2023 Kickers Who Don’t Get Enough Credit
As many fans already know, kickers tend to never get the attention and respect that they deserve. They take the time to work on their craft, and to develop consistency in their field goals, and extra points, and they are…
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Continue ReadingAs many fans already know, kickers tend to never get the attention and respect that they deserve. They take the time to work on their craft, and to develop consistency in their field goals, and extra points, and they are oftentimes viewed as athletes, but not football players. Throughout the state of North Carolina, there are plenty of talented specialists, and it is about time that they receive the credit and respect that they deserve. They suit up every Friday night, and perform to the best of their ability, whether it is a regional game, playoff game, or exhibition game. Regardless, the pressure continuously mounts whenever they touch the field. Because of this, we want to take our time to give them the spotlight they have earned. Below, take a look at some of our favorite kickers in the 2023 class throughout the state of North Carolina.
Owen Zalc- Green Hope
Last season, not only did Zalc perform very well, but he remained consistent all throughout the season. Not only did he do a good job with extra point attempts, but he managed to make a majority of his field goals. By the end of the season, Zalc had made 7 of his 8 attempts at field goals. Not only was consistency key for his success last season, but his overall leg strength, follow through, and timing proved to be a huge factor for him last year. Most players his age tend to have a few of these traits, but it tends not to be tamed very well. For Zalc, he has a great level of potential, and we would like to see him further development next season, and potentially see opportunities at the next level.
Jack Berkowitz- Shelby
Just like Zalc, consistency was also key in Berkowitz game last year. By the end of the year, he managed to hit 7 of his 8 field goal attempts, making him one of the most consistent players last year in North Carolina. What is even more impressive is that he also did a good job of hitting his extra points, and adding on to the offensive success of his team every time they touched the field. In fact, he managed to do so in the 16 game span in which his team managed to find themselves in due to their overall success.
Doug Merritt- Roanoke Rapids
In 2021, Merritt proved to be a huge asset for his team, as he not only contributed each game with the extra points he made, but he also managed to hit 6 of his 9 field goal attempts throughout a 10 game span. Even though this may not be the best completion percentage, what outweighs this is the way it seemed like he handled pressure, including in big gametime moments. With this, he also proved to have great leg strength, and potential to develop into a very good kicker. His longest field goal of the season happened to be 47 yards, which is rare for players his age. If Merritt can continue to hone in on his overall talent and potential, the sky’s the limit for what it could look like for him in the future.
Charles Viorel- Laney
Even though Viorel did not have as many attempts, and completed field goals by the end of the year compared to kickers in States like Georgia, he still managed to have his own fair share of success, justifying his place on this list, and the attention and credit that he deserves. By the end of the year, out of 6 attempts, he completed 5 field goals. Out of these field goals, he displayed great leg strength, and timing on his kicks. This is very essential at his level of play, especially when special teams are not as good as other levels of play. Out of the 5 kicks, he had a long of 41 yards, which we think is a good insight to the kind of player that he is. Going into next season, we would like to see if he can continue to develop, whether it is in camps, or personal time working on his kicking. If he can do so, we think that he would be a great player at the next level.