By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

SOUTHINGTON

For five decades, Bill Bohren has made a habit out of molding mediocre football programs into winners.

Most recently, Bohren has worked his magic at Niles and LaBrae. Until his arrival, both programs were struggling to reach the .500 mark.

Bohren’s latest challenge might be one of his most difficult tasks, but it’s one that the veteran coach is eager to pursue. During the offseason, Bohren assumed the helm at Southington, a school which owns a 28-71 record over the past decade.

Last season, the Wildcats finished 2-8, but that didn’t stop Bohren from buying into his players and vice versa.

“Before I took this job, I went and watched Southington play basketball last winter,” Bohren said. “I wanted to see how they played, and man did they play hard. I knew there were athletes here and I knew they would work hard for us.

“They are buying in to what we’re trying to do. We’re excited about the future of this program.”

OFFENSE

The Wildcats return six starters on offense, including junior quarterback Travis Lehman (782 yards, seven TDs). Senior Tait Kline will provide Bohren with depth at the position.

Running back Cody Helmuth (652 yards, six TDs) and wingback Zack Weaver (25 receptions, 174 yards) are among a solid group of experienced skilled players.

“We’re pretty solid in our backfield and with our wideouts,” Bohren said. “We have some experience and some pretty good speed. We feel like we can make great strides offensively.”

The line will be anchored by a pair of sophomores who were starters a year ago — center Logan Rhodes and tackle Case Shorts.

“The two starters we have back on the line are young but they are good ones. Beyond that we have some holes to fill up front,” Bohren said.

DEFENSE

Southington surrendered 34.8 points per game a year ago, so there is plenty of work to do on the defensive side of the ball.

Fortunately, the Wildcats will possess six returning starters which should provide a solid foundation.

Christian Romigh, an inside linebacker, led the team with 53 tackles in 2014. The secondary includes veterans Helmuth (48 tackles), Weaver (six interceptions) and Cameron Mazzola (24 tackles).

Shorts, Rhodes and Reuben Childs will provide the muscle up front.

“We’re pretty solid on defense, we have some playmakers on that side,” Bohren said.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Southington’s skilled players from a year ago handled the kickoff and punt return duties, so the Wildcats’ return game appears to be in good hands.

Lehman will handle the punting duties, while the kicking game remains a big question mark.

“Right now, we’re having such a tough time finding someone to kick extra points, we may be better off always going for two,” Bohren said.

OUTLOOK

As far as Bohren is concerned, turning any struggling program into a winner begins with changing the mindset within the locker room.

“When you go 2-8, there aren’t high expectations,” Bohren said. “We have to change the culture, and I think we’ve done a good job of doing that during the offseason. When teams come in here on Friday nights, they’re going to have a tough time. We’re going to make it tough on whoever we play.”

Southington ended the 2014 season with 21 players, and now fields a team of 30. The higher numbers combined with a solid nucleus should make for a competitive season in the Northeastern Athletic Conference.

The Wildcats open the season with three straight home games. They then play five straight on the road before returning home to close the season.