With at least five more games left in his high school career, Oxford senior running back Paul Wonka is on pace to become Chenango County’s all-time leading rusher.
But first things first. Wonka is eyeing the Oxford all-time rushing mark, and needs just 148 more yards to pass Mike Chrystie’s all-time mark of 3,341 yards, set during a Section IV Hall of Fame career over a decade ago. Wonka drew closer to Chrystie’s total last weekend with the type of performance that has come to define his career.
Facing state-ranked Groton on the road, Wonka carried the workload on the ground, and it was a heavy workload at that. He finished with 217 yards on 37 carries to go with three rushing touchdowns. Wonka, running behind a strong, veteran line, allowed Oxford to maintain control of the ball, and set the pace against a team that rarely loses on its home field.
“Our offensive philosophy is the get our best players the ball in the best possible situations,” said Oxford second-year coach Ray Dayton.
Wonka is clearly the mainstay in a one-back offense where he gets at least 80 to 85 percent of the rushing touches, and he is our mainstay this week as Matthews Ford/Planet Preowned Norwich Athlete of the Week.
Since the start of his junior season, Wonka has met or exceeded any possible expectations. He became the Blackhawks’ primary ballcarrier midway through his freshman year, made some strides as a sophomore, but busted out in a big way as a junior running for just shy of 1,600 yards. His single-season total was one of the five best rushing totals in Chenango County’s documented history. At the midway point of this season, Wonka is also well on his way to becoming one of the few area backs to have back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
“Paul is a special back and a special kid,” Dayton said. “I said it last year: ‘We believe in him, and he believes in us.’ That’s where it starts and ends. He’s our bell cow. We only have a one-back offense, but he’s a pretty good one.”
Wonka’s emergence is no accident. He is a tireless worker in the weight room, and will do absolutely everything necessary to make him the best possible player. So, even on the days when he isn’t feeling his best, he still succeeds.
In an early-season victory over Unadilla Valley, Wonka was bothered throughout the game with a stomach bug. He was in and out of the game getting a rest for a play or two before trudging back out to the field. The UV defense game-planned well and had its moments against Wonka. The stout senior running back had a few MORE good moments.
“(Wonka) is one of those athletes with a can-do attitude, and that’s what makes him successful,” said UV coach Daryl Decker, an admirer of Wonka. “That goes for both sides of the ball.”
Summing up Wonka, Dayton equated Wonka to a horse. “He’s not a thoroughbred and he’s not a plow horse. He a mustang who just runs wild,” the coach said
As long as Wonka is running loose, Oxford has the potential to beat any team on its schedule.