It’s late in the game for the Warriors, a clutch last-second touchdown ties the game with Wheeler at 9-9, and one man is getting ready to step onto the field to eventually drill the extra point to send the Warriors home happy. This player is none other than junior kicker Lucas England. At kicker, England plays one of the most unique and tough positions in sports, and so far, in his third season on the gridiron, he has proved himself to be one of the most reliable and clutch legs in North Atlanta’s football history.
For all of his life, England has been able to kick. When he was growing up, he could be seen improving his soccer ability in his precision and skills as the years went on. It wasn’t until middle school that England developed an interest in potentially playing on the football team in his high school years, so he eventually took up field goal kicking as a hobby as a way to join the team as the Warrior’s next great kicker. “I started kicking in 8th grade as a side job, but I wasn’t good at it,” said England, “I wanted to play something fun on the football team, and my mom advised me to play kicker to avoid head injuries.”
It’s no secret that the kicker position differs greatly from every other job. While the rest of the team is practicing contact and watching films on future opponents, England’s practices focus primarily on his unique position and staying flexible and reliable. These practices involve intense stretching sessions and kicking from different distances and conditions. “My practices are all about working on flexibility and stretching. I take 30 minutes to get a complete session just for stretching,” said England, “Overall my practices are all about repetition and flexibility.”
England has proved himself to be a reliable, clutch, and relentless kicker, and these characteristics have positioned England as a 4-star recruit and one of the highest-ranked kickers in the region. The North Atlanta place-kicker still has the rest of his junior season and all of his senior season remaining, so it would come as no surprise to see England rise in the recruiting rankings and get another star added beside his name. “Clemson is my dream school, but anywhere that I can go to school and kick at the same time would be awesome,” said England.
England is one of the most important and reliable players on North Atlanta’s football team, and he’s only going to get better as he gets older and learns more. With lots of time left in his high school career, England is due to cement himself as one of North Atlanta’s kicking greats, who will influence for years to come.
