Vance chooses Wabash for football

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Rochester senior Xavier Vance signs with Wabash College to continue his football and academic careers. Wabash is an NCAA Division III school located in Crawfordsville. From left – Amy Vance, Xavier’s mother; Greyson Vance, Xavier’s brother; Xavier; Derrick Vance, Xavier’s father.

Rochester football player Xavier Vance was carried off the field at Lafayette Central Catholic High School Oct. 27, 2023 with a torn ACL.

A year and a half later, his rehab complete, Vance signed with Wabash College to continue his football and academic careers.

“I really liked it,” Vance said. “I’ve been there quite a few times, so every visit, everyone’s just been really nice. I really love the campus. The coaches, they’re amazing. I just really like the program overall. The whole college, I think it’s right for me.”

Vance, who is listed at 6-5 and 320 pounds, played left tackle on offense and defensive tackle for the Zebras. He said Wabash recruited him as an offensive lineman, and he will play either guard or tackle.

Vance injured his knee trying to block a punt in a sectional game that Rochester would go on to lose 28-22. He had to miss the 2023-24 basketball season but returned to throw the shot put at the end of the spring 2024 track season.

He joined his teammates at the Manchester University football camp last June and took his first snaps since the injury.

He called rehabbing the injury “pretty tough” and said he got “tired of it” at times. But he also knew that the rehab would help get him back to where he wanted to be.

“It feels amazing,” Vance said. “After that knee injury, I wasn’t really sure where I was at. I was really just taking time to think about everything. But after this past season, I felt great and ready to move on to the next level and see how I do.”

He thanked Rochester coach Ron Shaffer for work on technique in practice. They would do reps constantly and Shaffer oversaw that the offensive lineman would do it right every time.

Rochester averaged 37.7 points per game during Vance’s three years as a starter.

Vance made the Indiana Football Coaches Association District 5 Academic All-State team. He said he wants to major in finance and economics.

Vance wants to major in finance and economics and minor in business.

“Their academics are amazing there, and I think that’s very important,” Vance said. “So I think it was really nice to have a good program and also great academics.”

Wabash is an NCAA Division III school located in Crawfordsville. It has an all-male student body with an enrollment of 845.

Wabash’s annual game against DePauw is called the Monon Bell Classic, which the teams have competed for annually since 1932.