Eliot Barrengos, Contributing Writer
The Fighting Scots football team played their final game of the season last Saturday. A 56-13 drubbing of the Oberlin Yeomen capped off a successful 2022 season for Wooster. The win cemented the Scots’ final record at 6-4 overall and 5-4 in conference play, continuing a streak of three consecutive seasons finishing with a record over the .500 mark.
Wooster jumped out to an early lead when quarterback Mateo Renteria ’23 scored on a one-yard sneak that put Wooster on the board just 2 minutes and 49 seconds into game play. The Scots never looked back, holding the lead for the rest of the game and played with an urgency that allowed them to win four of their last five games. Head coach Frank Colaprete commented on the team’s recent run of success saying, “I am so proud of this team … [it’s] a testament to our character and grit.”
The defense shined brightest in Saturday’s win with a standout performance from defensive end Domenic DeMuth ’24 who racked up a career high three sacks, totaling 24 negative yards. In fact, DeMuth successfully forced an Oberlin fumble on his second sack, allowing linebacker Mason Gilton ’26 to recover the ball and score from 26 yards out.
From there, it was Renteria working with his receivers to rack up the score, as the senior quarterback and captain put on a show with his family in attendance for his final collegiate game. In the second quarter, Renteria found Andrew Hammer ’25 twice in the same drive, once for a 27-yard reception and later on a deep 35-yard touchdown pass that put the Scots up big with a 34-7 advantage. Brazos Gadler ’24 had the standout performance for the offense with five receptions for 119 yards and three touchdowns.
Saturday’s win marked the final game for the Scots’ senior class; of special note was senior tight end Cole Hissong ’23, who completed his college career with the third-most receptions in program history with 145. Renteria’s final college stat lines as Wooster’s quarterback since the 2018 season is eye-popping; he is the Scots’ all-time leader in completions (770), yards (10,083), passing touchdowns (78) and total offense (10,614 yards). When asked for comment on these records, Renteria credited his teammates, saying that “I set them with all of my best friends’ help and support.” Renteria added that “they belong to every player I’ve played with throughout my tenure here.”
The last few weeks have been both a success and a moment to look ahead for the Fighting Scots. The last four wins have built positive momentum heading into the next season and the on-field success over the last three years has been the program’s best since the period 2002 to 2006. Looking ahead, the goal remains to topple the rest of the North Coast Athletic conference and compete for championships next fall. Colaprete reflected on the team’s success over the last three years as well as looking ahead to the future saying, “it was a great season, and I am really proud of our players and coaches!” In the present and the future, Colaprete emphasized that the key to success is “the character and grit of our players.”
Renteria too reflected on what has made the last few years so successful for the Scots, “[it] comes from the coaching staff and the culture they instilled early when I arrived at Wooster.” Additionally, Renteria emphasized that “over the years we have had some amazing talents come and go, but no matter what we fight and claw to achieve a winning season.”
The Scots will turn the page on what has been a remarkably successful run, and say goodbye to their seniors, with the hope that next year they can improve on the solid foundation they have set and compete for a conference championship. As Renteria put it, “no matter who is on the field, we know we have each other’s backs and are all working for the same thing.”
Congratulations to the Scots on another successful year and to the seniors on their memorable careers!
The Wooster Voice 