Proving them wrong: Fort Mill QB Rogan Wells

Quietly and unassumingly, Fort Mill High senior quarterback Rogan Wells has played good football.

He has been the most prolific passer for the Jackets in the past decade, even surpassing his older brother, Rylan, despite not many people noticing.

Even with a run-first offense, Wells has thrown for 3,965 yards since he started under center as a sophomore. While that may be just one season of stats for some quarterbacks, Wells also pulls double duty and isn’t afraid to tuck the ball in and run. He has rushed for 1,373 yards during that time.

“We are running more this year,” he said. “We are a run-first offense. I was a little surprised we haven’t passed that much, but if our run works than why stop it?”

So far this season Wells has rushed for more yards in six games than he did in 11 games his sophomore year. He has accounted for 35 touchdowns in three years running the ball, while throwing for 23 as well.

Wells has been a big reason for Fort Mill’s resurgence the past two seasons.

“We have been playing well,” he said. “Our offense has been moving and our defense has been making stops.”

While this year’s team is difference from last year’s 9-3 team, new faces have kept things going.

“Our juniors have stepped up this year,” Wells said.

Head coach Ed Susi said this year is a little different for Wells.

“He has to get used to the group of receivers,” Susi said. “He had three new guys he is throwing too this year. That is why the spring and the summer were important for them. He is getting more comfortable with them.”

Wells has come a long way from being an inexperienced sophomore quarterback trying to lead the offense. Now he is more of a take charge mobile quarterback leading more by example.

“I feel more relaxed during games than even last year,” he said. “I was a lot more nervous last year. I am a senior and all the other people are younger than us so I feel like they won’t be that much bigger.”

Fort Mill quarterback coach Eddie Therrell said Wells has really progressed under center since becoming a starter.

“We have had him for three years,” Therrell said. “In our offense he might have three different reads on every play. As a sophomore he had to learn what he was reading and make that decision. After three years, he can make that decision quicker than I can figure it out up on top of the press box.”

Wells said he is looking at football beyond this year and is waiting to see what college offers come in, saying he will make his decision after the season.

So far he has caught the radar of schools like Gardner-Webb University, East Tennessee State University and Campbell University.

“I haven’t really thought about it that much,” he said.

Wells does admit he feels overlooked by colleges.

“Not that much has happened here,” he said. “They always go to Rock Hill and Northwestern and places like that.”

But Wells feels like if things continue to go right, Fort Mill will get more recognition.

“We have a lot of talent coming through here now and our coaches have really pushed us to be great,” he said.

Therrell said he believes Wells will land on his feet somewhere.

“He is a very smart kid and makes good grades,” he said. “They will come along.”

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Proving them wrong: Fort Mill QB Rogan Wells."