Article Contributed on: 2/9/2007 10:38:32 AM
Marcus Felker and Travis Hillen
Anguel Tolev
Andy Tidwell
For four years, Thornton High School's
Travis Hillen and
have battled together.
They lined up against one another in August, toughening each other up as they cracked skulls in the trenches. They stood by each other as the Trojan football team succeeded - and suffered - on the field.
And they stuck together off the field, where life brings the unexpected twists and turns of teenage life.
No surprise that they're sticking together to play football at War Memorial Stadium.
Hillen and Felker signed letters of intent on Feb. 7 to play at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
Felker was named all-state by the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post for his play on the defensive line. Clocking in at 6-feet, 1-inches tall and 300 pounds, he's a good candidate to man the noseguard spot in the Cowboys' 3-4 defensive lineup.
"There isn't anybody who had more mental toughness than that kid," said Thornton football coach
Jeff Priestley, who's team went winless at 0-9 this past year. "He had to play through some pain."
Felker also caused pain to his opponents.
"People didn't want to line up against him," Priestley said.
Hillen was an honorable mention all-state selection by the Denver Post and was a first team selection for the Front Range League. Towering at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Hillen said coaches have told him he'd likely be a guard for the Cowboys.
"He's a great athlete for his size," Priestly said of Hillen, who runs a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash. "You don't see kids that fast."
It was Hillen's athleticism that first caught the Cowboy coaches' eyes. At the UW team camp this July, Hillen said the coaches really started to paying attention to him when he was keeping up with wide receivers from the other teams.
By the time the players left the camp, they each had scholarship offers.
Both players said the coaches and location drew them to UW.
Felker had known about the coaches at Wyoming before they ever started recruiting him. His mother,
Liz, had known Wyoming head coach
Joe Glenn from when she was a student-athlete at the University of Northern Colorado and he was the football coach. Felker's uncle,
Scott, had played with Wyoming linebacker coach
Marty English in college.
But when both players got to meet the coaches and the team, they said the felt really comfortable around the program and that the coaches really seemed to try to get to know them, instead of trying to just sell the program.
"Everyone told me to go where you feel comfortable," Hillen said of the players he talked to.
They both said they feel comfortable in Laramie, which is a secluded town in the southeastern part of Wyoming where the winters are harsh and summers pristine. Once you get into Laramie, It's impossible to escape the bucking horse and rider logo that adorns the UW football player's helmets -- it's on the street signs, on the shirts, on the billboards and business signs and on every Wyoming state license plate.
That was not lost on either player.
"I like how it's all about Wyoming football," said Felker, who was also offered a scholarship by Colorado State.
Hillen said when he visited for a game this past season against Boise State, people would come up and introduce themselves because they knew who he was and that this coming season he might be wearing brown and gold.
Felker said he'd like to suit up right away. Most often, players coming out of high school don't play their first year, instead taking a redshirt. They maintain their four years of eligibility, but that first year allows them to get accustomed to life as Division I student-athlete. Felker said he'd like to go into business, while Hillen was undecided.
The look forward to having each other to help in the transition process.
"You have someone going through the same things, someone you can relate to," Felker said.
They also look forward to enjoying the spoils of battling together in Wyoming. The Pokes finished 6-6 and were tied for third in the Mountain West Conference after the preseason poll had them picked for last.
"They have something good going on," Hillen said.
After winning the Class 5A state heavyweight wrestling championship last year and going undefeated so far this year, Felker is noncommittal about also wrestling for Wyoming. "Wrestling was something I did to stay in shape for football, I don't know," he said.
Often, when a student-athlete signs a letter of intent to play at college, that person will talk about the coaches, the facilities, the stature of the program or the opportunity to play quickly.
Not Thornton High School's
Anguel Tolev. Before signing on to run long distance at the University of Pennsylvania starting next fall, Tolev was excited about attending the university's Wharton School, one of the most prestigious business schools in the country.
"I think he understands what a great education can do for the rest of your life," said
Charlie Powell, men's track and cross country head coach at Penn. "That's a very mature and adult attitude."
Penn will be getting what Powell called one of the elite long distance runners in the country. He finished second at the Class 5A state championships, second at the Midwest Regional of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and then 27th at the national Foot Locker meet.
Thornton cross country and track coach
Suzanne Hammerschmidt said he was a little disappointed with the finish at nationals, to which she could only reply, "Let's put things in perspective here."
Tolev came to the United States in 1998 after living in Bulgaria. He didn't know any English, but now as a high school senior in the school's International Baccalaureate program, he carries a 4.22 GPA.
When he first came to Thornton High School, Hammerschmidt said he had never run competitively before. But he applied the focus and determination he showed in the classroom to his running. He also tried to learn as much as he could from Thornton High School graduate
Bradley Harkrader, who holds the state cross country record and now runs for the elite University of Colorado program.
"I had a feeling he was going to develop into the runner he is today," Hammerschmidt said of the quiet kid with the lanky runner's build.
Tolev was also considering going to CU, as well as Stanford, Columbia and Georgetown. But he applied early-decision to Penn, where his sister, Daniela, attends.
He'll be joining a Penn squad that's near the top of the Heptagonals, the Ivy League track conference, and that tends to produce a few NCAA Division I qualifiers every year, according to Powell.
"It's a win-win situation," Powell said. "He's going to be a factor from day one."
Andy Tidwell's signing to play football at the University of Nebraska-Kearney was all about making the right fit.
The senior from Thornton High School signed with the Division-II Lopers on Feb. 7.
"It felt right up there," said Tidwell, who's had to jump around from offense to defense through his four years at THS, finally taking the reigns as starting quarterback for the Trojans this past season.
For UNK coach
Darrell Morris, he sees Tidwell who can take care of business in the classroom and on the field.
"It's important to have a young man who will come in and graduate in a few years," Morris said.
Morris also likes his stature. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, he sees Tidwell as someone who can be a standout safety that can cover the big wide receivers.
"He's athletic andwe like his height," said Morris, who's team went 6-4 and 5-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference."He's agile and quick with just good, straight ahead speed."
Thornton High School football coach
Jeff Priestley said Tidwell's athleticism didn't all come naturally.
"What a class act," said Priestley. "He was a kid who was a good athlete but became a very good athlete because of his work ethic."
That work ethic even inspired some of his teammates.
"I loved playing with him since freshman year," said
Travis Hillen, who signed to play football at Wyoming. "Every day after school we're pushing each other in the weight room. He's kind of my role model."