Eighteen years is a long time, but for Bayfield native Isaac Ross, it’s the amount of time he’s been a quarterback.
The majority of his life has been spent competing on the gridiron, from elementary school to Bayfield High School to Division III Wilmington College in Ohio. As a college senior set to graduate this spring, he’s content with what he’s accomplished on his journey.
Success in football runs in the Ross family. Ross’ father, Justin Ross, was an all-state lineman for Durango High School. Ross said his father cultivated his love for the sport. The younger Ross started playing tackle football in third grade as a quarterback and defensive lineman (which Ross himself admits is a strange combination). He also played baseball, with his arm talent making QB a natural fit.
Once Ross arrived in high school in 2018, he waited and developed for a year as the backup quarterback to then-senior Hayden Farmer. Farmer led the Wolverines to a 7-1 regular season and the number one seed in the state playoffs (BHS won its first-round game but fell in the second round). Ross said Farmer was a great mentor and jump-started his high school career. As would be the case with his college career, Ross needed time to develop and come into his own.
“My sophomore and junior years … were pretty rough years,” Ross said. “But they really helped with my growth and knowledge of the game, having to go through some of those experiences. We were really young. We were really inexperienced. I was a sophomore getting my first start. We also had a pretty tough schedule (with Durango and Farmington, who were very strong at the time).”
The experience paid off in 2021 during Ross’ high school senior campaign, with Bayfield posting a 7-1 regular season and earning the No. 8 seed in the state playoffs. BHS fell 17-0 in the first round to Elizabeth.
Ross continued being a two-sport athlete through high school. Entering his senior year, he actually wanted to play college baseball instead of football. Seeing Durango High School stars Ben Finneseth and Jordan Woolverton go on to play at the University of Colorado inspired Ross to look into college football.
“I did a little testing of the waters and recruiting and found Wilmington,” Ross said. “It seemed like a great fit and reminded me of home, and I decided ultimately to choose football over baseball.”
Ross felt that Hayden Thomas, Wilmington’s offensive coordinator at the time, would give him a chance to grow. Wilmington would also allow him to continue to play baseball and football. After his freshman year, he fell in love with the football program and fully committed to football.
It took until Ross’ junior year of college for him to become the full-time starter, sitting behind Adam Dixon and Derek Larimer during his freshman and sophomore years, respectively.
“One of the best things that happened to me was having to sit behind Dixon and especially Larimer … By the time I got to my junior and senior year, my body was ready and my mind had developed … so I was finally ready to step up and take the reins,” Ross said.
Ross had to adjust to a much faster college game, with throwing windows being much smaller and pressure situations coming quicker.
Another difference was Ross’ new role. In high school, he was the signal caller and had been a three-year starter. Ross had to adjust to being a backup again, learning how he could best support the team by being a leader on the sideline, helping cultivate the right culture.
When Ross got on the field his junior year, he and the players around him were still developing. Ross and the rest of the team also had to adjust to newly hired head coach, Kevin Burke. Ross has high praise for what Burke has done so far, but there was an adjustment period while he and Burke figured each other out.
The Quakers went 1-9 in Ross’ first year as the starter, averaging 15.7 points per game. Ross threw for 1,328 yards, three passing touchdowns, also rushing for three touchdowns in seven games.
Ross and the rest of the offense matured and improved in Burke’s second year as head coach, along with gaining a key transfer wide receiver in De’Anta Sanon, who ended up leading the Ohio Athletic Conference in receiving yards with 803 yards.
As a senior, Ross played in all 10 games. He threw for a conference-best 2,777 yards and gained a conference No. 1 302.4 total yards per game. His 23 passing touchdowns and 179 completions were second-most in the conference as well. The Quakers scored over twice as many points per game, averaging 32.4 per contest. Ross’ season earned him an All-Conference honorable mention.
“The thing that made us a lot more successful was the development and the togetherness of the team,” Ross said. “I could have been a superstar, but if I didn't have the players around the team and I to support me and make me look good, I wouldn’t look that good.”
With that season marking the end of his career, Ross has had to adjust to being done with football. It’s been strange for him not having practice or film sessions, but he’s excited to see what the future holds for him and for Wilmington football. He’s excited to see a big leap for the program while he takes a big step forward in life outside football.
“I’m engaged, so I’m getting married hopefully this year or next year,” said Ross. “I’ve got a lot of blessings that God has given me in my life. So I’m really excited to see what He has in my future outside of football. I’ve defined myself as a football player for the past 18 years, so being able to explore other opportunities and develop myself in different ways will be really fun, and a lot of fruit will come from it.”
ajbonanno@durangoherald.com
