WOOSTER, Ohio – Saturday's College of Wooster football "senior day" was definitely one to remember with eight school records set, plus the Fighting Scots' defense turned the tide with five takeaways during a 59-41 win over Allegheny College at John P. Papp Stadium.
Wooster (6-3, 5-3 North Coast Athletic Conference) senior Cole Hissong tapped the toes just inside the end zone for the go-ahead score at the 5:11 mark of the third quarter. Senior Mateo Renteria went to his go-to target from 7 yards out, and the Scots' star tight end extended for the catch, which went in the books as his 15th career receiving touchdown. Two drives earlier, Hissong scored from 23 yards out, with that touchdown moving the four-year standout past Cameron Daniels for the most by a tight end in program history.
Allegheny (2-7, 1-7 NCAC) looked to keep pace, and was knocking at the door of the end zone before junior Langston Williams broke up a would-be touchdown pass intended for tight end Jack Parker. The deflection went right to senior Angelo Petracci, who ran it back 30 yards. The big plays kept coming with first-year Bryant Douglas II having none of Jaxon Scrutchins heavily-contested coverage on a 50-yard highlight-reel catch on the first play from scrimmage after Petracci's interception. Two plays later, sophomore Carter Warstler's 4-yard touchdown grab, plus junior Lake Barrett's extra point padded Wooster's lead to 52-41 at the 1:03 mark of the third quarter.
Junior Matt Ulishney was matched up one-on-one with an Allegheny wideout on the final play of the third quarter, as the Gators looked to take a shot down the field. Ulishney wrestled the ball away from his Gator opponent for the interception. Later in the fourth, Williams picked off Jack Johnson and had a 33-yard run back to set Wooster up at Allegheny's 26-yard line.
Wooster struck immediately after Williams' pick, with Warstler leaving the Gators' secondary in the dust for a milestone-filled 26-yard touchdown. The touchdown marked Renteria's sixth of the day, establishing a new single-game program benchmark. On the pass, Renteria surpassed alumnus Gary Muntean's single-game passing record of 488 yards set against Hiram College in 2015. By game's end, Renteria emerged with a new single-game completions benchmark, finishing 38-of-51 for 506 yards and six touchdowns. He added 44 yards rushing and two scores, with the 550 yards of total offense going down in the books as another record.
With about three minutes remaining, sophomore Domenic DeMuth stripped Johnson for the Scots' fifth takeaway of the day. Classmate Neil Clayton advanced the recovery 39 yards to midfield before running back John Ian Duron chased the Scots' defensive end down.
Four ties and two lead changes took place during an equally-thrilling first half. Senior Troy Baughman opened the game's scoring with a 28-yard touchdown reception at the 10:35 mark of the first quarter. Wooster took the lead again at 14-7 when Renteria stepped up, uncorked an on-the-spot throw with a defender in his face, and Douglas II made an impressive 36-yard touchdown reception while double covered. Wooster's next two scores came on the ground from Renteria, while junior Lake Barrett's 25-yard field goal sent the Scots into halftime with a 31-28 lead.
Allegheny's Parker was on the move prior to Barrett's field goal, reaching midfield before Williams pried the ball free. Senior Beau Greenwood was all over the recovery and returned it 9 yards. That, plus a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Allegheny gave Wooster the ball with 13 ticks left already on the cusp of field goal range. Hissong made sure the Scots were primed to put points on the board with a 21-yard reception the moved the ball to the Gators' 9-yard line.
Three Wooster players went over 100 yards receiving on the day. Douglas II led the trio with 13 receptions, the second most in program history. Douglas II's 200 yards are tied for the fourth-most in single-game program history, and it is the top mark since alumnus Nick Strausbaugh went for 212 at Kenyon College in 2017. Warstler backed that up with seven receptions for 114 yards and two scores, while Hissong went for 103 stripes on eight catches, with two of those going for touchdowns.
Sophomore Josh Pond danced and darted his way for 55 yards on 16 carries, and the Scots had 95 yards rushing on the day.
Defensively, Greenwood and Petracci made eight tackles apiece, and senior Dylan Carr was next at six. DeMuth's strip-sack marked Wooster's lone sack of the day, and the Scots had two other tackles that took place behind the line of scrimmage.
Declan O'Brien finished with 268 all-purpose yards. He had 10 receptions for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson, who had the three picks, finished 30-of-51 for 410 yards and three touchdowns.
Hudson Alread's 11 tackles were the game-high. The Scots' offensive line held the Gators to zero sacks.
Wooster outgained Allegheny 601-518, and the Scots were 9-of-17 on third down to the Gators 8-of-14.
Wooster's other single-game school records from Saturday were team passing completions (38), team passing yards (506), and first downs by penalty (5).
Next, Wooster's set to wrap up its season at Wittenberg University (6-3, 6-2 NCAC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 13. A Wooster win would give the program its first seven-win season since 2013.