Local Young Football Players to Grace Raven’s Stadium

The dreams of seventeen young local football players have come true. Their cleats will be not be padding across Freedom Park in Sykesville, but instead the players ages 6 though 8 will be gracing the turf at Ravens M&T as they play their regular season game in the 71,000 seat stadium in Baltimore.

The honor is thanks to team Mom Jennifer Ebert who entered her twins into the Ravens Rookies contest and won the chance for these young men to have the opportunity of a lifetime.

“My entire family is huge Ravens Fans and I sign my twins up every year and select the Sykesville Raiders as my local youth organization,” said Ebert who is the Website and Communications Administrator for the Raiders and whose son is on the lucky team.

“This year they had a contest for the first ever Youth Football Day of Play at M&T Bank Stadium and I was notified by the Baltimore Ravens Tuesday that I won and I get to choose a team from the Sykesville Raiders to play their game at M&T Bank Stadium.”

For Ebert, this isn’t just an amazing opportunity for her son and for the organization she dedicates so much time to. For her, it’s also a family affair.

Ebert’s son Hunter, 8, a student at Linton Springs Elementary, will run out on the field alongside her older son Zach Schwartz, a senior at Century High School and former JV football player.

“To me as an adult it seems larger than life,” said Ebert. “To see the boys’ faces when they heard their names, it makes it all worth it.”

The Sykesville Raiders E National Team will face the Bowie Bulldogs on Oct. 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the M&T Bank Stadium.

Admission and parking to the games that day is free in addition to reduced concessions.

“They will be rolling out the red carpet for these boys and they are so excited,” said Ebert. “Team members will get to tour the Ravens locker room and then they will have assigned locker rooms for their team to play.”

This opportunity for the Sykesville Raiders comes with perfect timing. The organization is celebrating its 50th year in 2011.

The team roster for the special day is as follows:

• 1 Pham, Matthew
• 5  Usi, Adam
• 12 Ebert, Hunter
• 17 Breitenbach, Connor
• 21 Downs, Luke
• 27 Owings, Colby
• 28 Liska, Jakob
• 30 Nevius, Benjamin
• 29 Foxwell, Antonio
• 42 Brady, Tyler
• 43 Crouse, Nathan
• 49 Huber, Drew
• 53 Jaramillo, Hayden
• 61 Addison, Ryan
• 69 Gernand, Jr, Christopher
• 76 Hyde, Justin
• 93 MacDonald, Christopher
• Head Coach: Pat Crouse
• Assistant Coach: Derek Owings
• Assistant Coach: Jason Hyde
• Assistant Coach: Joseph Liska
• Assistant Coach: Zach Schwartz