Big statistical improvements and signature wins were two things ninth-year head coach Frank Colaprete preached during the 2019 season. The College of Wooster football team bought in and is eager to pick up where it left off in full action this fall after playing just two exhibition games last year. An all-around "effort, attitude, and production with really nothing to look forward to" in terms of championships during COVID left Colaprete feeling extremely proud heading into the summer, and he's ready for his team to realize now is the "time to step up and be in contention for the conference championship" come mid-November.
"I think we're going to be a well-rounded team," summed up Colaprete. "Who we have coming back and who stepped up in the spring points to us being good in all three phases – offense, defense, and special teams. We're talented, disciplined, and sound from top to bottom."
Wooster's offense appears primed for a breakout year in 2021, and Colaprete's confident the Fighting Scots should have "one of the top offenses in the North Coast Athletic Conference in first downs and points." Key to achieving that could lie with Wooster's veteran core, as the Scots return an all-conference selection at each position group – senior Mateo Renteria at quarterback, senior Troy Baughman at running back, senior Cole Hissong at tight end/receivers, and senior Eli Lohrey on the offensive line.
"It's at all four levels, all different positions," summed up Colaprete, when highlighting how beneficial the spread-out wealth of all-conference honorees back in the fold is. And with Lohrey, a projected 4.5-year starter, returning for a fifth year, Wooster has an anchor on the line who has been through a lot of great battles and great wins over the years, something that will "help with the year off," per Colaprete.
In fact, the year off may help Wooster's offensive line tremendously, as three new starters – junior Colton Rambur, sophomore Zach Hershberger, and sophomore Bryce Kamphues – lined up alongside Lohrey and alumnus AJ Scissum during the spring exhibitions. With that experience, Wooster has "arguably one of the best groups we've had as far as coming off the spring with size, strength, athletic ability, and physical play up front," according to Colaprete.
Renteria and Hissong were first-team All-NCAC selections in 2019, the last time conference honors were awarded. They'll be working with a receiving core that will be one to keep an eye on this fall, as it's a mix of veterans and an influx of young guys who haven't been seen in a traditional setting.
"We graduated a few receivers in 2020," said Colaprete, with Nick Strausbaugh, one of the top wideouts in program history among that group. "There's a lot of room to grow here, which is exciting."
Senior Kristian Coleman and junior Charlie Henegar lead the group in terms of experience, while sophomore Mitchell Heilman showed a lot of promise with three receptions for 122 yards in his lone exhibition action. Senior Harvey Briscoe and junior EJ Humphries are two other veterans back this fall.
Baughman headlines Wooster's running backs, and he rushed for 781 yards in 2019. Colaprete has plenty of options to support Baughman's efforts, as Renteria has showcased increased abilities to make plays with his feet, while now-junior Andrew Yanssens worked his way into the mix in 2019.
Defense is where Wooster made significant gains in 2019, with the Scots holding the opposition to 162 points and 3,433 yards, the program's best showings since 2008 and 2011, respectively. Senior Beau Greenwood, a two-time all-conference selection, is back for a fifth year to anchor the secondary, while classmate Angelo Petracci, Wooster's National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy and Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team® nominee, leads the front six in the program's 4-2-5 scheme.
"The leadership out of Beau and Angelo is exciting, as well as their playmaking ability," said Colaprete. "These are two young men who have shown their capabilities and truly lead by example. We have a lot of other hungry, talented guys, who have shown they are ready to step up and mold us into an elite defense too."
A stout defensive line that can consistently win battles in the trenches is one of the major parts of an elite defense, and an area of focus this fall. Senior Kellen Calhoun has the most experience in the unit, which was hit hard by graduations in 2020. However, this is an area that's quickly showcased an ability to reload, evidenced by recent success stories from alumni Robert Alvarez, Marcus Bowers, D'Andre Brown, and others, who caused a lot of havoc in oppositions' backfields lately.
"Make plays and show what they are capable of," is what Colaprete's looking for out of the line during camp, and some of the returnees who had a jump on showcasing what they could do, include senior Chris Savaglio, sophomore Domenic DeMuth, and sophomore Roman LaBrosse, who were among the top eight on the team in tackles in limited exhibition action this spring.
The outlook at linebacker and secondary is "a lot like the receiving core," per Colaprete, who also noted, "it's a very talented group with a lot of room to grow."
In addition to Greenwood and Petracci, juniors Dorion Talley and Matt Ulishney have starting experience, while the likes of sophomore Andrew Armile, sophomore PT Fischer, sophomore Kobe Nadu, junior Langston Williams, and others stepped up in key roles throughout the spring.
A key difference-maker to Wooster's success in 2021, could very well fall to the special teams, an area where Wooster's seen a healthy uptick in improvements in recent years. Juniors Lake Barrett and Matt Pardi return as specialists, which should bode well, given Barrett's record-setting year in 2019 (11 made field goals) and Pardi's ability to flip field position consistently at punter. Factor in Ulishney's breakaway potential as a returner, plus contributions from numerous other Scots, and Wooster could be poised for some of the top all-around special teams play in the conference.
"This group brings efficiency, which you need at these positions," shared Colaprete. "Scoring points and changing the field is what they need to be able to do without making mistakes, and this group has shown they can do that."
Wooster has plenty of depth across the board, as 55 letterwinners and 44 newcomers are in camp. With those type of numbers, the Scots have been able to sustain a good size roster in recent years, and the program's right where Colaprete wants to be, which is between 90-100 players.
The Scots are set to open the season at home against Geneva College on Saturday, September 4 at 6 p.m. in what will be a "tough triple-option team in week one, and a style completely different from any team we will play in the NCAC," according to Colaprete. NCAC action starts the following week with a 1 p.m. home date with Kenyon College, while the Scots travel to 2019 NCAC tri-champions Wabash College (October 16, 1 p.m.), Denison University (October 23, 3 p.m.), and Wittenberg University (November 13, 1 p.m.). Other games to note include Black & Gold Weekend's home date against DePauw University (September 25, 2 p.m.), and other home contests are against Hiram College (October 30, noon) and Allegheny College (November 6, 1 p.m.).
"It's a lot of home games early on and we travel late," summed up Colaprete, whose team also travels to Ohio Wesleyan University (September 18, 1 p.m.) and Oberlin College (October 2, 1 p.m.). It's a truly difficult schedule and we'll see where we are at. The great part about being in our conference the last few years is someone else has stepped up. The conference is in a good place. There's a lot of good teams like us who can win it. You just have to be ready to go every week."