WINTHROP – It didn’t really sink in for Joel Stoneton until he followed tradition and scrawled Winthrop’s 2007 record in permanent marker on a locker room wall.

“9-2. Campbell Conference regular season champions.”

“It was a really good feeling to sit back at the end of the season and think, ‘Wow, that really worked,'” he said.

Stoneton didn’t need to look very far to remind himself just how well it had to work. Just four lines above his fresh markings was the record of the low point in Winthrop football, the 1-8 season in 2003.

That might as well be an ancient cave drawing now as far as seniors Jordan Conant and Jake Steele are concerned. They were in middle school then, promising themselves and anyone who would listen that better days were coming.

“When we were younger, we watched the golden boys in 2000,” said Conant, referring to the undefeated state championship season. “Winthrop football was the happening thing, and then to have a season like that…”

“We didn’t want to go to the games anymore,” Steele chimed in.

They had their own success to enjoy, anyway. Guided by Stoneton, they led their middle school team to their conference championship game.

Stoneton was mindful of what was on the horizon when Winthrop hired him to replace Chris Kempton as varsity head coach in 2004.

“I knew what was coming up, and you could see it playing out five years ago,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that if Chris had stayed another four or five years that Chris would have still been successful with this program.”

Stoneton’s first task was to rejuvenate football interest among the students. The 2003 team had just 29 players. That number had gradually increased to 48 this season.

Nothing stirs interest better than winning. Winthrop quickly returned to respectability under Stoneton, posting a couple of 4-5 seasons and a 5-4 campaign before making their first playoff appearance in six years last season.

“Things are coming easier. Kids buy into it. You don’t have to sell it as much, and they get into it. They want to be part of something special,” Stoneton said.

Just how special wasn’t apparent until the middle of last season. The Ramblers suffered what appeared to be a critical blow when running back Jake Steele suffered a shoulder injury during baseball season that ended up keeping him out all last fall. Steele had been a vital cog in their success going all the way back to middle school

“We came together knowing that we would have a lot of talent, but at the same time, losing Jake, we had a lot of questions about how we were going to do. We had a lot of guys that hadn’t gotten a lot of reps at the varsity level,” Conant said. “But then after we beat Boothbay and went 5-0, we knew we had a special team.”

“I think it brought the team together, the seniors and underclassmen,,” Steele said. “It was kind of a love-hate thing for me because I was loving that my team was doing so well without me, but at the same time it hurt not being able to be out there.”

Boothbay got its revenge in the championship game. The Ramblers took some comfort in the fact that they would have all but three starting linemen, plus Steele, back on offense in 2008. But Stoneton didn’t want that to translate into an expectation that they could pick up where they left off this year.

“Every year it starts over,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to sit back and smile, but you’re never comfortable with it. Not at my age. Maybe when I’m 50 and I’ve been doing it 20 years.”

“We were really worried as a staff that they were going to get complacent that the wins were just going to get handed to them,” he added. “We had a really good off-season. The kids worked really hard and they really seemed to get it.”

Stoneton said he disagrees with the popular opinion that Winthrop is the team to beat in the Campbell Conference Class C, citing graduation losses along the offensive line. The players, however, are relishing having Winthrop football back among the hunted.

“It’s good pressure. It’s definitely motivation, a good kick in the butt when you know there’s someone out there trying to knock you off,” Steele said.

“That’s why we need to keep our focus every day, no matter if it’s preseason practice or if it’s first game of the season,” Conant said. “We’ve got to keep our heads in the right place. Otherwise, we won’t win games.”