By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

ASHLAND, Ky. – The inaugural Ray Guy Prokicker.com High School All-Americans include some of the nation’s top punting, kicking, kickoff and long-snapping prospects.

Players were selected after much vetting from the Prokicker.com staff, who watched and coached the players during camps, and also by how the players performed on the field during the 2011 high school season.

“Our staff has personally watched these players and worked with these players during camps,” said Prokicker.com founder and camp director Rick Sang. “We’ve seen them and know what they can do.”

There were four All-America categories – punting, kicking, long-snapping and kickoff specialist. The last category is believed to be the first of its kind in receiving All-America postseason recognition.

“There are a lot of facets to special teams and we feel like this is an important one that sometimes gets overlooked when it comes to being recognized as the best,” Sang said.

Selecting the first All-America team with the Ray Guy Prokicker.com brand was something that Sang wanted to make sure was done as accurately and fairly as possible. Prokicker.com rankings and ratings weighed into the selection process but only because that meant staff members had either worked with or watched these honorees perform.

“We’re proud of what these young men have accomplished for their high school teams and look for each one of them to play at the college level,” Sang said.

Eight different states were represented: Georgia (two), Texas (two), Florida (two), Kentucky, Virginia (two), Arizona, South Carolina and Arkansas.

Among the first-, second- and third-team selections three players – kickers Harrison Butker, Nick Tankersley and Patrick Sohrt – were selected as Ray Guy Prokicker.com All-Americans in two different categories.

Butker, a combo kicker for The Westminster Schools near Atlanta, was the first-team All-America kicker and third-team punter.

Sohrt, the left-footed kicker from St. Joseph High School in Victoria, Tex., was a second-team All-America selection as both a punter and kickoff specialist.

Tankersley, who helped Manatee High School capture the Florida Class 7A championship, was the second-team kicker and the third-team kickoff specialist. He was 18 of 26 on field goals and 68 of his 100 kickoffs went for touchbacks.

Ray Guy, the former All-Pro punter for the Oakland Raiders who is considered the greatest punter in NFL history, was proud to lend his name to the inaugural Ray Guy Prokicker.com High School All-Americans.

“These young men have proven that they’re the best of the best,” Guy said. “I’ve seen many of them personally in camps and know the work ethic that goes with being a great kicker or punter. These guys have that something special, that ‘it’ factor, that separates them from the pack. This is just a steppingstone for many of them. We look for them to do great things at the next level.”

First-team selections were:

punter: Thomas Meadows (6-0, 170, senior), Goochland, Va., Goochland High School, Purdue commit.Averaged 41.2 yards per punt for Goochland High School, the Division II Class A state runner-up. He had 13 punts inside the 20 and allowed only 14 return yards. He was first-team district, first-team region, All-Metro and participated in the Chesapeake Bowl where he punted five times for a 46-yard average.

Meadows credits his early experience with Prokicker.com into making him a top-notch punter.

“They really teach the techniques,” Meadows said. “I took a different approach than most kids my age did. Most kids my age went out and kicked the ball. I wanted to learn how to do it the right way. I wanted to establish my form. In my opinion, and in Rick Sang’s opinion, I’ve got some of the best form of anybody my age.”

Meadows will compete for the punting, kickoff and placekicking jobs when he gets to Purdue this summer.

“It depends on how I do in the offseason but I could be doing all three (for Purdue in the fall).”

kicker: Harrison Butker (6-3, 170, junior), Atlanta, Ga., Westminster.All-State First Team in Class AA Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia Sports Writers Association; All Metro, all classification, in Atlanta/South Fulton area; participated in Georgia Junior Bowl.

Butker made 16 of 17 field goals with only miss coming from 59 yards. Butker connected on a 51-yard field goal. He also had touchbacks on 47 of 59 kickoffs (80 percent) and also punted for a 39.5 average on 33 punts. Four of them were more than 50 yards with six downed inside the opponent’s 20.

 “It was an incredible season,” Butker said. “A lot of credit goes to the (long)-snappers and holders. I was lucky to have a kicking coach (Joe Sturniolo) and a head coach (Gerry Romberg) who liked to kick.”

KICKOFF SPECIALIST: Zach Burgy-VanHoose (6-1, 214, senior), Pikeville, Ky., Pikeville High School. Led high school team to Class A state semifinals by booming 85 percent of kickoffs for touchbacks. kicker for Kentucky in Border Bowl against Tennessee and was selected as kicker on the WMYT All-Mountain Team.

“It definitely is great to be able to end the high school season with that award. It makes you feel good; makes you feel like all the hard work is finally paying off.”

LONG-SNAPPER: Rey Higuera (5-11, 225, senior), Gilbert, Ariz., Perry High School. Arizona All-State 5A Division II first-team; All-Region, All-Section first team; snapped in Semper Fidelis Bowl; Prokicker.com national champion long-snapper for 2011.

“I’ve been long-snapping since I was a sophomore but I didn’t start getting competitive in it until the end of my junior year,” Higuera said. “Our team had a guy who was long-snapping and getting fairly good. We had heard about a coach (Ben Bernard) in Phoenix (Arizona Elite Long snapping in North Phoenix) who turned out a lot of Division I long-snappers. I really enjoyed playing football but was not the most athletically gifted person. I had to work to get where I am.”

Second-team selections were:

punter/KICKOFF SPECIALIST: Patrick Sohrt (6-2, 205, senior), Victoria, Tex., St. Joseph High School. Sohrt did a little bit of everything for his team in the kicking department but excelled on punt and kickoffs.

“I actually think my punting got better from last year. We had a 1-9 season, so we did punt a lot,” Sohrt said.

Despite St. Joseph’s record, Sohrt was named a first-team All-State punter. “I’d like to do punting and kickoffs (in college) but I’ll do whatever they ask me to do. I just want the chance.”

kicker: Nick Tankersley (6-1, 165, senior), Bradenton, Fla., Manatee High School. Tankersley had a huge season for Florida 7A state champion Manatee High School, which finished 13-2. “When you play that many games, it’s good experience and good exposure.” Tankersley made 18 of 26 field goals with a long of 53 yards, a school record. Four of his misses were from 50-plus yards. He also had 68 touchbacks on 100 kickoffs and punted 39 times for a net average of 37.18. He allowed only 28 punt return yards.

“He can do all of it (in the kicking game),” said Manatee assistant coach Dennis Stallard. “He’s probably more natural kicker/kickoff guy. He taught himself through what he learned at Prokicker.com camps. It’s not a natural motion for a kid with a soccer background.”

LONG-SNAPPER: Ike Powell (6-3, 240, sophomore), Tifton, Ga., Tift County High School. Powell was the Ray Guy Prokicker.com National Championship runner-up for 2011 and was the national winner in the underclassman division.He was All-Area in a four-county area. Powell is also the youngest Prokicker.com All-American selection and the top-ranked player in his class at long-snapper.

Here’s what Jacob Claycomb, a Prokicker.com staff member, said about Powell:

“Ike has always been really gifted. You can tell he works hard at it. He has his own target in the back yard. Most kids don’t know their exact score before you tell him. Ike threw the last ball and said ‘Oh, man, 24 points.’ He had a running clock in his head. Ike’s pretty much the whole package. He’s probably one of the better long-snappers I’ve had come through the camps. He’s such a hard worker.

During the national championships his fastest snap was .77 and his average was .83.

 Third-team selections were:

punter (tie): Mitchell Ludwig (6-0, 170, junior), Abingdon, Va., Abingdon High School. First-team district and regional punter, second-team kicker; Virginia preps.com AA First-Team All-State punter and Virginia Preps.com AA underclassmen First Team All-State punter; set five school kicking and punting records; one state of Virginia record submitted (single game six punts for 50.33 yard average).

Harrison Butker (6-3, 170, junior), Atlanta, Ga., Westminster (See information above).

kicker: Houston Ray (5-11, 170, junior), Van Buren, Ark., Van Buren High School.

KICKOFF SPECIALIST (tie): Sean Covington (6-1, 175, junior), St. Petersburg, Fla., St. Petersburg High School; Nick Tankersley(6-1, 165, senior), Bradenton, Fla., Manatee High School.

LONG-SNAPPER (tie): Mike Sulka (6-4, 240, senior), Bluffton, S.C., Bluffton High School; Fred McClimans (6-0, 205, senior), Flower Mound, Tex., Flower Mound High School.

HONORABLE MENTION

KICKERS

Nick Bartolotta, Fox High School (Mo.), class of 2012

Sean Covington, St. Petersburg High School (Fla.), class of 2013

Andy Ellington, Winfield High School (W.Va.), class of 2012

Pedro Ramello, Fishers High School (Ind.), class of 2012

Austin Jordan, Airport High School (S.C.), class of 2012

Trent Domingue, St. Paul’s School (La.), class of 2012

PUNTERS

Alex Barta, Clarkston High School (Mich.), class of 2012

Cliff Hurst, Centreville Academy (La.), class of 2012

Brian Bostrom, Kings Academy (Calif.), class of 2012

KICKOFF SPECIALISTS

Mark Grant, Mosley High School (Fla.), class of 2012

Ryan Frain, Scecina Memorial High School (Ind.), class of 2012

Harrison Butker, Westminster Schools (Ga.), class of 2013

Nick Bartolotta, Fox High School (Mo.), class of 2012

Carson Greifenkamp, Murray High School (Ky.), class of 2012

LONG-SNAPPERS

Chris Fitzpatrick, Anderson County High School (Ky.), class of 2012

Leonard Skubal, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) High School, class of 2012

Chad Leonard, Queens Creek High School (Ariz.), class of 2012

Travis Taulbee, Montgomery County High School (Ky.), class of 2012

Zack Hirth, Eureka High School (Mo.), class of 2012

Nick Walter, Pickerington Central (Ohio) High School, class of 2013

Billy Oldach, The Rivers School (Ma.), class of 2012

Brent Becenti, Ganado High School (Ariz.), class of 2012

Leading the way is Winfield's Andy Ellington, who has connected on 10 field goals and is three short of the state regular-season record set by current West Virginia University kicker Corey Smith in 2007 at Musselman.

The Generals have one game left on Friday at Spring Valley.

Ellington has also hit 15 extra points, but said making field goals may be the key to earning a scholarship.

"[The record] would mean a lot," Ellington said. "Because that shows that field goals are really my thing. Setting a state record is something a college coach would probably look at. I just really appreciate the coaching I've gotten this year. It's been a tough year and they really deserve some credit."

The senior said he has kicked at several college camps, including WVU, Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Penn State, Western Kentucky, Marshall and Concord. His career-long field goal in a game is 47 yards, although he said he has been good from up to 55 yards at camps.

Ellington, who has also registered a 71-yard kickoff at a camp, said he looks at kicking as an art and definitely sees himself continuing at the next level.

"I like the art of kicking," Ellington said. "It interests me and I buy into the art of kicking. I like to work on my mechanics. I feel like that's what I enjoy and that's what I need to do in college."

He said as of now he is mulling an offer from Concord and other schools have shown interest as well.

First cousins Michael and Chris Molina, juniors who play for Hurricane and Cabell Midland, respectively, are also among the state's best kicking prospects. Unlike Ellington, they'll have an opportunity to affect their teams' fate in the postseason.

Hurricane's Michael Molina takes a multifaceted approach to kicking, as he handles placekicking and punting duties for the Redskins. This season is his first year of punting and he said he hopes to improve on several aspects of his game before his senior season next year.

"We lost [last year's punter] Tyler Payne and I just decided to step up," Michael Molina said. "Lately, I've been trying to do directional punting. Right now, I'm just trying to get my hang time up. That needs to improve a lot."

Chris Molina comes from a direct lineage of kickers, as his brother Alex Molina kicked for the Knights in 2008 and sister Sami, an accomplished soccer player, handled the place-kicking duties in 2009.

Chris said his siblings, as well as cousin Michael, have helped shape his game.

DOVER, Del. – Competition results from the Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp in Dover, Del. It was the last camp of the spring-summer season.

Long Distance Field Goal High School: Eric Chaconas, 52 yards.

Long Distance Kickoff: Bryan Haldeman, 68 yards, 3.81

Hang Time Punt: Garrett Long, 50 yards, 4.26

Out of Bounds Punt Right: Robbie Budd, 3 yard-line.

Out of Bounds Punt Left: T.J. Morton, 2.5 yard-line

Fastest Single Snap: Robert Longwell, 0.81

Most Accurate Snapper: Dennis Long, 20 of 30

TOP PROSPECTS

Bryan Haldeman, kicker, 2012

Christopher Smith, kicker, 2012

Will Estes, kicker, 2012

Garrett Long, kicker, 2013

Glenn Beckmeyer, long-snapper, 2012

By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

DOVER, Del. — Three kickers, including one who charted perfectly, were the stars of the last Prokicker.com camp of the summer last weekend.
Christopher Smith, a rising senior from Barien High School in Barien, Conn., went 100 percent on his field goal attempts.

“It’s the first one I’ve had this summer as an instructor,” said staff member Logan O’Connor. “Very accurate, obviously. His kickoffs are some things we can work on. The biggest mistake people make on the kickoff is they neglect ball contact. But he was bombing field goals from 50 yards out so I know he can reach the end zone.”

Smith’s kickoffs were mostly inside the 10, with good height, O’Connor said.

“But he definitely has the leg to get it there,” he said.

Smith was identified in the talent search along with two kickers who came for skill charting only.
Will Estes of Culpepper, Va., and Garrett Long of Mechanicsburg, PA, were both put on the talent search list, too. Estes made 90 percent of his field goals and Garrett made 70 percent.

“They were both similar kind of kickers,” O’Connor said. “Their kickoffs were about the same, right along the goalline. They both have the potential to improve that with some minor fixes. They have good potential to play in college.”

O’Connor said the Delaware camp was a good finish for the Prokicker.com staff, who will now begin preparing for the national championship competition in October.
Rick Sang, camp director of Prokicker.com, said the spring-summer season was one of the groups best in years with lots of strong punters, kickers and long-snappers identified by staff members.
“It’s been a good summer for us,” he said. “Now we’re looking forward to seeing what these guys can do.”

By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Every time long-snapper Bill Oldach has attended a Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp, he has looked bigger and better, said staff coach Jacob Claycomb.

Oldach, a rising senior from Hopkinton, Mass., was attending his third Prokicker.com camp and Claycomb has been his instructor each time.

“Coach Claycomb is great, he breaks it down,” Oldach said. “Even just getting somebody who knows what they’re talking about, it’s hard to do. Not a lot of people know how to long-snap, much less coach it.”

The highly regarded Oldach says most of his technique has come from the instruction at previous Prokicker.com camps.

“He’s got the work ethic, the size, the snap – everything you want in a long-snapper,” Claycomb said. “I remember him as soon as I see him. I remember his problems and they’re gone.”

Oldach admits to being a student of long-snapping and a top-notch student overall. He’s attracting interest from Ivy League schools along with Boston College, Elon, N.C. and Furman.

Oldach, who is 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, also plays offensive tackle at The Rivers School in Weston, Mass. He’s been long-snapping since he was turned onto it as an eighth-grader by Steve Burton, a friend of the family. Burton introduced him to Steve DeOssie, a one-time longsnapper for the New York Giants and a radio personality in Boston.

That put him on the right path as a long-snapper. Oldach has built on that by attending the Prokicker.com camps where he has soaked up information from Claycomb, a former long-snapper at Eastern Kentucky University.

“He has a great future ahead of him,” Claycomb said. “This kid is a worker.”

Oldach estimates he works between 45 minutes and an hour six days a week on long-snapping. He wants to long-snap in college and also play either guard or center.

“Frankly it’s not like playing wide receiver or quarterback or even punting or kicking, where sometimes you at least score points,” he said. “(But) Now that I’ve gotten decently good at it, I have fun doing it. It’s like the offensive line, you don’t get any glory. That doesn’t bother me any, as long as I can help the team win.”

When Oldach needs some help on long-snapping, he works on drills that Claycomb has taught him through the Prokicker.com camp visits.

“They’ve taught me how to coach myself and fix my own problems,” he said. “Coming to these camps has been very helpful.”

Claycomb said “he’s got his head on straight” and expects to hear big things from Oldach in the future.

kicking talent identified

Justin Renninger, a rising senior, and underclassman Brandon Mandes were two kickers identified in the talent search at the Philadelphia area camp.

Renninger, of Pine Grove, Pa., made 70 percent of his field goals in charting and averaged 58.25 on kickoffs with several reaching the end zone.

“He’s another guy who came out and showed a lot of potential,” said kicking coach Logan O’Connor. “He’s got a real strong leg that he’s working to harness. He had never had coaching before the Prokicker camp.”

O’Connor and fellow staff coach Josh Raphael took Renninger under their wing and the improvement came almost immediately.

“We saw the potential in him to get better,” O’Connor said.

Mandes, who will be a junior at North Pitt High School in Colmar, Pa., also made 70 percent of his field goals and bombed all of his kickoffs in the end zone. He hit a 70-yard kickoff and a 68-yard kickoff, O’Connor said.

“His hang time on kickoffs was a little low but that’s very fixable,” O’Connor said. “He’s got the leg, he just has to get it up through it.

“Brandon has a real strong leg and a good talent. That’s exciting to see at such a young age. ”

By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

WORCESTER, Mass. – A Canadian long-snapper and a kicker with unlimited potential were among the talents identified at the Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp at the College of Holy Cross on Friday and Saturday.

Jean-Nicholas Proulx, who is from the Montreal area, came to the Prokicker.com camp to see how he stacked up against American long-snappers.

“He’s got good snap and great rotation on the ball,” said Prokicker.com staff coach Jacob Claycomb, a former long-snapper for Eastern Kentucky University. “He didn’t chart great, but you could tell he was working at it. He kind of had that stage fright.”

While there was a partial language barrier between Proulx, who speaks French, and the staff they did understand each other well through demonstration.

“You had to kind of show by example but I enjoyed him,” Claycomb said. “He was a really coachable kid. I was really impressed with him.”

Proulx has the size (6-0 and 205 pounds) and skills to play in college, Claycomb said.

“He said he wanted to play in the states and he wanted to come to camp to prepare himself,” Claycomb said. “He’s supposedly one of the best ones up there. With some work, he’s got a chance to be pretty good.”

Claycomb said the language barrier through him “for a loop” at first but it was a challenge that was overcome by player and coach.

“A good kid with great character,” was how Claycomb describe Proulx, who will be in the class of 2012.

Michael Baron, a repeat camper of Prokicker.com from Medfield, Mass., is also a rising senior with a good strong kicking leg.

Prokicker.com staff coach Logan O’Connor, who kicked for East Carolina, said Baron is someone who has a big upside.

“We could see potential in him because he had a good strong leg,” O’Connor said. “He had a couple of good kickoffs and lots of field goals that looked good. He needs to keep working on his accuracy.

“He’s one of these kids where you look to the future as to what he can become. I know from watching him he can do better than 60 percent (which is what Baron charted on field goals).”

Baron’s kickoffs were mostly deep into the end zone.

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - Competition results from the Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp in the Kansas City area last weekend.

Long Distance Field Goal High School: Alejandro Dominguez, 50 yards

Long Distance Field Goal Middle School: Jesse Barnes, 42 yards

Long Distance Kickoff: Michael Mesh, 67 yards

Hang Time Punt: Cameron Owens, 4.2

Out of Bounds Punt: Josh Wondra

Fastest Single Snap: Wilson Alexander, .80

Most Accurate Snapper: Kendall Schmitt, 13 of 30

TOP PROSPECTS

Wilson Alexander, long-snapper, 2012

Ryan Ahlgren, kicker, 2013

A.J. Brown, kicker, 2012

Lucas Guifoil, kicker, 2012

Michael Mesh, kicker, 2013

By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

FAIRFAX, Va. – There was a prize waiting for the winner of the Longest Field Goal competition at Saturday’s Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp in the Washington, D.C., area.

The Big Red Tee put a little extra adrenalin in the legs of the kickers, as if they needed it.

The Big Red Tee was supplied by Jay Spiegel, who founded Premium Products, Inc., that includes patents on kicking tees, including the Ground Zero tee that is used by every team in the National Football League and in the Super Bowl.

Spiegel spoke to the campers before Saturday’s activities and he offered the bounty of The Big Red Tee to the winner of the competition.

“It was a big deal for everybody,” said Juan Luna, who won the prize with a 55-yard field goal.

Luna, attending his first Prokicker.com camp, said the day was about learning for him.

“I’ve been to four different camps this summer and this is my favorite,” he said. “They teach us really good stuff.”

Luna (class of 2012) has been kicking for Stonewall Jackson High School in Vicksburg, Va., for the last three years. He began kicking and punting as an eighth-grader.

Last year, Luna was a second-team All-State punter in one poll and first team All-State punter in another despite breaking a collarbone during the season.

Luna said the Prokicker.com staff helped him improve immediately on his placekicking.

“My plant foot was a little behind,” he said. “They changed that and it made a big difference.”

Big enough to win the Big Red Tee, which meant a lot to Luna.

“Everybody wanted it,” he said.

Luna said he attempted a field goal from 60 yards out and it barely missed, going under the goalpost. In high school games, his longest field goal has been 45 yards, he said.

The competition in camp was something Luna liked about the experience.

“I was so excited (to win),” he said. “We were supposed to do a competition in the Penn State camp but a thunderstorm came up just as we were starting so we didn’t get to do it. This kind of made up for it.”

Luna is also a star soccer player at Stonewall. He was first-team All-Shenandoah District last spring.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp competition results from Memphis.

Long Distance Field Goal High School: Boone Frederick, 45 yards

Long Distance Kickoff: Reece Everett, 67 yards

Hang Time Punt: Codie McMahon, 42 yards, 4.2

Out of Bounds Punt Right: Christian Troxler

Out of Bounds Punt Left: Zach Weir

Fastest Single Snap: Patrick Williams, 0.81

Most Accurate Snapper: Shawn Smith, 9 of 30

TOP PROSPECTS

Reece Everett, kicker, 2013

Patrick Williams, long-snapper, 2013

By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University’s Dean Hood puts a premium on special teams.

So when the Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp comes to the EKU campus every summer, the Colonels’ head coach is always around watching – and learning.

He’s scouting talent and admiring the work of the professional staff of Prokicker.com, led by former EKU punter Rick Sang.

“I own the camp technically but Rick runs it the way he wants to run it,” Hood said. “He’s the best in the country at doing what he does.”

Several top prospects were showing off their strong legs and fast snaps at the camp and the players were well aware of Hood’s presence.

But Hood becomes a bit of a student, too, while watching the staff at work.

“I come here every year and walk around with a different group – punters, kickers, long-snappers,” he said. “They are so detailed and such experts in those three areas that it makes the hair stand up on your arms.”

Hood said the quality camper who attends the Prokicker.com camps benefits EKU. The kickers, punters and long-snappers come because of the camp’s reputation, he said.

“I haven’t been to any other camps but I can’t imagine there’s a better run camp anywhere in the country,” he said. “It’s amazing how detailed they are but simplistic at the same time. They’re teaching kids fundamentals. What they’re teaching is, no doubt, state of the art.”

While the importance of the special teams varies from coach to coach and program to program, it rates high on Hood’s priority list. He learned under  legendary EKU Coach Roy Kidd, who always made sure the special teams were solid. It was through Kidd that Hood came to know Sang, who played for the Colonels from 1976-80.

“I was an assistant for coach Kidd back in the early 1990s and I first got to meet him (Sang) in 1994,” Hood said. “He’s always run the (kicking) camp here and Coach Kidd thinks so much of him.”

Kidd, who still lives in Richmond, makes it a point to get with Sang during the camp, too.

“Eastern Kentucky University football got put on the football map by Roy Kidd,” Hood said. “I’m sitting here at Roy Kidd Stadium. He really is the foundation of success and tradition here at EKU. Coming here for me is a dream.”

Hood said he remember when the team used to have a fish fry prior to the start of the season and Coach Kidd was speaking with a grandfather who Coach Kidd had coached. He also coached the grandfather’s son and grandson.

“Three generations of Colonels,” marveled Hood. “It’s truly a family. Having one man there for 40 years makes everybody feel connected. I’ve been blessed to have Coach Kidd still in town here.”

Hood has carried on EKU’s successful tradition with one Ohio Valley Conference championship and a two OVC runner-up finishes in first three years.

The Eastern football program has produced four All-Americans, one OVC Defensive Player of the Year and nine first team all-conference performers in Hood’s three years on the EKU sidelines.

Hood, 47, spent seven seasons working at Wake Forest University before taking over the EKU program in January 2008. Under Hood’s direction, the Wake Forest defense was known for creating turnovers and scoring touchdowns. The Demon Deacons forced 186 turnovers from 2001-07, more than two per game. In 2007, Wake Forest led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 35 turnovers forced on its way to going 9-4 and capturing the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

As for special teams, makes sure he has a scholarship available for a kicker, punter and long-snapper. He knows not getting top-notch talent at those positions can be the difference in winning and losing.

“If you don’t have a long-snapper you’re going to have a long season,” he said. “If you’re playing good defense in one of those field goal battle games where you’re going to win or lose 12-9, if you don’t have a field goal kicker, you’re in trouble. We try to play sound defense and manage the game offensively. The punter is critical for us.”

Last year, for instance, punter Jordan Perry dropped 25 balls inside the 20. Hood understands the importance of that kind of punting.

“Look at the stats on driving it 80 yards and scoring,” he said. “You’ve got a lot better chance of keeping your opponent out of the end zone.”