TOWSON, Md. - For the seniors on the 2009 Tiger football team, this has been a bittersweet season. In the first year of Coach Rob Ambrose's renovation program, they got in on the ground floor and they are an integral part of the foundation. The seniors will be hoping to go out as winners when they host third-ranked Villanova (8-1, 5-1) at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.. They will be honored in pre-game ceremonies.
Facing a nationally-ranked FCS team for the third consecutive week, the injury plagued Tigers will be seeking to pull off an upset. Last season, Towson threw a scare into Villanova when the Wildcats were ranked sixth. The Tigers forced Villanova to overcome a 17-7 second quarter deficit before the Wildcats held on for a 34-31 win.
Towson and Villanova are meeting for the sixth time. Villanova has won the last two games by a total of five points and leads the series, 3-2.
The efforts of the Tiger seniors have earned the admiration of their coach.
"This has been a very impressive group of seniors," Coach Ambrose says. "They have done everything possible to help us establish this program. All of them have accepted the challenge and have provided tremendous leadership for the younger players on our team. I have promised them that, in the future, they will be very proud to have been part of this program when it all started."
The Tigers' seniors:
51 - Alex Avolio, Defensive Tackle, Richboro, Pa.: A valuable reserve on the defensive line, Alex transferred from California University (Pa.) three years ago. After appearing in five games in 2008, he has played in six games this year and made six tackles. He had three tackles at Northeastern last month. Although he has a year of eligibility remaining, Alex will be graduating with his degree in Business Administration before the start of next season.
98 - Jon Boyer, Place Kicker, Easton, Pa.: A transfer from Temple, Jon was slated to be the Tigers' place kicker this season. He won the job after kicking two field goals in the Spring Game. But, he suffered a season-ending knee injury prior to the Tigers' game against New Hampshire. In the first three games, he made one of two field goal attempts and connected on 5 of 6 conversion tries. In 2008, he served as the holder for place kicker Mark Bencivengo. Although he has eligibility remaining, he will graduate with his degree in Criminal Justice before the start of next season.
76 - Dan Bridges, Offensive Tackle, Union Bridge, Md.: A four-year starter at right tackle, Dan has been a fixture on the offensive line for most of his career. A very durable lineman, he has played in 42 of a possible 43 games over the last four years. Dan made 25 straight starts before missing a game at Coastal Carolina last season. Despite a painful thigh injury, Dan tried to play at William & Mary last week but had to leave the game in the first quarter.
47 - Alex Butt, Linebacker, Parkton, Md.: A two-year starter at linebacker, Alex has been one of the team's leading tacklers the last two years. As a junior, he started all 12 games at an inside linebacker position and made 62 tackles to finish second on the team. Although he has been slowed by injuries in 2009, he has made 49 tackles in eight games. When he didn't play at William & Mary last week, it ended a streak of 20 consecutive starts and 35 consecutive games played. After transferring to Towson from the University of Alabama, Alex has made 131 tackles in his Towson career.
14 - Casey Cegles, Wide Receiver, Ocean City, N.J.: A sure-handed receiver who has a knack for getting open, Casey has been one of the Tigers' top receivers for the last three years. As a junior, he played in only eight games but managed to catch 36 passes for 450 yards and four touchdowns. In the season opener at Navy, he caught a 22-yard touchdown pass for the Tigers' first TD of the season. The team's third-leading receiver, he also caught a 55-yard TD pass in Towson's win over Morgan State. A very good student, he was a candidate for Academic All-America honors. He enters today's game with 71 career receptions for 927 yards and six touchdowns.
42 - John Godlasky, Tight End, Hershey, Pa.: A three-year starter who made 25 consecutive starts before missing two games due to appendicitis earlier this season. As a junior, he was named as Towson's Lineman of the Year Award winner. He also caught 19 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns. In his career, John has caught 34 passes for 356 yards. Remarkably enough, 9 of his 34 receptions have been touchdown passes. As a senior, he has eight receptions for 87 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 19-yard TD catch against number one-ranked Richmond two weeks ago.
95 - Richard Lee, Student Assistant, Severn, Md.: A former defensive lineman, Richard was a three-year standout on the defensive line who had his career ended by a serious neck injury. He sustained the injury in the Tigers' 31-24 win over Columbia last September. Despite successful surgery, he was advised that further injury to his neck could paralyze him. He remained with the program this season in the role of Student Assistant. In three years, he played in 25 games and started 19 times. He had 55 tackles, 3 sacks and a fumble recovery. The fact that Lee played football is remarkable considering he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease as a high school senior. When he recovered, he came to Towson as a "walk-on" and earned a scholarship after one year.
80 - David Newsom, Wide Receiver, Elizabeth, N.J.: The Tigers' leading receiver with 26 catches for 370 yards as a senior, David has been a two-year standout for the Tigers. A transfer from Nassau Community College, he had 41 receptions for 484 yards and two touchdowns in 2008. In two years, he has 67 receptions for 854 yards and five touchdowns. In September, he led the Tigers to a 21-17 win over Coastal Carolina by catching two TD passes. David has also contributed as a punt return specialist. He has returned 11 punts for 59 yards and has 441 all-purpose yards. An outstanding team leader, he has been one of the Tigers' game captains in six of nine games.
17 - Blair Peterson, Quarterback, San Antonio, Texas: A transfer from the University of New Mexico, Blair has been a two-year performer at quarterback for the Tigers. One of the team leaders, Blair has appeared in nine games the last two seasons. A lefthanded quarterback, he spent two years as a missionary in Argentina for the Church of Jesus Christ for Latter Day Saints. A Dean's List student with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A., Blair will graduate with a degree in Spanish before the start of the next football season.
11 - Bill Shears, Punter, Susan, Va.: The Tigers' punter for the last four years, Bill has punted 171 times in his career with a 37.4 average. In his career, he has placed 43 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line while 49 of his punts have resulted in fair catches. Only 7 punts have been touchbacks. In 2007, he averaged 37.4 yards and placed 17 of 48 punts inside the 20-yard line. He had one of his best games last week with a 40.7 average on 6 punts with three inside the 20-yard line.
95 - Brady Smith, Defensive End, Manchester, Md.: A newcomer to the Tiger roster, Brady is a transfer from Boston College and a product of nearby Loyola Blakefield High School. An outstanding leader on the Tiger defense, he has started all nine games and he has been one of Towson's game captains every week. In September, he made an impressive debut at Northwestern. In the season opener, he made a career high 11 tackles. With 49 tackles in nine games, he is tied for fourth on the team. Brady has made 7.5 tackles for lost yards, including two sacks. He is also tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries. A candidate for All-Colonial Athletic Association honors, he ranks sixth among CAA defensive linemen with 5.4 tackles per game.
67 - Leon Stevenson, Offensive Tackle, Newark, Del.: A veteran offensive lineman who has seen action at guard and tackle during his career, Leon has played in 24 games and has made seven starts. In 2007, Leon started the first three games of the season. But he suffered a dislocated ankle in the Tigers' game at Massachusetts and missed the rest of the season. Last year, he played in all 12 games and made four starts. However, he never fully regained the mobility he had prior to his injury. Although he has a year of eligibility remaining, Leon will be graduating with his degree in Communication Studies before the start of next season.
89 - Tamba Tongu, Wide Receiver, Rockville, Md.: A reserve wide receiver and a special teams standout for the last four years, Tamba has been an excellent team leader for the Tigers. A member of Towson University's Student-Athlete Advisory Board (PAWS), he has been one of the Tigers' game captains four times this season. During his career, Tamba has 11 receptions for 74 yards in his career. He has also returned two kickoffs for a 30.0 average.
86 - Wes White, Tight End, Adamstown, Md.: A four-year veteran who has played offensive line and tight end during his career, Wes has appeared in 24 games. Used as an extra tight end in short-yardage situations, he has caught one pass in his career but it was a huge reception. He caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Sean Schaefer to help the Tigers post a 31-24 victory over Columbia in September of 2008. In his senior season, his playing time has been limited by an injury which sidelined him for five games.
The Tigers close out the regular season next Saturday at James Madison University.
