  A determined athlete, Judd pushed through the pain as he continued to play at nose guard, hoping for a successful season and possibly a shot at states.

His season was cut short.

During the second game of the season, Judd fell on his leg and snapped his femur. He would be out for the rest of the football season and need surgery to put a rod in his leg.

He didn’t let his injury stop him from being part of the team. Fans could see Judd on the sidelines at every single Friday night game.

Judd was determined to compete the entire wrestling season. He pushed himself to limits even his athletically driven body had never been to.  Coaches, friends, and family continued to support Judd; they seemed just as driven as him.

After hearing about Judd’s injury, wrestling coach Jim Schartner was “disappointed for Judd and his family.”

“He had worked so hard to prepare for his wrestling and football season,” said Schartner.

Schartner immediately asked how bad the injury to his leg was and what needed to be done to help Judd with rehab.

Not only did Judd swim and lift, his wrestling coach, Schartner let him go into the wrestling room during his recovery. This allowed Judd stay familiar with the mats as he practiced wrestling to the extent he could.

Judd’s coaches and family were not the only people who assisted Judd in his recovery from his broken leg. His dad, Bob, said support came from 2011 graduate and captain of the MHS varsity football team Chris Pironne, MHS boys varsity basketball coach Tim Leber, and University of Virginia wrestling coach Steve Garland.

Pironne, who had suffered a serious setback in high school himself when he injured his leg and had later complications, reminded Judd not to feel sorry for himself.  Leber prayed with Judd and sent him scripture readings. Garland, who had been in touch with Judd during the recruiting process, simply said, “Do you think you’re the only kid in America who got a bad break? What are you going to do about it?”

With overwhelming support coming from all angles, Judd trained at full speed, hoping to get on the mat as soon as possible.

“I was confident Judd would give everything he had to return to wrestling,” said Schartner. “Judd has tremendous work ethic and drive to accomplish his goals.”

Schartner said that work ethic makes him stand out among his peers. This can be attributed to his parents and their reliance on faith. Bob credits his wife, who “has taught the family to fully rely on God.”

Three days after the start of wrestling season, Judd was cleared by the doctor and wasted no time getting back to practice.  On the mat in the first week of practice, Judd went on to have a “tremendous” 2011-2012 wrestling season, Shartner said.

“He wrestled with the knowledge that he had to adjust to his style,” said Schartner. “He steadily improved each week.”

After winning regionals in a close match prior to states, Judd was prepared as ever to wrestle in the Maryland 2A wrestling state championship.

Then, as if the broken leg wasn’t enough, another obstacle was thrown in Judd’s path.

Following regionals, Judd got a rare infection which prevented him from being able to wrestle in states. Ironically, the wrestler Judd had beaten in overtime during regionals went on to win states. 

The Ziegler family’s faith rose to the occasion again. “When Judd could not wrestle in the state championship; my wife thought, maybe the other boy needed the title,” said Bob.

“The experience as a whole really taught me to work hard in school and in wrestling,” said Judd. “I don’t want to settle for second.” 

Judd ended his season with a record of 33-3.

Once Judd hit high school, he knew he wanted to wrestle in college. His dad began to film his matches, whether wins or losses, to put together a highlight tape. He sent the highlights to colleges, hoping they would be interested in Judd and recruit him.

 “Coaches don’t want to see your kid winning all the time,” said Bob. “Coaches want to see your kid competing against the best; they want to see your kid losing and they want to see how he reacts.”

Judd trained with top-notch coaches from March to November. He competed in national level tournaments and did extremely well in them.

After many phone calls with college coaches and visits to colleges, Judd narrowed his choice to Maryland, Kent State, and Princeton.

Judd didn’t plan on committing until March, but Princeton stood out among the other schools and since there was a spot on the team that needed to be filled, he committed in December.

Bob says Princeton is a “perfect fit”. It has academic challenges and the coaches are great.

“They are trying to run a [Division 1] program but, more importantly, are trying to develop young men into mature and responsible adults,” Bob said. “As far as the campus, it might be the prettiest place I’ve ever seen.”

MHS players Zach Welsh (28) and Brooks Warrenfeltz (62) share a tender moment before the start of the State Championship game. - Photo by Shannon McKenna

Helmets in hands, the Knights line up two-by-two in the tunnel of M&T Bank Stadium. The stadium roars with cheers; the roar cannot be heard. Members of the press line up along the tunnel; the cameras cannot be seen. Each player’s body shakes as if it is shivering; it is no shiver. Their bodies shake because the adrenaline is peaking; their intensity is a pot boiling over. Their faces are still; their eyes are concentrated as if they know what the outcome will be. The Middletown High Schoolvarsity football team is going to make history; they’re going to be state champions.

As the Knights take the field, the entire home side of Ravens Stadium stands up and cheers. The stands, usually full of purple, are flooded with orange and black. Orange pom-poms shimmer in the sunlight.  A mix of marching band instruments, cheerleader chants and fan frenzy create a cacophony of spirit.

To the players however, it’s more than a state championship. The game is an opportunity for a family to put months of hard work to use and fulfill their dream.

Each player and coach of the MHS varsity football team defines themselves as part of a “family.”  In fact, Zach Welch, a junior at MHS who contributed three touchdowns at the state championship game, said his motivation was his “family” – he was referring to his team.

Kevin Lynott, the head coach of the MHS varsity football team, credits the state title to the “brotherhood” that was obvious among the players.

“The boys created a brotherhood on their own,” said Lynott. “They don’t worry about receiving the credit for their good play.”

The Knights are unselfish, they work as a team, and not one player wants the title more than another.

Throughout the season, after each touchdown he scored, Welch would point to his linemen.

“If it wasn’t for my linemen, I wouldn’t be in the end zone,” he said.

Senior captain Michael Pritts, one of the top quarterbacks in Frederick County, said it takes a team effort for the plays and passes to run smoothly.

 Lynott said MHS football plays hard, and plays for one another: an act that takes time and practice.

After a 21-14 loss to McDonough last year in the State Championship, the Knights emerged from the loss with a motivation they hadn’t had in previous years.

“We got there last year, and we knew we could win this year if we stayed together and worked hard,” said Lynott.

Working hard paid off.

The Knights beat Walkersville, 32-25, in their last regular season game, then again, 27-21, in a tight battle in the second round of playoffs. Many people affiliated withFrederick County football claimed that the Knights vs. Lions playoff game was the State Championship game in itself. Many were confident that whoever won the matchup would take home the state title on Dec. 4. 

The result of the state championship proved them right.

As the fourth quarter came to an end, the home side once again stood up and cheered. The cheering was different than it had been at the beginning. The cheers were for the 43-6 defeat over Frederick Douglass,,the cheers were for the history that had just been made, and the goals that had been met. The cheers were for the family each fan and player felt a part of: the family that had just won theMaryland2A State Championship.

“I am a Knight,” said Johnny Gallaway, a senior at MHS, “and Knights are united whether you play football or not.”

Lynott agrees that the brotherhood and family aspect carries over to the fans and alumni as well.

“Once a Knight, always a Knight,” said Lynott. “If you are a Knight or have been a Knight, you won the State Championship.”

State Championship Middletown vs. Frederick Douglass from Casey Zanowicz on Vimeo.

Finish 14 Middletown Knights from Casey Zanowicz

Penn State University and the University of Syracuse have both been rocked by the scandals that have sprouted from their sports programs. While it may be obvious that the scandals have shaken the foundations of these schools, the scandals have also caused those in the Middletown community to reflect.

Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator, faces 40 counts of sexual abuse of several young boys over a 13-year period. Bernie Fine, the assistant head coach of the Syracuse men’s basketball team, is under investigation for child molestation.

Since the scandals, people have been questioning the morality of people in positions of higher power, as well as themselves.

Rena Egan, a guidance counselor at MHS and former social worker, said that it is not uncommon for certain individuals to “gravitate towards positions of authority” in order to gain easy access to children.

Egan also noted that the abusers tend to be more males than females and that children are “not valued” by society as much as adults or people of power or popularity. Egan said the reason that abusers aspire to become people of authority, such as priests, is that they have easy access to children and that they earn the trust of children and parent.

Egan believes that “men’s codes” contributed to the communication breakdown amongst the Penn State elite.

“As a woman I would’ve been so enraged. I would’ve immediately helped,” said Egan.

Men are slow to aid in these situations due to their specific values, Egan said.  For example, perhaps to Paterno the lives of the abused may not have been as important as the depth of his coaching staff and the success of the football program.

Championship-winning, head varsity football coach Kevin Lynott believes instances such as thePenn State and Syracuse atrocities are caused by “mentally disturbed individuals.”   These “sick” people obtain a position of power that “unfortunately, taints their profession,” he said.

“I hope that (the scandals) are isolated incidents,” said Lynott.

Lynott, like Egan, noted that these situations occur in every walk of life and that the athletes are not the cause of such atrocities.

“It has nothing to do with the athletes,” said Lynott.

Gathered in a circle, the students of one of MHS basketball coach Tim Leber’s athletic coaching classes spoke their minds and offered their own personal opinions.

Sophomore Ben Spector believes positions of power undoubtedly correlate with abuse.

“They’re in control; they can do anything they want. They have the power. It should be up to the people to stand up,” said Spector.

Tisa Mullins,  junior, suggested that thorough background checks should be conducted during the interview process when hiring coaches or other positions in which adults are given the responsibility of children.

According to an article from www.npr.org, after Sandusky retired in 1999 following an investigation by the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare, he was still given access to Penn State facilities, including the showers in the boys locker rooms.

 Mitch Sgrignoli, sophomore, points to this false sense of security that people placed in Sandusky.

“Everyone around him trusted him,” said Sgrignoli. “It’s your word against their word.”

Sophomore Tristan Wenger believes that the safety of children should be handled as a “worst-case scenario” and that proper preventative steps always be taken when dealing with children.

“Working with kids is a huge responsibility,” said Leber.

Determination, sweat, and excitement fill the stadium under the bright Friday Night Lights. The team’s captains make their way to the field, walking slowly but steadily, trying to intimidate their opponent as much as possible. The ref signals who won the coin toss; Middletown chooses to receive. Players and fans get ready for kick-off. Taunts and chants are exchanged between the two rival fan groups, while the opposing players lock eyes; it’s game time.

Although tensions have been rising between other schools in Frederick county, such as Brunswick and Linganore, the Walkersville-Middletown tradition has ultimately remained the same.

“Walkersville has always been our rival, but this year it seemed like it could have been Brunswick. The game was really intense and the fans were into it the whole time,” said Middletown High senior, Ellen Heller.

It seems as if the controversy lies within the definition of a rivalry. Some people classify it as a tradition; others see rivalries as constantly changing depending on the intensity of the game.

It is arguable that Linganore and Brunswick could now be considered rivals because of their strength and ability, but there is no question that the Walkersville rivalry has never left Middletown.

“Other rivalries come and go, but the Walkersville one has always stayed the same. We have the same size school, and at one time we had a very similar community. Overall they were the biggest competition to us,” said MHS teacher and alumni football player, Jerry Donald.

Whether the Walkersville-Middletown rivalry was created from tradition, or other circumstances, some alumni remember various stories and incidents that may be responsible for starting the tradition.

 “I remember in high school, we all viewed Walkersville as our rival based on a story everyone knew about. Walkersville students stole plastic forks from us, and in retaliation we did the same to them. After that the rival fans brought forks to all the games. It was something silly that we all shared, and after that I guess the rivalry just stuck with us,” recalls alumni and teacher Casey Rogers.

While the stories have changed, and time has passed, the Walkersville Lions seem to have made their place as our rival.

In the most recent years, Middletown football has always dominated the Lions, but Walkersville has had an impressive 2011 football season, with their only loss being to the Middletown Knights.

The regular season game against the Walkersville Lions was an all-out battle. It was intense from the anticipated minutes before kick-off, to the last few seconds of Middletown’s fourth quarter victory.

“Walkersville andMiddletownare so close to each other and this rivalry is just something that started a long time ago and never ended. Every year they talk about how they are going to beat us, and every year we put them in their place,” said Middletown junior football player, Cody Martin.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again on November 18, and there is no doubt that this game will be one to remember.

“The game Friday will be our most intense on this year. It means everything to Middletown; a regional championship, a berth into the state-semi finals, and one last chance to beat our rival,” said Knights quarterback Michael Pritts.

Ben Lewis

 Julia Karcewski
Round Table Editor       

The eye catching “Syracuse Orange” sweatshirt fell neatly upon his broad shoulders, his ankle socks peaked slightly above his grey New Balance shoes, his khaki shorts pockets overflowed with snacks. His legs shook, and his hand tapped the table that he was casually leaning on. Ben Lewis only had one thing on his mind: the playoff game that would take place in 33 hours against Walkersville, Middletown’s rival. Lewis’ life has revolved around football since the sixth grade, but after this season, his football rituals and norms will be changing; Lewis will be playing in the ACC for the Syracuse Orange on a full scholarship beginning in the fall of 2012.

Until the sixth grade, Lewis wasn’t allowed to play football; something his dad required of all “Lewis boys” because he was afraid they would get “burnt out” and be tired of the sport before hitting high school.

“I always wanted to play football, it killed me that I couldn’t,” said Lewis, “I would get yellow cards for hitting people during my soccer games in elementary school.”

Lewis’ coaches would tell him that he was a football player playing soccer.

As soon as Lewis started playing football it became apparent he was a unique player, and he immediately made an impact to the team. In sixth grade Lewis’ MVAA team won the “Superbowl”, a championship for the youth programs around Frederick County. It was evident Lewis had some skill.

High School coaches from around the county knew Lewis’ name even as an eleven year old, they knew how athletic he was, and ultimately knew the impact he would have on Frederick County athletics. The MHS coaches had great plans for Lewis once he came on “their team” while Lewis was only in middle school.

The MHS coaches’ dreams seemed shattered when Lewis transferred to St. Johns Catholic Prep after eighth grade.

Lewis said SJCP gave him “a different experience” than Middletown.

When Lewis was a freshman at SJCP he began getting recruiting letters. Freshman year is fairly early to be getting letters, but because of some of the big shots on his football team, division one coaches had been coming to the SJCP football games where they also began to notice Lewis.

JR Ferguson was a senior at SJCP when Lewis was a Freshman. He now plays for LSU and was a star recruit in the class of 2009.

“I looked up to (JR),” said Lewis, “he really showed me what it took to be a division one athlete.”

Like many boys, since elementary school Lewis always loved the season he was in, claiming he would play that sport in college whether it was football, basketball, or baseball.

“Once I started getting the recruiting letters from big schools, it became obvious that I wanted to play football in college,” said Lewis.

Football was a good choice. According to the Gazette.net Lewis caught 48 passes for 911 yards with 13 touchdowns in the 2010 season alone.

Lewis was invited to a Syracuse camp in June 2011 where the coaches got a better look at him. It was from that camp that Lewis got invited to a more private Syracuse camp where he met with the coaches personally. The head coach ended up offering scholarship, and asked Lewis to verbally commit.

Lewis said Syracuse stood out among the other division one schools he was considering because of the great communications program.

“My parents have always been flexible about football and where I want to go,” says Lewis, “I really appreciate their attitude because it made the entire recruiting process a lot easier on me,”

Lewis says his biggest inspiration is his dad who played football atSouth Dakota State and has always given him advice he can trust.

[video

Untitled from Casey Zanowicz on Vimeo. Middletown vs. Oakdale

Final Score: Knights 49, Oakdale 6

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Lacrosse in Middletown has been growing rapidly for the past few years. This year’s team has been achieving greatness since they were in their youth. They consistently had very powerful teams.

Middletown ended its season last year falling one game short of the State Championship game where they lost to River Hill, in a close battle 9-6.

This year the team has no doubt in their minds that they can’t go one game more then last years impressive season.

Senior midfielder Ian Tolino says, “We were a young team last year and have many players returning, this year is going to be the year that teams talk about in the future of Middletown lacrosse.”

With only a couple days before the first game of the season at home against Carroll County powerhouse South Carroll, a game Middletown is looking to gain revenge from last years loss to the Cavaliers.

Middletown pulled out three explosive wins over the weekend in a scrimmage tournament down in Howard County where the team won games against Glenelg High School, a remaining state champion. They also beat Atholton High and Mount Hebron High School, who are all well known in the state for being strong lacrosse schools and are in the hunt for championships every season.

After last weekends scrimmages Junior Attackman Johnny Galloway says, “When were all on the field together, everything just comes together and things just fall into place. We just play lacrosse and were bringing something new to Middletown that no one has ever seen before.”

Middletown will rap up its preseason this week where they will play two more games to get set for the season to get underway. They will play a game this weekend against Hereford the class 2A state champ last year so they will be able to see where they compare verse the top level of competition. Middletown has a majority of a Frederick County base schedule where they will face off against such teams as Catoctin, Tuscarora, Brunswick, Walkersville, Frederick, and Thomas Johnson.

Senior Captain Tyler Lyons says, “Within the county Middletown is the team people should keep there eyes on were going to shock the whole county.”

This year the team seems to have a new vibe to them. Instead of just going off to practice everyday and playing lacrosse, the team is working for something that they have never accomplished, to be able to hold up a trophy at the end of the season at UMBC field. Most of the players have been playing lacrosse since they were in Elementary school and have achieved multiple undefeated seasons.

This year they hope to end in a place they have worked for ever since strapping on the pads for the first time. Many of these kids aren’t just playing for themselves; they are playing and giving it all they have for the team. The team has big dreams and isn’t going to settle for anything less then bringing home the schools first state title in the sport. Middletown’s season undergoes in less then a week and the quest for achieving greatness starts.

For the rest of his life, Middletown High School quarterback Michael Pritts is going to believe that Knights wide receiver Ben Lewis did in fact catch his 51-yard pass with 43 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the 2A State Championship game. Pritts knows that if the referee hadn’t called it incomplete, the catch could have changed the outcome completely, and made MHS history. Despite what he feels in his heart, Pritts has learned to focus on the positive aspects of the game, an act that calls for character.

The character is obvious among the athletes on the 2010 MHS football team, and it requires them to be not only mature, but confident as well.

“Our character and sportsmanship contributed a lot to our winning season because we turned into a family and didn’t get down on each other,” said Zach Welch, a sophomore kicker/running back/defensive back. “We learned to respect each other and I think our character had a lot to do with that.”

Coach Kevin Lynott says that the players on the team were “raised well and have good backgrounds,” which contributes to the players having good character.

Lynott was very proud of how the boys handled the controversial pass to Lewis at the end of the game.

Lewis’ reaction to the play was to accept the call, and also to focus on what the team had achieved during the season and, more specifically, the game.

 “I strongly believe that because Ben reacted the way he did to the play, the rest of the team carried the same character,” said Lynott.

 “(The controversial pass) isn’t something I can just get over,” said Pritts, “but I was able to deal with it because, rather than dwell on the bad, I focused on the good things of the season. I didn’t let one bad call ruin everything else we had accomplished.”

Lynott and many of the players also feel that the fans are what helped them get their adrenalin pumping, and help them to be motivated to “Finish 14”. Using positive, loud cheers, MHS fans show their character as they rumble the stadium at every game whether home or away. Their character also was demonstrated at the state championship game at M&T Bank Stadium.

Robby Tucker, a senior known for leading cheers at the football games, wouldn’t choose anything over being a Knight fan.

“I was meant to be a Knight since I was born,” says Tucker, “seeing my boys out there on the field really just helps me to get pumped, I try to go all out.”

Lynott says he appreciates the positive encouragement by the fans, as they model good behavior. He said that its good to know that when things “get tough” the fans won’t be yelling vulgar remarks, and show respect and support for the MHS football team.

On Friday before the game, Principal Jay Berno gave a speech on the morning announcements that concentrates on demonstrating good character among all fans, coaches, and players of MHS football. Lynott would say that was another factor of the good character demonstrated by the Middletown community as a whole.

“Having a school climate that values sportsmanship really rubs off on the players,” said Lynott.

MHS was honored for the character shown by both athletes and fans by receiving the John H. Cox Respect the Game Football Award, for good sportsmanship throughout this football season.

The trophy is awarded to the team that shows the best overall sportsmanship during their Maryland state final game. Middletown was chosen out of eight teams.

During the morning announcements on Dec 9, MHS Principal Jay Berno presented the award to MHS. He emphasized that it takes a group effort to win this award, as he acknowledged MHS football players, fans, cheerleaders, marching band/flag squad, students and members of the community; accentuating that Middletown is known for its great character, and that it takes a community effort to be given such an award.

Berno told a mhsroundtable.com reporter that he feels winning this award is “more important than winning a state title”.

 “Reflecting on the whole season, (the reward) is just really deserving,” said Lynott.

“When emotions are at a high state, the boys just keep their head high and support each other by just being there and hugging,” said Lynott, “and its just really great to have the community there supporting as well.”

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Middletown High School senior Edwin Juarez swims nonchalantly through the pool, striving across the water in the same motion. Stroke. Stroke. Stroke.

He stops and catches his breath. Rubbing his temples he mentally charges his brain, preparing himself for the next meet against his biggest rival; the Frederick Cadets.

Jumping out of the pool, he grabs his towel and sits down. Sighing, he wishes he was back in his warm bed and not out practicing this early on Saturday morning. Grabbing his water from his bag, he sips the wet liquid and it slides down his throat, cooling his dry throat.

Juarez, a captain of the MHS swim team, feels strong for this season. Even though it has just begun, the practices have gotten tougher and so has the swimmer’s mind set. Going to States is all the swimmers think about. Although it is early in the season, the competition is heating up.

To get the other swimmers pumped up, Juarez gives them “pep talks and tell them that no matter what, if they swim and don’t get disqualified or miss their event, if they have a time, that’s all that matters.”

In order to “get in the zone and ready to go” the swimmers do a variety of chants and songs to get focused and be in control. By cheering for the team, they know it’s go time.

MHS senior and swim team captain Annaliese Niemeyer said, “We always do team cheers after warm-up. Also, when we are in the locker room we give pep talks to the swimmers about swimming their best.”

In order to get the swimmers ready for meets and practices, “we focus on different key focus points of the swimmers and I encourage them to do their best and I talk to the girls about their performances,” said swimming coach Stacy MacMillan.

The swim team is not all about competition. The swimmers are close friends and that is what makes them such a strong team.

“My favorite part of swimming is the people on the swim team. They are all very sweet and we are like a large family. We have a lot of fun at our pasta parties and team bonding events,” said Jessica Police, MHS senior and swim captain.

“My biggest goal I would like to achieve is for each swimmer to rise to challenges that will help them become a stronger athlete and individual,” said MacMillan.