New London — Coast Guard Academy football coach C.C. Grant was recruiting James Wheeler IV, then a high school senior at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill in New York.

Wheeler came to watch a Coast Guard game at Cadet Memorial Field one afternoon on the banks of the Thames River ... and disappeared afterward.

“Honestly, I thought, ‘I don’t know if he’s sold for us,’” Grant was saying this week. “He came up to a game and (he) left before I got a chance to talk to (him). I’m like, ‘That ain’t a good sign.’ He drove all the way down here, at least you could come down to the field.”

“I didn’t know you could,” Wheeler said with a smile. “I didn’t know that’s what you did. It was, like, my first college visit ever.”

The Bears are 1-0 this season heading into today’s matchup at Anna Maria in Paxton, Massachusetts, thanks to Wheeler’s game-winning 2-yard touchdown in overtime during Saturday’s 30-24 victory over the University of New England.

Wheeler, named the New England Women’s and Men’s Conference Offensive Player of the Week, finished with 24 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns Saturday, commencing the scoring with a 72-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

He is a 5-foot-7, 150-pound sophomore running back from Oneida, N.Y., exceedingly proud of the three James Wheelers before him, whose name he carries.

He finished with 50 carries for 328 yards and one touchdown a year ago during his freshman season, behind classmate Harrison Hensley (131 carries, 835 yards, 8 TDs) on the depth chart.

Wheeler never lacked confidence, but gained experience earlier this year during spring ball when, due to injuries and players competing in other sports, he was Coast Guard’s only running back.

“You recruit all these guys and you think, ‘Man, we’re loaded in the backfield,’” Grant said. “And you look around and say, ‘We have one guy in spring ball.’ He showed well for himself. The four days we’re allowed to put the pads on, he ran hard.

“(Last year), you’re a freshman, you come out of Swab Summer (a rigorous summer training regimen for freshmen), you’re not as big, as strong as you normally would be for football season. I think being a year older, understanding this place, understanding this program and the offense better, just kind of sets up for him to have a good year.”

In Saturday’s season-opener, the Bears — without Hensley as he comes off a hamstring injury — trailed 14-7 at halftime and 14-10 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, they traded leads with the Nor’easters, who tied the game 24-24 with 2 minutes, 26 seconds remaining on a 23-yard field goal by Jack Niland. Niland was then set to kick a game-winning 35-yarder with 2 seconds left in regulation, but missed, with Coast Guard’s Grant doing his best to ice the kicker, calling a timeout.

UNE got the ball first in overtime and had a field goal attempt blocked.

On Coast Guard’s first play from scrimmage in OT, Wheeler rushed to the right for 23 yards.

“At that point, JB (Wells, Bears offensive coordinator) was like, ‘Run the same play; get lined up, get lined up,’” Grant said. “Now you had ’em. (Wheeler) basically did all the work.”

“We were super pumped up,” Wheeler said. “It was awesome. That’s a really good team to beat, especially in Week 1. Hopefully that energy and drive just carries forward into this week.”

Wheeler admits last season was difficult as a freshman. He made his high school team as a freshman, as well, and finished his career at VVS with 2,944 yards rushing and 39 touchdowns, including 1,345 yards and 18 touchdowns during his junior season.

He always wanted to pursue a career in the military — his father and grandfather were Navy men — and he learned about Coast Guard after meeting Grant, who is also a New York native and played at SUNY Cortland.

“So last year was really hard,” Wheeler said. “Fourth class year was super difficult. Swab Summer was definitely difficult. I think after Swab Summer, I was like, ‘I think I need to take a step back and just kind of think about things. It all works out, though.”

He spent the summer aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle, a 295-foot training vessel, which traveled to the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Puerto Rico. Wheeler trained and also set up tours of the Eagle, “America’s Tall Ship,” in the different nations. He later came back to New London for summer school.

Grant said he and Wells believed in Wheeler’s ability to be Coast Guard’s lone back for now, with Hensley expected back later this month — “JB’s like, ‘You know what? I think Wheeler will be fine,” Grant said.

“I never really had any doubts,” Wheeler said. “Just wait for your number to get called and that’s what I did. So when I got the opportunity, I just kind of tried to take it and run. ... Just kind of like, you always have to work hard, even if it’s practice and you do the same things over and over and over again.”

He looks forward to Hensley’s potential return, giving the Bears two capable backs, along with senior quarterback Joey Armentrout — a four-year starter who set Coast Guard’s all-time record for passing yards in a single season with 2,711 in 2023 — and first team all-league wide receiver Broock Desta (75 catches, 1,154 yards, 9 TDs).

Coast Guard was 5-5 last year, 3-4 in the NEWMAC.

“Definitely, over the spring, I felt like I was in better shape than coming out of Swab Summer, at least strength-wise.” Wheeler said. “Football is almost like day and night and then you put classes and military on top of it, you’re always grinding.

“And you finish the year and you’re going on your summer assignments and it’s not a relief but you feel awesome, like you really accomplished something. ... I’m super proud of (being at Coast Guard). I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com