New York Specialists: Kickers and Punters

While offense and defensive personnel make up most of the game, often times the difference between winning and losing comes down to execution on special teams. Having reliable kickers to kick a game winning field goal, or a punter to pin the ball deep in the opponent’s own territory can have massive affect on the outcome of a football game. Let me introduce you to some difference makers across New York that have next level ability at their position. &nbsp; <h5><strong>(K) Nicholas Reed, Harrison HS, 2023</strong></h5> &nbsp; Nick is coming off a near perfect junior season in 2021 making 30/30 PATs and 5/8 FGs. He had 33 touchbacks out of his 42 kickoffs totaling over 1600 yards. Nick is not going to wow you with his leg speed but he has very smooth and fluid mechanics. He stands about 5’7 and weighs just at 160 pounds with leg strength that combines good distance and great hang time on his kicks. Nick does a great job of staying tall and getting the most out of his leg swing through the ball. He has shows poise and control under pressure attempting to make each kick the same when hitting his plant spot. If he trusts his foot-to-ball contact and work on more flexibility we will definitely be seeing him at the next level. &nbsp; <h5><strong>(K) (P) (RB) [player_tooltip player_id="232152" first="Luke" last="Savino"], Somers HS, 2023</strong></h5> &nbsp; Luke is a dynamic athlete who scores in multiple ways for his team. He scored 7 touchdowns along with 435 rushing yards and a 2 point conversion in his 2021 junior season. But at 5’10 and 180lbs, he is an exceptional kicker with great accuracy and explosion into the ball. Luke made 6/7 FGs with his longest at 46 yds but he shows the necessary leg strength to hit a PAT much further if given the opportunity. He is a strong punter with longest punt is 60 yards and managed to pin 2 within the 20. He can consistently pin it deep on kickoffs with 26 TBs, he can take a badly snapped punt and pin it deep with tacklers all over him, and can even make a recovery tackle if needed. Luke’s play making ability aided his team to a thrilling state championship his junior year. He will be looking to claim it all next year with his team as he improves his tempo, routine, and mechanics of his kicks this offseason. &nbsp; <h5><strong>(K)(P) Timothy Tomlinson, Chaminade HS 2024</strong></h5> &nbsp; Timothy kicked for over 2900 yards in just his sophomore season in 2021 with 25 touchbacks in 50 kickoffs. He is 6’0 and weighs 180 with the frame to add plenty more strength. To the naked eye he seems to swing about 75 to 80 percent power on his PATs consistently. He could add more flexibility and get his hip through a little more but overall he has a cannon of a leg and the ball comes off very nice. Timothy kicked the longest field goal the state has seen since 2017 last year with a 54 yard FG in the playoffs. Combining some offseason work to his routine, he <span style="font-size: 1rem;">could make even longer kicks as the Flyers look to repeat with their CHSFL AA-1 crown for his junior year. And we can expect power 5 </span>coaches to come running. <h5 id="ctl00_ContentBottom_PageHeaderGenericControl"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(SS)(K) Caden Lesiewicz, William Floyd HS 2024</span></strong></h5> &nbsp; Caden is 5’11 and weighs 175 with a great frame to add more size and strength. He shows toughness on all sides of the ball with 31 tackles on defense and a willing tackler after his 32 kickoffs and 20 punts in his sophomore year. He has a great leg swing with good explosion into the ball. Overall Caden is reliable on all phases of special teams and he has the necessary leg strength and accuracy to hit game winning FGs and PATs. He usually does a good job using his height to stay tall and getting a good lift on the ball. If he could master his routine and plant leg this offseason, he will without a doubt be the top kicking prospect this fall for his junior tenure. &nbsp; <h5>(RB)(K) [player_tooltip player_id="341143" first="Nick" last="Oliva"], Millier Place HS 2023</h5> &nbsp; Nick is near perfect making 40/41 PATs and 7/8 FGs in his junior year with his longest as a 47 yarder. The two sport athlete (lacrosse) has a fast and explosive leg swing on his kicks and on the offensive side of the ball rushing for 3 touchdowns out of the backfield. He is very accurate when needed and can pin the ball deep to give his team a chance. He does a good job being sure to watch his kick make contact with the ball. If he can stay consistent with his kicks and get just a little more lift and hang time, he could have a chance to play at the next level