dougdonnelly

Whiteford adds kicking game to its offense

By DOUG DONNELLY

The Whiteford football box score had something different in it Friday night. 

Hunter DeBarr kicked three extra points, making all three of his attempts. It’s Whiteford’s first kicking extra point since the 2018 playoffs when current assistant coach Nate Bauman made one.  

“He has been kicking well in practice,” Whiteford coach Todd Thieken said. “I was thinking tonight if the situation came up, I was going to let him try and field goal. He’s been making them from 40 yards out in practice.” 

Instead, after the Bobcats missed their first two two-point conversion attempts, Thieken signaled for DeBarr to kick an extra point. For the past 12 seasons, the Bobcats have rarely kicked on point-after attempts, choosing instead to go for two points. 

This season, however, the Bobcats have struggled with the conversions. 

“We have to take a look at that and figure it out,” Thieken said. “I don’t know what it is right now.” 

Bauman made six extra points during the 2018 season. 

Whiteford has had a string of successful kickers over the years, dating back to Ken Crots in the mid-1960s, who went on to become a record-setting placekicker for the University of Toledo. He was later inducted into the Rocket Hall of Fame.

While at Whiteford, Crots booted 62 conversions and four field goals.

Highlights from other Whiteford kickers over the years:

  • Fred Kutzke holds the school record for most kicking extra points (93) and field goals (10). He was All-State as a kicker. Kutzke had two game winning kicks in his career.
  • Don Long booted a 25-yard field goal to give Whiteford a 25-22 win over Morenci in the final regular season game of 1987, which put the Bobcats in the playoffs for the first time.
  • Andrew Rhoades had a great career kicking for the Bobcats, making 62 extra-points and six field goals.
  • Matt VanBrant, the current Whiteford softball coach, made 43 point-after attempts and four field goals. He hit a 35-yard field goal in 1991.
  • Matt Ringle kicked 27 extra-points in 2002, including the longest field goal in school history at 37 yards.

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