Wilson ready to lead Plainsmen

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie senior quarteback Coleton Wilson will lead the Plainsmen in their home opener Friday night at home against Steamboat Springs, Colo.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Two years ago, Coleton Wilson was a young sophomore getting ready for the junior varsity season for the Laramie Plainsmen.

Late against Steamboat Springs, Colo., starting quarterback Carlos Casas went down with an injury. In went Wilson, a little cold and a lot nervous.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a foundation to build on.

Wilson still gets nervous, but he’s a lot calmer these days when it comes to running the Plainsmen offense. The Laramie senior will basically begin his third season as the starting quarterback, as the Plainsmen open Friday night against Steamboat Springs, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. at Deti Stadium.

“My first game, I remember sitting on the sidelines and it was kind of cold,” Wilson said. “Coach called me out and the ball was snapped and I couldn’t even feel my hands when I went to throw the ball. Plus, I was shaking out of my pants.”

The butterflies are still there. Not from the lack of experience, but from the anticipation of beginning his final season.

“Today, I was going to lunch, riding with the guys, and we were all talking about how nervous we are. But it is a good nervous,” he said.

If Wilson’s sophomore season was a learning experience, his junior year was another building block. Having those two years under his belt has him much more prepared. Mentally, it’s a whole new ballgame.

“I tell myself, ‘I have been here before, I know what it is like.’ That’s how I calm myself down,” Wilson said. “The biggest thing is, if I can stay calm, the younger guys look up to me and if they see that I am calm, then we will all come together.”

In his first year with the Plainsmen, head coach Bob Knapton is thrilled to have Wilson as his quarterback.

“He’s one of the best leaders on the team. He did not miss one day of weights, he didn’t miss any camp that we went to. He’s been a great leader,” Knapton said. “He was here when I interviewed for the job, throwing on the nights they were throwing at the fieldhouse. The kids look up to him and they follow him. He was the first one who knew our pledge and he says it every day.”

Wilson is in control as a football player. He’s not planning to shy away from contact as a quarterback. He is also the punter and a starter at free safety.

“I will always have my number one guy who I will throw to," Wilson said. “If he is not open, I have the second stage. I’ll have a third guy sometimes, but usually the coaches just tell me to run the ball, because I can do that too, just as well as throw it.”

There has been no red jersey for him in practice.

“Coach put me in some drills this year,” he said. “The last two years, the coaches wouldn’t let me get hit. This year, I am right in there with the backs. If I get hit, I’m kind of used to it and it’s not like a big wakeup for me.”

He’ll also look to deliver a few hits on defense.

“I look it like it is my senior year and I have nothing to lose,“ he said. “I’ll just put it all out on the line.”

Knapton said he doesn’t believe in coddling a player, especially at quarterback.

“I know a lot of quarterbacks who play at safety who never come out of the ballgame and never got hurt.,“ Knapton said. “We can’t afford to lose him, but it is not fair to say to him that we are not going to let him play defense.”

Wilson, even with his busy schedule getting ready for the season, spent the summer as an all-state pitcher and hitter for the Laramie Rangers American Legion baseball team.

A rocket arm serves well on the baseball diamond and the football field.

“I guess if you are a pitcher in baseball, you have a pretty good arm,” Wilson said. “That kind of transfers over to football. In baseball, you kind of throw across your body, and in football, if you are right-handed, you want to throw to the right side and snap your wrist. That part is different, but other than that, a lot of it is the same.”

Towards the end of the baseball season, Wilson was a stalwart on the mound and his arm was a little tired.

“The first week of two-a-days, it was kind of tough because my arm was still recovering from baseball,” he said. “Now that I have had some rest, I’m throwing the football well.”

Opener vs. Steamboat

The Sailors are coming off a 7-4 season and return 11 starters (six on offense, five on defense). Some of their top players include quarterback Austin Hinder, wide receiver Alex Wood and linebacker Cody Harris.

“Steamboat has some good skilled people; they have a good quarterback and they got shotgun a lot,” Knapton said. “They are going to try and turn him loose, let him run it, let him fake it. They have some good H-backs, wing backs. They will just try to spread us because they will want to get one of those guys loose.”

The Laramie-Steamboat game is one of two games statewide in “zero week” that count. Knapton said that has made it difficult, but he is anxious to get the season started.

“This last week has been so hectic when you have to get all of the details done,” he said. “When you have another week, you can slowly kind of get to that. It’s hectic, but once Friday is over, you have one game under your belt and everybody else is scrambling, do that first-game stuff.

“We’re looking forward to getting out there playing. We know we’re going to make some mistakes, and we have to remember that this is our first game and it is the only time we have lined up against somebody. We have keep that in mind and hope that what we have in will get us by.”

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PLAINSMEN STARTING LINEUP

Offense

QB -- Coleton Wilson (6-2, 205, Sr.)
FB -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WB -- Mike Lanich (5-10, 170, Jr.)
TE -- Marshall Fisher (6-2, 205, Jr.)
LT -- James Van Kirk (6-1, 230, Sr.)
LG -- Allan Saunders (5-11, 215, Jr.)
C -- Chad March (6-0, 240, So.)
RG -- Allen West (6-3, 225, Sr.)
RT -- Nick Yelton (6-3, 245, Sr.)
TE -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
WB -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
PK -- Alex Zuniga (5-8, 155, Sr.)

Defense

Tackle -- Trent Schneider (6-3, 210, Sr.)
Nose guard -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
Tackle -- Nick Armijo (6-0, 205, Sr.)
WLB -- Austin Ontiveroz (6-0, 195, So.)
SLB -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
BLB -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
MLB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
FC -- Nathan Cowper (6-2, 175, Jr.)
BC -- Kelby Wilkison (5-11, 165, Jr.)
SS -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
FS -- Coleton Wilson (6-2, 205, Sr.)
P -- Wilson