Sat Nov 21 2009
Scott Kearley spent Monday night helping the Rootstown Rovers’ boys soccer team to a district championship.
However, Kearley found himself in a much different realm on Friday nights this fall as the place-kicker and punter on the Rovers’ football team.
The two-sport star has turned many heads this season for his talents. Whether it be a 70-yard goal on the pitch or his 70-yard punts he booms on the gridiron.
“Scott has an incredibly strong leg,” Rootstown head football coach Randy McCoy said. “He really becomes a weapon on the football field because of his talents.
“Scott is just a great athlete, but the best thing about him is how great of a kid he is,” McCoy said.
Having been around the Rootstown football program for many years, McCoy said he places Kearley as the most talented and strongest kicker he has seen, just besting 2006 graduate Michael Weigand.
Kearley’s football stats this year are average, but as is the case most of the time, the stats don’t tell the whole story. He is 25-of-27 on extra points, but is only 1-for-2 on field goals, with his made attempt coming from 39 yards out.
“It has just been an odd season for us offensively, and unfortunately it has limited Scott’s field-goal attempts” McCoy said. “We either are moving the ball well enough to go all the way to score a touchdown or we can’t move the ball and we have to punt.”
Additionally, Kearley, a three-year starter in football, shines in punting. He has 38 punts this year for a total of 1,390 yards. Multiple times this season, Kearley has drilled punts of 60 yards or more.
Regardless of the length of his punts, you can expect that it will float through the air with a precise spiral.
“He really does have a picture-perfect punt,” McCoy said. “They are deep, they are high and he oftentimes outkicks the opposing team’s returner.”
Of his 37 kickoffs this year, Kearley has blasted 14 for touchbacks into or through the end zone.
His powerful abilities have gained recognition by players and coaches even before games begin.
As Kearley warms up prior to games, McCoy said it is not unusual for him to see an opposing coach tap the shoulder of another coach, then to nod their head in the direction of Kearley.
But it is not just opposing teams that have noticed Kearley’s skill, as colleges have increased their attention in him and his chances to kick at the college level are growing.
It appears that Kearley’s future in football has the potential to soar as high as his kicks.
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Tom Nader can be contacted at tnader@recordpub.com
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