‘Unusual’ trio helps to kick
start Wilmington special teams
Written: Oct 22, 2010
 
By JOE SIMON
New Castle News
Football coaches will do just about anything to find a viable kicker.
Some scour the soccer team for a strong leg, while others use 250-pound offensive linemen or even their star player in order to have a reliable placekicker.
Wilmington High coach Terry Verrelli took a different route. He watched recess.
“One day in eighth grade, when we were out for recess or a club period or something, I told (Brandon) Ryder to go get a ball and let’s kick,” said Verrelli, a teacher at Wilmington Middle School before retiring in 2008. “His grandfather had told me to try him at kicker. So we got a ball, and of course, once one guy kicks, the whole class wants to kick. So, I said ‘All right, Slavi (Pontius), go ahead.’ And he kicked it well, and Ryder didn’t do bad either. So I said, ‘Hey, you both should come out for football and kick.’ And they did.”
Two years later, they’re part of a rare kicking trio at Wilmington High. Included in that mix is soccer player Harrison Sturm, a junior playing football for the first time. All three rotate during games on kickoffs and extra points, with Sturm performing most of the point-after attempts, Pontius kicking off and Ryder doing a little bit of both. Each possesses a different strength, Verrelli said, and are extremely close in skill level, which is why he doesn’t hesitate to use any of them at a crucial point in the game.
“It’s kind of an unusual situation,” Verrelli said. “I don’t know how many coaches would do it. If they couldn’t kick and they weren’t consistent, I wouldn’t put them in there just to put them in there. But they work hard enough that they can all do it.”
They know how to have fun with the situation, too. They don’t complain about playing time or hope another one fails so they receive more chances, Verrelli said. They don’t gripe or argue with each other — usually.
“Unless someone hits you on the head with a football,” Pontius said.
A laughing Ryder then chimed in: “I punted it and it hit Slavi in the head about an hour ago.”
Oops.
That kind of fun-loving attitude does more than just create a few laughs. Their nonchalant approach keeps them calm during important kicks, which can bring a lot of pressure to a person who receives little credit. The three take a bit of offense to those who think kicking is simple.
“Everybody thinks it’s so easy,” Ryder said. “It’s not.”
A lot can go wrong on any given kick. A bad snap can occur, the holder can mishandle the ball, the wind can pick up, the field might be in poor condition or the kicker can lose his footing. It can be a stressful situation for even the most veteran player.
“The steps, the pressure, a bad snap, a bad hold — there’s a bunch of stuff that goes through your mind,” said Sturm, who added that the pressure is much more centralized than in soccer. “When you’re kicking a football, it’s more about you and that you have to make it. In soccer, you can rely on your team to pass it and set you up. There’s more pressure. I like it.”
Except when the ball sails wide or comes up short. Kicking is a cutthroat business, the trio said. When they make a key extra point, people shrug it off as no big deal, it’s just a 20-yard kick. But if they miss, everyone, even the water boy, has some harsh words.
“Whenever you miss, people pretty much hate you — unless you’re winning by 40,” Pontius said.
Luckily for this group, they don’t miss very often, and they all possess varying skills. Sturm, who Verrelli said has been the most consistent on extra points, has made all his point-after attempts this season. Pontius, a sophomore, is better at providing deeper kicks, so he’s used mostly on kickoffs. Ryder does a little bit of both. He’s excellent at onside kicks and also excels at squib kicks, a shorter kickoff that is utilized when the opposing team has a talented return man who the Greyhounds want to avoid.
Verrelli enjoys utilizing all of them.
“They’re an unusual bunch, all right,” he said. “But they’re young, and they work hard and they’re excited about football. And that’s what it’s about.”
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