Look at him now.
Waubonsie Valley’s Colin Ford didn’t win a summer-long battle for the starting quarterback job last season, but how he handled that news with grace and maturity won over first-year coach Adam Pucylowski.
Josh Siekierski, who was entering his senior year, received the nod over Ford, then a junior. And the Warriors went out and made the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
“Colin wasn’t happy by any means,” Pucylowski said of Ford’s reaction last fall. “Any kid that’s a competitor like he is can go one of two ways.
“Since we are in this age now of the transfer portal at the college level, you can shut down and start asking yourself, ‘Where can I go?’ It’s starting to trickle into high school, which is sad.”
That wasn’t Ford’s way, however.
Not satisfied with simply being the backup, he took another path offered by Pucylowski and helped strengthen Waubonsie (5-5), which comes in at No. 8 in the Beacon-News/Courier-News preseason rankings.
“We told him, ‘Colin, you’re too good of an athlete to sit on the bench,’” Pucylowski said. “We offered him an opportunity to play defensive end or tight end and he took tight end, thinking it would be a better fit because he knew the offense.
“He engaged in that way, taking reps at quarterback and jumping in at tight end.”
It’s probably not surprising then that the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Ford will be at the controls for the Warriors on Friday, Aug. 29, when they open the season at home against Neuqua Valley.
“I was disappointed last year, obviously, since playing quarterback is what I’ve done my whole life,” said Ford, who started the sport in first grade. “I wanted to figure out where I could help the team most, and playing tight end and receiver seemed to be it.”
Waubonsie Valley’s Colin Ford (16) makes a catch against Oswego East during a nonconference game in Oswego on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Troy Stolt / The Beacon-News)
That was soon apparent.
Ford caught a 34-yard pass from Siekierski in the season opener at Oswego East, setting up Waubonsie Valley’s first touchdown of the season in a 14-0 victory.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Ford sprained his ankle in Week 3, and the following week, Siekierski was hurt, forcing Pucylowski to move a linebacker into the quarterback role.
Ford returned and started one game behind center and them made brief appearances at quarterback in several other games after that.
“After the injury, I was a little more gun shy with Colin as far as how much he should play tight end because we might need him at quarterback,” Pucylowski said. “Every week we would go into the game with a package of plays for Ford as quarterback because he’s such a dangerous athlete.
“Using his ability to run the ball and throw the ball made other teams have to prepare for it.”
How athletic is Ford?
He gave up baseball in the spring and took up track for the first time at the urging of rising senior wide receiver Gavin Ali-Hanlon, his longtime favorite target. He also continued offseason work with his personal quarterback coach.
Waubonsie Valley’s Colin Ford (16) pulls in a catch against Oswego East during a nonconference game in Oswego on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Troy Stolt / The Beacon-News)
“I’ve been working on a lot of mechanics,” Ford said. “The biggest thing for me was cleaning up my feet, trying to be more precise with shorter steps in my drop back. When my feet are right, my whole upper body falls into place, and everything is coming a lot smoother.”
On the track, Ford qualified for state in the 100-meter dash with a personal-best 10.89 seconds.
“It helped me a lot being more efficient with my speed,” he said. “You can run just as fast as if you’re at max effort all the time.”
He also impressed college coaches at several camps he attended this summer, including one that netted him an offer from Wyoming.
And at several camps, he also took some reps at the tight end position.
“If schools think that’s my best fit, I’m open to that and willing to hear what they have to say,” Ford said of tight end. “Seeing what recruiting interest comes this year will open my eyes.”
Several schools want to see video from his first three games this season.
“I’m excited to showcase because I don’t have a ton of quarterback film and the games I did play last year I wasn’t fully healthy,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Waubonsie Valley’s Colin Ford (16) runs the ball against Oswego East during a nonconference game in Oswego on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Troy Stolt / The Beacon-News)
Quick hits
Team: Waubonsie Valley.
2024 record: 5-5.
Offensive leaders: Gavin Ali-Hanlon, senior, wide receiver; Stilian Pavlov, senior, offensive lineman; Chase Kolodziej, senior, wide receiver; Colin Ford, senior, quarterback.
Defensive leaders: William Tracy, senior, linebacker; Nate Cerilli, senior, safety; Noah Telitz, senior, defensive lineman; Bradyn Hostetler, junior, linebacker.
X-factor: Ishmaiah Elliott, senior, running back/defensive end.