By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
When Cameron Racke went to a football camp at Wofford University last summer, he pulled a hamstring muscle and didn’t know if he made a good impression on the coaches at the NCAA Division I program in South Carolina.
A few weeks later, however, the Simon Kenton quarterback was invited back to campus for another workout. He ended up getting a scholarship offer and made a commitment in September.
Racke signed a letter of intent with Wofford on Wednesday. He is the only quarterback among the 19 recruits the Terriers will be adding to their roster.
Last season, Wofford averaged just 63 passing yards per game and completed only four touchdown passes so Racke feels like he could compete for the starting quarterback job right away.
“They’re mostly triple option (on offense) and struggled throwing the ball a little bit,” he said. “They talked to me about having a little bit more throwing ability. That’s what they liked about me, that I could move and I could throw. It was a good combo.”
Racke’s ability to move and throw is one reason Simon Kenton compiled a 35-5 record during his three years as the team’s starting quarterback. In those 40 games, he had 5,622 yards passing and 2,258 yards rushing. He set a team record with 67 touchdown passes and carried the ball into the end zone 37 times.
During his senior season, Racke shared the quarterback position with a younger teammate and he still put up impressive numbers. He passed for 1,808 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 688 yards and 11 TDs.
“It was a great experience, but I couldn’t have done it without the guys I played with,” Racke said of his high school career. “I give myself a little bit of the credit because I’m the one who had to go out and play and show up on Friday nights. But I couldn’t have done it without the guys around me.”
When Racke received an award for being one of the top players in Northern Kentucky last season, Simon Kenton coach Jeff Marksberry paid tribute to the Pioneers’ team leader on the nomination form.
“Cam is a special player. He has tremendous athletic ability and he works hard to improve himself and our team,” Marksberry noted. “His most admirable quality besides his commitment to excellence was his unselfishness. His success was never about him. It was about making our team better.”
Wofford made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs last season and finished with a 10-4 record. One of the starters returning on offense is junior quarterback Brandon Goodsen, the team’s leading passer with 628 yards and three TDs.
The Terriers’ triple-option offense is something Racke needs to learn if he wants to be a contender for the quarterback position.
“I haven’t run triple-option much, but a lot of their (plays) are the same thing we ran at Simon Kenton — read option stuff, kind of reading what (defenders) do. It’s really the same stuff.”
Basketball scoring leader announces college commitment
Jake Ohmer, the leading scorer in Northern Kentucky boys’ basketball for the third consecutive season, posted on his twitter account Thursday that he has made a commitment with the University of Cumberlands.
The 5-foot-10 senior guard is currently averaging 26.6 points per game to lead the area in scoring once again. He finished on top the last two seasons with averages of 26.2 and 22.2. Earlier this season, Ohmer became the first Scott player to surpass 2,000 points in career scoring. He also set the team’s single-game scoring record last season by getting 54 points against Clark County.
The Cumberlands men’s basketball team has a 19-5 record and was ranked No. 10 in the latest NAIA national coaches poll.
Lloyd girls’ basketball team making run at winning record
The Lloyd girls’ basketball team that posted a winning record last season for the first time since 1983 is looking to do it again.
The Juggernauts won five of their last six games to boost their record to 12-10 with five games remaining on their regular-season schedule. If they win their next two games at home against Ludlow on Saturday and St. Henry on Tuesday, they’ll get the top seed in the 34th District tournament.
Lloyd’s leading scorer is senior guard Devin Cheatum. She’s averaging 15 points per game and closing in on the team’s career scoring record, according to head coach Tyler Teke.