Besides the 12-0 loss on Saturday night, the 54 th annual DFRC Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game was a great experience for Middletown High products Cameron Thomas, Kenny Anderson and Mark Munzer.
Thomas earned the Hand-in-Hand Award given to the participant who best exemplifies an outstanding relationship with their buddy during the DFRC Blue-Gold Program. The program pairs players and other participants with children with intellectual disabilities for a series of activites leading up to the game.
Thomas, who played cornerback and receiver for the Gold in the state’s all-star football game at the University of Delaware, formed a strong relationship with his buddy Matthew Beck during the entire Blue-Gold series of events.
“The experience taught me that even though people are different, they still deserve to be treated with the same amount of respect and caring,” Thomas said. “Meeting Matthew changed my life and the way I act toward and think of people at all times, whether it’s out in public or behind closed doors.”
Thomas wasn’t happy with the Gold’s loss, but thought he and his teammates represented themselves well. He dropped an interception, but also defended a couple of pass tries and moved up to make tackles.
“It got physical at times and there was some talking, but it was all good, healthy competition with the Blue guys,” Thomas said. “We were all getting along and having fun with it, and treating it as an all-star game.”
Anderson earned the Gold’s starting quarterback spot, and was a team captain. The Widener (Pa.) University-bound signal-caller completed just two passes in six attempts for 29 yards as the offense sputtered. In the third quarter after a high center snap, he was forced to kick the ball out of the end zone for a Blue safety to avoid further damage.
Munzer switched from linebacker to nose guard for the team, and made the starting lineup in what’s likely the last competitive tackle football game of his career. He’ll also attend Widener in Chester, Pa. to major in business and accounting, and won’t play football.
When injury struck the Gold four days before the game, Munzer moved inside to replace his fallen teammate.
“They asked me if I could learn a new position and be ready to play it quickly,” Munzer said. “I said sure, because I wanted to do anything to get more playing time.”
After years of chasing down halfbacks and fullbacks at linebacker, the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder suddenly found himself taking on lager centers and guards at the line of scrimmage.
“My duty was to take on blocks and let the linebackers make tackles,” Munzer said. “I was fine with that.”
The highlight came in pregame, when Munzer and the other players met up with their Hand-in-Hand Program buddies. He was happy to see his buddy, Jacob Balan of Middletown’s Lakeside neighborhood.
“It was great to see (Jacob) and the rest running to see us, with their cameras and smiles,” Munzer said. “… The buddy program showed me that I should think how special I have it, and to think about how other people see things.”
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Besides the 12-0 loss on Saturday night, the 54 th annual DFRC Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game was a great experience for Middletown High products Cameron Thomas, Kenny Anderson and Mark Munzer.
Thomas earned the Hand-in-Hand Award given to the participant who best exemplifies an outstanding relationship with their buddy during the DFRC Blue-Gold Program. The program pairs players and other participants with children with intellectual disabilities for a series of activites leading up to the game.
Thomas, who played cornerback and receiver for the Gold in the state’s all-star football game at the University of Delaware, formed a strong relationship with his buddy Matthew Beck during the entire Blue-Gold series of events.
“The experience taught me that even though people are different, they still deserve to be treated with the same amount of respect and caring,” Thomas said. “Meeting Matthew changed my life and the way I act toward and think of people at all times, whether it’s out in public or behind closed doors.”
Thomas wasn’t happy with the Gold’s loss, but thought he and his teammates represented themselves well. He dropped an interception, but also defended a couple of pass tries and moved up to make tackles.
“It got physical at times and there was some talking, but it was all good, healthy competition with the Blue guys,” Thomas said. “We were all getting along and having fun with it, and treating it as an all-star game.”
Anderson earned the Gold’s starting quarterback spot, and was a team captain. The Widener (Pa.) University-bound signal-caller completed just two passes in six attempts for 29 yards as the offense sputtered. In the third quarter after a high center snap, he was forced to kick the ball out of the end zone for a Blue safety to avoid further damage.
Munzer switched from linebacker to nose guard for the team, and made the starting lineup in what’s likely the last competitive tackle football game of his career. He’ll also attend Widener in Chester, Pa. to major in business and accounting, and won’t play football.
When injury struck the Gold four days before the game, Munzer moved inside to replace his fallen teammate.
“They asked me if I could learn a new position and be ready to play it quickly,” Munzer said. “I said sure, because I wanted to do anything to get more playing time.”
After years of chasing down halfbacks and fullbacks at linebacker, the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder suddenly found himself taking on lager centers and guards at the line of scrimmage.
“My duty was to take on blocks and let the linebackers make tackles,” Munzer said. “I was fine with that.”
The highlight came in pregame, when Munzer and the other players met up with their Hand-in-Hand Program buddies. He was happy to see his buddy, Jacob Balan of Middletown’s Lakeside neighborhood.
“It was great to see (Jacob) and the rest running to see us, with their cameras and smiles,” Munzer said. “… The buddy program showed me that I should think how special I have it, and to think about how other people see things.”
