A Look at the 2006 Kickers & Punters
8/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 30, 2006
NACOGDOCHES - What a difference a year makes.
Let's take a look back at fall camp 2005. The Lumberjacks entered fall camp with a ton of questions and very few answers. SFA head coach Robert McFarland was heading into his first preseason workout at the helm of the Lumberjack program with almost a completely new staff.
One of the big questions surrounding the staff was who was going to replace Ryan Rossner and Clay Gilbert. The Lumberjacks had five kickers on the roster, which included Ryan Gooch, Jamie Guin, Cory Long, Michael Perren and Brandon Smith. Gooch and Smith were entering their second season with the squad after redshirting the 2004 season. Guin was a transfer from Tarleton State. Perren was one of the nation's top-ranked kicker's coming out of high school, and Long, another incoming freshman, almost got lost in the shuffle.
Notice, I said, `almost.'
Now, let's jump back to fall camp 2006. Of the original five, three are still with the program. Gooch really came into his own averaging 37.2 yards per punt during his first season on his way to honorable mention All-Southland Conference honors. Long rose from near obscurity to take over the placekicking responsibilities for the 'Jacks and also earned honorable mention all-league honors, while Smith handled the kickoff responsibilities in 2005.
What a difference a year makes.
"It's definitely a lot easier entering a season not having to look for a new kicker and punter," said McFarland. "The great thing about this year is that we have solid young men to fill these positions and all three bring back a ton of experience."
Gooch was a former walk-on who entered camp two years ago with an attitude that every coach wants in an athlete. A hard-working punter, Gooch finished a solid sophomore season averaging more than 37 yards per punt and downing 17 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He was named SLC Special Teams Player of the Week for averaging 38.8 yards per punt in a victory against Southern Utah.
"Ryan is former walk-on who has really come through for us," said McFarland. "I was concerned at first if Ryan could handle the pressure of the position, but he did an excellent job last season. He really became one of the top punters in our league."
McFarland will readily admit that he almost made a costly mistake with Long early during the 2005 fall camp. After a short-lived attempt at trying to make Long a punter, McFarland quickly reversed his decision and took another look at Long as a kicker. I guess you could say `it didn't take McFarland Long to realize the error of his ways.' Long led SFA with 66 points during his rookie season.
"Cory is a great story here at SFA," said McFarland. "I really didn't see him as our kicker until eight days away from the season-opener. He performed admirably all season, and he is striking the ball better now than he ever has. I expect him to have a bigger year this season."
Both Gooch and Long have a solid backup in junior Brandon Smith. A former quarterback in high school, Smith handled the 'Jacks' kick-off responsibilities in 2005. Smith has the ability to both kick and punt should he be called on during the 2006 season. He has returned to camp stronger and is kicking the ball farther than he has in the past.
After the improvements made by this trio in 2005, the only question Lumberjack fans have to ask themselves is `what kind of a difference will one more year make?'
-SFA-
