Cole Porten has long known there’s something special about his family’s connection to Wauconda High School.
Porten’s father, Randy, was a three-sport athlete there from 1987 to 1991, and all five of Porten’s aunts and uncles are graduates.
And for the Bulldogs’ home opener against Kaneland on Sept. 1, Porten will play on Ray Porten Athletic Field, named for his grandfather, who was Wauconda Community Unit School District 118’s longtime supervisor of buildings and grounds.
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“When I was younger, I noticed that the field had my name on it, and I’ve always thought that was really cool,” Cole Porten said. “I feel there’s a little more recognition because of it, and people know how important it is to my family.”
Ray Porten, who died in 1998, and his wife, Judy, who died in 2010, were heavily involved in the school and the community. Judy Porten was the president of Wauconda’s booster club for years, and Randy Porten recalls the teams’ grounds meant so much to his father that he insisted on being the only one to manicure the baseball and football fields the days before games.
To this day, their shared legacies continue through the Ray and Judy Porten Memorial Scholarship. The recipients are chosen based largely on four criteria: being a multisport athlete, earning at least a B average in school, holding down a job outside of school and contributing in some way to the community.
“I’m proud to say that my family has been a big part of the school and community for a long time,” Randy Porten said. “The field that Cole plays on is the same field I played on, and it means a lot.”
Cole Porten may have name recognition in Wauconda, but he will probably catch people’s eyes on the field this season.
After rushing for 353 yards and five touchdowns last year, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound Porten is in line to be a stalwart on both sides of the ball, playing middle linebacker too, as the defending Northern Lake County Conference co-champion Bulldogs (9-2) try to improve on their record from last season. They open at Hinsdale South on Friday.
“We have a really good group of guys back, and we didn’t lose many seniors,” Porten said.
Porten has shifted from outside linebacker, and that move came after he initially was ticketed to play in the secondary. When he inquired about the latest move, the answer was pretty simple.
“They just said it’s because I love to hit people,” he recalled.
That may be an understatement. The physicality surfaces when Porten plays defense. Or when he runs the ball as a complement to 1,000-yard rusher Connor Vanselow and Jackson Rudolph. Or even when he practices, when there’s no such thing as a no-contact drill.
At least to Porten.
“Even when we’re doing ‘thud’ drills with an early whistle and you’re not wrapping up, when you’re running at Cole, you’ve got to be prepared to be hit,” Vanselow said. “He’ll really hit you, and you’re like, ‘I get it, bro.’ He plays like he’s 20 or 30 pounds heavier than he is.”
That’s another reason Wauconda coach Chris Prostka feels comfortable with Porten playing in the middle of the defense and likely not leaving the field much.
“He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached, and he doesn’t care who he comes across,” Prostka said. “Last year in the opener, he was running, and a linebacker squared him up, and Cole just planted the kid. And he was quite a bit bigger than Cole.”
Porten acknowledges his penchant for relishing physical contact, which also comes in handy as a high-level wrestler. He qualified for the Class 2A state meet at 145 pounds in February.
“I’ve always been like this from a physical aspect and have had that ‘I don’t care’ attitude about hitting,” Porten said. “When I get involved in competing, I just flip the switch.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.