If folks think it’s fun to watch the Twamleys play football for Robbinsville High School these days, they should have been around before the triplets started wearing shoulder pads and helmets.
“The front-yard football games can only be described as legendary,” Taylor Twamley said. “We used to have large neighborhood games at my house, and they used to get very physical. (Current Raven teammates) Chris Curran and Corey Kale know how intense our front-yard football games were more than anyone.”
“They were always full of contact and big plays,” Kyle Twamley said. “We always pretended to be our favorite players in the NFL or college. Every time we went out, we always had jerseys, and you could bet money that there was going to be an argument at some point in the game.”
Jared Twamley described the affairs as “Fun. We’d play out in the snow, rain and just about anything else for hours.”
What resulted from those games is a key part of the engine that makes the Ravens machine run. Actually, the seniors should be referred to as key parts—emphasis on the plural—of the engine according to coach Andrew Patterson, who refuses to lump the brothers as one.
“I have never in my tenure referred to Jared, Kyle and Taylor as ‘The Twamleys,’” said Patterson, now in his second year as head coach after serving as an assistant. “They are all very different young men with different personalities and abilities. The most important trait shared is, that to them, football is important. It’s not an activity, club, or a hobby—it’s football and that means something to them.”
It means something to the Ravens as well, who got major contributions from all three in a 3-3 start this season.
At quarterback, Taylor was 53-for-99 for 621 yards and seven touchdowns with just two interceptions. He had 18 tackles and an interception at cornerback. Jared was Taylor’s go-to receiver as he had 25 receptions for 375 yards and four touchdowns.
“I don’t mean this in a cocky way, but I don’t think anyone in the area has better chemistry than me and Jared,” Taylor said. “We’ve been playing front-yard and organized football for 10 years. I have thrown to him ever since I started playing quarterback, and he just knows where I’m going to throw the ball. It’s very exciting and our chemistry strengthens every game.”
“We are thinking the same thing most of the time so that helps,” Jared said. “It is also easy to catch balls from someone when you trust them.”
Playing outside linebacker, Jared had 33 tackles, 2-1/2 sacks and an interception.
“He’s kind of like that unsung hero on defense,” Patterson said. “We’ll move him around to solidify the defense on whatever side we think that the opponents are gonna run or pass. He just sees the game well in front of him.”
But it’s Kyle who has been putting on a defensive clinic at middle linebacker this year, with 75 tackles, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, an interception and a sack.
“They’re not all easy tackles where a guy runs right at him,” Patterson said. “We’ll send him on a blitz, and he’ll run a guy down from behind. He makes college highlight kind of tackles.”
Kyle said his aggressive style of play has always been a part of his game because he has loved contact since he began playing. He just loves to hit people, he said.
“Touchdowns are great and all, but there’s nothing like making a big stick and hearing the whole crowd say ‘Ooooohhhhh!’” Kyle said. “I think the key to the amount of tackles I’ve been making really is our defensive scheme. It allows me to excel and make plays all over the field.”
Offensively, Kyle has rushed for a team-high 479 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor is second on the team with 188 yards, and also rushed for three TDs.
“Taylor actually sits down in offensive coaching meetings for the game plan for the week, he’s that knowledgeable about football,” Patterson said. “On the sidelines, I’ll have the next play ready to go, but I’ll take his suggestions.”
Taylor said that insight comes from viewing college football all his life and learning schemes and playcalling just from watching. He spends several hours each week watching film on his own and it is an honor that the staff trusts him to make in-game adjustments.
While none of the triplets have their college future mapped out yet, don’t be surprised to see all three go their own ways. Each agrees with Patterson that they are separate entities.
“Most people can’t even guess we’re triplets,” Taylor said. “I would say Kyle has a very goofy personality, but gets very angry when he needs to. Jared is very independent and is not very tolerant. He also isn’t afraid to voice his opinion, which isn’t always a good thing. I would describe myself as the most serious of us. I can get pretty loud when I need to, but am usually fairly calm.”
His brothers pretty much go along with that assessment.
“Taylor is more stern and serious,” Jared said. “Kyle can be funny and makes people laugh all the time. I guess I just have a mix of the two.”
Kyle agreed that he’s intense on the field but likes to consider himself a friendly guy off it. As for his brothers, he said, “Jared is harder to get along with because he gets mad very easily, and if he doesn’t like you, it’s hard to communicate with him. But Jared is definitely the funniest out of the three of us; he’s always cracking people up.
“Taylor is just what a stereotypical quarterback is like. He’s the pretty boy, he gets all the girls, and he’s Mr. Serious all the time. He doesn’t really show emotion very much, but he’s one of the smartest kids I know.”
Add the three together, and you get a pretty good nucleus for the Robbinsville football team.
Kyle, Jared and Taylor Twamley gather before the Robbinsville High football team’s 28-21 overtime win at home against Lindenwold High Oct. 14, 2016. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.),
