January 13, 2025
South Sumter High Graduate Carson Wells Returns to St. Louis Battlehawks in United Football League
By Kyle Coppola
South Sumter High Graduate Carson Wells Returns to St. Louis Battlehawks in United Football League
BUSHNELL, FL — Carson Wells, a South Sumter High School graduate and former standout at the University of Colorado, is set to return to the field for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the United Football League (UFL). Wells, known for his versatility on defense, has made a name for himself as a dynamic player capable of dominating at middle linebacker, and outside linebacker.
During his high school career under coach Ty Lawrence, Wells was a force to be reckoned with at South Sumter High School. In his senior season, he tallied an impressive 96 tackles, including 18 for losses, seven sacks, and two interceptions. His performance earned him the title of Defensive Player of the Year in Central Florida from the Orlando Sentinel and first-team All-State honors in both his junior and senior years. That same year, he helped lead the Raiders to a stellar 10-2 record and a deep playoff run, reaching the third round.
(Carson Wells was one of the greatest defenders in Colorado history. Photo Credit – Colorado Buffaloes Athletics.)
Wells carried his talent and work ethic to the University of Colorado, where he became one of the Buffaloes’ all-time defensive greats. Over 40 games, including 34 starts, Wells compiled 187 career tackles, ranking 89th on Colorado’s all-time list. His 38 tackles for losses (132 yards) placed him eighth in program history, while his 15½ sacks ranked 15th. He was also a clutch performer in key moments, tying for seventh all-time with 41 third-down stops, five of which came on fourth down.
Off the field, Wells comes from a family rooted in agriculture and education. His father, Larry, is a cattle rancher, while his mother, Patty, is a high school agriculture teacher. Wells’ athletic lineage runs deep, as his grandfather, Paul McCormick, was a track athlete at the University of Florida.
We look forward to watching him when the season kicks off in late March! Go Carson!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
