“Teacher, Coach and Mentor” pretty well sums up Tom Ford and his contributions to Frederick County soccer. Ford was a coach and Frederick County Public Schools employee at Walkersville from 1961 to 1992. He compiled a 13-year soccer coaching record of 126-24. His 1971 Walkersville squad was the first Frederick County team to qualify for the MPSSAA state tournament. e following year, the 1972 Walkersville squad became the county’s first modern era state champion. His teams won five MVAL titles and had two state runner-up finishes, in addition to the 1972 championship.

Ford was a 1955 graduate of Hereford, and he played soccer and baseball at the University of Maryland. He was a starter on Maryland’s 1956 Atlantic Coast Conference championship soccer squad that reached the NCAA quarter nals. Ford also coached baseball, golf and basketball at Walkersville and had state title-winning teams in baseball and golf.