WOOSTER, Ohio – Fifth-year seniors Mateo Renteria and Troy Baughman were in sync on the game's opening drive, and The College of Wooster football team rolled past Hilbert College 49-7 on Saturday afternoon at John P. Papp Stadium.
Wooster (4-3), which celebrated its 24 seniors prior to the game, kept going to Baughman on the opening drive. The senior wideout was locked in for four catches for 45 yards, and the final four stripes put the Fighting Scots on the board at the 12:27 mark. Wooster doubled its lead to 14-0 with 7:40 to go in the opening quarter when first-year Jarvis Mims Jr. darted in from two yards out on a rush up the middle.
Next, the senior class, courtesy of Quincy Taylor, forced a turnover. The Scots' defensive lineman stripped the ball from Hilbert (0-5) signal-caller Nicholas Rinker on the first play from scrimmage following Mims Jr.'s touchdown. Junior Alex White dove for the ball and came up with the recovery 18 yards shy of the end zone.
Wooster struck again at the 8:58 mark of the second quarter when Renteria connected with Baughman on a 7-yard score. After a Hilbert personal foul enabled Wooster to kickoff from midfield, the Scots turned to senior Lake Barrett, who successfully executed an onside kick that was recovered by sophomore Brazos Gadler. Five plays later, Wooster was in the end zone again, this time with senior Andrew Yanssens rushing in from two yards out. Barrett's extra point upped the lead to 28-0 at the second period's 7:29 mark.
Just before halftime, Hilbert drove down to Wooster's 9-yard line before settling for a field goal attempt that sailed wide. Mims Jr. made the Hawks pay by bursting up the middle, then angling towards the sideline to elude Hilbert's defense en route to an 80-yard touchdown run with 14 ticks left on the clock. Notable, it marked the longest rush by a Scot since alumnus Antonio Bailey's 80-yarder against Kenyon College in 2016.
Wooster's opening second-half drive covered 75 yards on 12 plays. Yanssens capped it with a 2-yard run for his second touchdown of the day, then senior Ryan Johnston knocked the extra point through the uprights. First-year Michael O'Brien completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to junior Joshua Pond on a fourth-and-3 snap from Hilbert's 5-yard line for Wooster's final score of the game, with that coming with 1:38 to go in the fourth.
Defensively, first-year Andrew Andrade forced and recovered a fumble in the second half as Hilbert neared midfield with about 5:30 to go in the fourth quarter, and senior Justin Jones nearly had an interception when the Hawks took a shot deep on a fourth-down snap midway through the third stanza.
Renteria completed 14-of-18 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Mims Jr. surpassed 100 yards on the day, thanks to his 80-yard touchdown run. The first-year averaged 14.0 yards over eight carries. In all, eight ball carriers combined for 261 net yards on 46 rushes, with that equaling out to 5.7 per tote. Baughman took home high honors for receiving with six catches for 84 yards and two scores.
Senior Chris Savaglio and White totaled six tackles apiece, Ulishney forced a fumble on Hilbert's opening drive, and Andrade was officially credited with 23 yards on his fumble recovery that would have fallen in the scoop and score category if it were not for a penalty during the return.
Rinker completed 9-of-16 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, which came in the final minute of the game. Andrew Augustiniak caught the touchdown pass to finish the game with three receptions for 39 yards. The Hawks averaged 2.4 yards per carry over 44 totes.
Taivaughn Roach and Lamar Hampton were frequently making plays on the defensive side of the ball with a combined 21 tackles. Nicholas Maines and Darnell Jackson logged sacks in the game.
Wooster outgained Hilbert 505-236 and was 4-of-9 on third down to the Hawks' 7-of-16.
Next, Wooster (2-3 North Coast Athletic Conference) hosts Wittenberg University (4-3, 4-2 NCAC) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 29.