Football preview: Wooster slowly rebuilds program

Time keeps distancing the Wooster football team from what the Colts did in Northern Nevada a generation ago.

Wooster controlled the football landscape two decades ago with multiple state championships under hall-of-fame coach Joe Sellers. But over time, that success has slowly diminished with new schools opening in Reno coupled with Bishop Manogue making the leap from the former Class 3A to the 4A last decade.

Wooster’s lost that winning formula due to rezoning favoring bigger schools, like Damonte Ranch, Galena and Manogue, but the Colts continue to battle in the Northern Division I-A. The Colts haven’t defeated a winning program for several years but Wooster’s lone league win last season sent the program into the offseason with high hopes.

Wooster’s only two wins bookended the 2012 campaign with an opening victory over ROP and then a one-point win over Sparks in a battle of the bottom two Division I-A programs.

Even with the win sending the Colts into the break with some momentum, third-year head coach Vince Johnson’s group will need to count on its new senior class to step up and fill the void.

Gone are the team’s quarterback, who passed for more than 1,500 yards, as well as the Colts’ top rusher, who accounted for 504 yards on the ground. Josh Carnemola’s top two targets in the air are also graduated with the quarter as Wooster looks to rebuild the offense again.

Senior Kenny Davis returns as he accounted for 312 yards rushing and 87 in the air. Fellow senior Foa Sofara ran for 252 yards and Alex Anguiano returns as the only Colt with quarterback experience. He served as the team’s second backup last season, just throwing one pass, a 2-yard completion.

The defense, though, will need work this season after it gave up 383 points in 10 games. All but two opponents scored at least 30 points against the Colts, with state champ Truckee handing them their biggest loss, a 56-0 shutout late in the season.

Davis and Anguiano also played defense as both highlight the secondary. Senior Michael Sowers returns as a defensive back, as well, and senior Austin Chipman returns at lineback. Chipman also ran the ball on offense.