• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!

We need a new kicker BAD! (2008)

While our kicking game was not the cause for our losing the NC it is clearly an area of our game that needs some attention. I recall that Snyder was less than steller his freshman year however I think he performed better than our roundup of the usual supsects worked out this year.

I am not much for jumping on negative bandwagons , but on this one I am not only jumping on but I am grabbing the Reigns!! Let's find us a Montana boy with a leg eh!
 
Re/MaxGriz said:
nzone said:
1. Russel Schey was a walk-on in 2007, both him and Ken Wood ran with the red shirts / scout teams and did the off-season workouts, training, practices, etc. Schey was/is being groomed to take over after Carp left, however he didn't start too well and McKnight had to come in 3 games into the season.

Remax...you are off a year on Schey. He was a freshman this year. He was a very good kicker for Billings West, so the potential is there. Hopefully he will hang in there.
 
I could be wrong on this but I think Hauck was planning on red-shirting McKnight until next year and then letting Schey and McKnight duel it out.

McKnight transferred from Purdue. How could he redshirt again??
 
Blue Tears said:
Remember, Superior has a great senior kicker who can boot kick offs through the uprights on an 8 man field. The Griz would be wise to give him a look.

I say bring him in and let him compete, I won't give up on Brody yet, he's a Griz and needs the next 8 months to let himself know what a determined off season can mean to himself the team and yes even us the fans.
 
i think the lousy kick-offs hurt the griz way more than the missed field goal in this game.

the one real negatives i saw throughout the playoffs were special teams. the kicker has been discussed, but the punter also caused some serious damage by booting those short line drives, which were easily returnable (see the one that helped lead to richmond's second td). also, the kick return team played terribly. every time they received a kick they'd all spend more time looking at each other as if that was going to accomplish something. they probably should have been blocking. a shorter field would have helped a lot against the richmond d.

having 'said' all that, richmond was the better team and would have won if montana had all-pros doing the kicking and punting.
 
from a post earlier this year.

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/10/29/sports/sports04.txt

Archived Story
JOHN SMITHERS: Something to smile about in Superior




They are all smiles in Superior these days. For one thing, the third-ranked Bobcats are 8-0 and poised for a run in the Class C football playoffs, which start Saturday at home against Charlo. But there is another reason. His name is Aukkarapong SrinbenjaKul. If you're a little nervous about nailing the pronunciation, don't worry. You're not the only one. “It's taken me four years to get that out right,” said Dan Lucier, the Superior head coach. To make things easier, everyone calls him Yim. For the sake of getting this column done by deadline, we will too. Yim, a native of Thailand, is the kicker for the Bobcats. And what a kicker. The 17-year-old senior holds the state record for extra points in a single game - nine - in a 69-16 victory Oct. 11 over Sheridan. And he has 43 extra points in seven games this season, which ties him for fifth in state history. Mike Kowalski of Cut Bank had 60 in 1990 in 12 games. Yim has also been incredibly accurate, putting together streaks of 23 and 18 consecutive extra points. SrinbenjaKul's nickname was given to him by his birth father, Muk, who still lives in Thailand.

Yim means “smile” in Thai.

“I was always smiling when I was little,” Yim said. “I still smile a lot.” “He is such a great kid,” said Lucier, who has known Yim since he arrived in Superior five years ago as an eighth-grader. “He always has a great big smile on his face.” Yim moved to Superior after his mother, Monchaya, married Bill Lacombe, a longtime western Montana teacher who is now retired. Monchaya and Lacombe met in Thailand 10 years ago through a mutual interest in jewelry. Yim admits the move from Bangkok - where he grew up - to Montana was very difficult at first. “I knew I was coming here for about a year before we moved, but it was a big shock,” he said. “I came from a city of 13 million people. There were no mountains. I came here and I was like, ‘Oh my god, how can I survive in this country?' Every single thing was different - the weather, changing families - everything.” Other than Lacombe, Yim said his new hometown was initially somewhat hesitant to embrace his mother and himself. “Bill has really been a great help,” he said. “When I was upset, he knew how to deal with people, how to calm people down. He never yelled or used his anger. “But it was tough. I think (the community) looked at me, as a new kid, as someone who would be a troublemaker,” he said. “But I didn't want them to think that I was one of those kids. I wanted them to be nice to me, to get to know me. I wanted them to understand how hard it was at first for me to be here, how big of a change it was. “Americans tease each other a lot, and I wasn't used to that,” he added. “I would always take people seriously.” To bridge the divide, Yim employed a weapon he had used for years.

He smiled.

That, and he watched cartoons. “I watched cartoons all the time because they spoke slowly, which helped me learn English. I wanted to watch sports, but they talked so fast ...” One day, after spending months being as friendly as he could to everyone around him, a big kid came up to Yim and invited him to play football at recess. The big kid's name was Brian Labbe. “I was very excited,” Yim said. “I thought he was talking about ‘football' (soccer). I went out there, and then I realized it wasn't the kind of football I was expecting. You stand there, and then you run around, and they're throwing the ball. I was lost.” But it was the first step in what has become a strong friendship. “Labbe is one of my best friends now,” Yim said of the 300-pound all-conference lineman. “We hang out all the time.” And many more friends would follow.
“His personality is such that you can't help but accept the kid,” Lucier said. “This group of seniors is so close, this team is so close, and Yim is right in the middle of it. Everybody loves him.”

Yim had always been athletic, enjoying popular sports like soccer, swimming, badminton and ping pong in his native Thailand. But the rough-and-tumble American football was something different. Lucier said Yim stands 5-foot-8 and weighs around 150 pounds. When asked, Yim added an inch and a few dozen hamburgers. Just as he had done all of his life, however, Yim didn't let a little obstacle like size deter him. He has proven to be a solid backup on the defensive side of the ball, even returning a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown in the win over Sheridan. It's with his right leg, though, that Yim has left his mark.

“I played soccer in my bare feet (in Thailand), so my foot was tough; I was used to (kicking),” Yim said. “They asked me if I wanted to try kicking. I thought, ‘I can try that.' I kicked the ball ... hmmm, that's not bad. Shoot, I'm a kicker.” Thanks to a strong Superior offense, Yim has needed to boot just two field goals his senior season. He's been successful from 30 and 39 yards. But three times this year Lucier has chosen to employ the seldom-used free kick rule, which allows a team to fair catch a punt and then place the football on a tee. The kicker can then try to knock the ball through the uprights from where the ball is spotted. A successful free kick, like a field goal, is worth three points.
All three times Yim has been on the money, hitting free kicks of 18, 32 and 53 yards.
“We've practiced this since the '90s,” said Lucier, who is in his 22nd season at Superior. “But this is the first time we've ever used it in a game. I wanted to work on it because we figure in the playoffs there's going to be a time we need it. If the offense isn't moving the ball, or it's 10 seconds before half, we want to be prepared. “It's quite a weapon to have and Yim is great at it.” Yim is also a powerful weapon on kickoffs. Class C's eight-man football is played on an 80-yard field. The ball is placed at the 30 for a kickoff, meaning it has to travel 50 yards to reach the goal line. Yim's kickoffs regularly fly through the back of the end zone, sometimes sailing through the uprights. (That's not worth three points in case you're wondering.) Yim attended a kicking camp in Washington last summer. Out of 59 participants, he was one of only four to make a field goal of more than 50 yards. Kickers don't generally garner hordes of scouts, and Yim is no different. But Lucier said Western Montana has expressed an interest, and Yim said he definitely plans on pursuing a college kicking career.

“Oh heck yes,” he said. “(Bill) says I need to go to a smaller school first, but I've thought about walking on for the Griz. I'm not really sure right now where I'll end up. Education is a big thing for me, but I definitely want to play football.

“I work out really hard, and I'm learning new things about kicking a football all the time. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get better.” For his part, Lucier thinks his kicker will be excellent at the next level.
“Oh, absolutely,” the Superior coach said. “He's smart, he's got a good grade point average, he works hard, and he's got a tremendous leg. He's going to get a scholarship somewhere. He brings a lot to the table.” Including a great smile.

Columnist John Smithers can be reached at 523-5257 or at [email protected].
 
I'm just glad that keyboards are wireless now! That way you armchair coaches don't pose tripping hazards for the other members of the family. Brody did the best he could just like all the rest of the team. Room for improvement? You bet! But you could say that about everyone on the team. Christmas didn't come on the 19th, but the season over all was a gift upon its self. Now, put some band aides on your fingers and your binkys back in your mouth.
 
You people can NOT blame this lose on a freshman kicker !!!! A WHOLE lot of other things went wrong last night, including our kicking game. But give the kid a god damn break. When was the last time any of you kick a field goal when it counted. Great game Richmond
 
1st off, I can't get it over the cross bar right now and I don't remember ever being able to ! :grenade:

Just saying............. :oops:

I think both kickers will be much better next year and it would not surprise me if "SMILES" (Yim) walks on and competes. How many kids are that smart? He's already playing for the "Bobcats" and knows he'd rather be a Griz than anything else in Life! That's awesome!!!
 
Brody trained with the best professional kicking trainer in the country in June 2008. He held his own in the college kicking camp with some of the best FBS and FCS kickers in the country. Does he have the strongest leg in the BSC? Not yet but he is a FRESHMAN. The Grizz are lucky to have him with his potential for 3 more years. He will come back stronger and more confident having the experience from this year. You are not going to find a better kicker in Montana. Don't worry, be happy he is a Grizz!
 
For those of you saying quit blaming the kicker for our loss & "can you kick a field goal" get a life. I don't see anyone blaming him for our loss & none of us are college kickers so I don't understand the question "can you kick a field goal". Also I don't doubt that Brody gave it his all but it wasn't good enough. The season is over & it is now time for the coaches to focus on areas of improvement. Our kicking game is a glaring weakness that cost us points with missed field goals (barely above 50% made) & missed pats as well as bad field position as a result of short kicks. I just think it would be a good idea to look at other options.
 
Greenacres Griz said:
For those of you saying quit blaming the kicker for our loss & "can you kick a field goal" get a life. I don't see anyone blaming him for our loss & none of us are college kickers so I don't understand the question "can you kick a field goal". Also I don't doubt that Brody gave it his all but it wasn't good enough. The season is over & it is now time for the coaches to focus on areas of improvement. Our kicking game is a glaring weakness that cost us points with missed field goals (barely above 50% made) & missed pats as well as bad field position as a result of short kicks. I just think it would be a good idea to look at other options.


:clap: :clap: :clap:
 
while we are cleaning house...lets throw in a few new fans as well...cuz i see some improvement needed in that department
 
NO WE DONT...SHUT UP....i remember one freshman named Dan a few years ago SUCKED when he rolled into town. Give the kid a break. he is a freshman. He misses one FG in a NC and everyone is on his case. WOW.
 
tgriz said:
Throw in a new punter as well


????

Heading into the playoffs Wood had the best punting average in the Big Sky, I think he was just over 45 yards per punt. Also I think he might still be highest in net punting too. Since the playoffs started his numbers dipped, however I think Ken Wood's done a very good job this year.
 
mtgrizfankb said:
NO WE DONT...SHUT UP....i remember one freshman named Dan a few years ago SUCKED when he rolled into town. Give the kid a break. he is a freshman. He misses one FG in a NC and everyone is on his case. WOW.

You are right on. Keep in mind the majority of the negative posters are one jackass who has been banned over 75 times. We all know who the old short lardass aka as pickleboy is.
 
My two $.02: Good god, give the kid a break. He is a freshman that didn't participate in spring ball. We are lucky he did as good as he did. Name us one game where our kicker loss the game for us. Umm sure wasn't Weber and it sure wasn't Richmond.
 
schield said:
My two $.02: Good god, give the kid a break. He is a freshman that didn't participate in spring ball. We are lucky he did as good as he did. Name us one game where our kicker loss the game for us. Umm sure wasn't Weber and it sure wasn't Richmond.

True. We won many games in 2007 strictly due to the kicker, but we didn't lose any in 2008 due to the kicker.
 
Back
Top