West Brook searches other sports to find kickers, punters for gridiron

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West Brook searches other sports to find kickers, punters for gridiron

BEAUMONT - Dean Lauher moved to Southeast Texas from another state, not another country.

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His knowledge of football, however, might have suggested the later more than the former.

An Illinois native, Lauher has played soccer since he enrolled at West Brook as a freshman. Now a senior, he's kicking another kind of ball.

"Pretty much all I've learned this year is pretty much my entire understanding of football," said Lauher, among two West Brook kickers whose football IQ might have been lower than David Carr's quarterback rating.

Some high schools are blessed with an experienced kicker to handle field goals, punts and kickoffs. Others, such as West Brook, do a bit of searching.

"For this sized school, I don't know why that is," West Brook coach Craig Stump said.

Lauher and Anthony Pileggi, both seniors, have shared kicking duties. Both were recruited in the spring from the boys soccer team by soccer coach Don Smith, also a special teams and defensive line coach.

Lauher made each of his eight extra-point attempts in West Brook's 56-14 victory over Kingwood. He has made 20 straight since he missed four against Ozen in the season opener.

Pileggi handles kickoffs, and both have been a work in progress.

"The first couple times they kicked in practice, they'd forget the tee," Stump said.

Stump said the kickers were unfamiliar with what squib, onside and pooch kicks were. Smith said each had to be taught all the markings on the field, including the hash marks and yard lines.

Stump said Lauher has improved to a point where he makes kicks in games as consistently as in practice. As for Pileggi, Stump said he's gone from kicking line drives to getting the ball high and deep.

"They've gotten better each week," Stump said.

Smith said Lauher and Pileggi were attractive options for the football team not so much because of leg strength.

"They have a lot of leg speed," said Smith, who linked the importance of leg speed for a kicker to bat speed for a baseball hitter.

[Guest WBFan09]

im just happy we found two guys this year who are legitament...i really think Dean could kick longer field goals now if he wanted

[82 5A State Champs]

Both of our kickers have DEFINITELY improved since the Ozen game in Week 0. You need a kicking game in order to be a well rounded ball club. Good job guys!

[bullets13]

i'll never forget when our head football coach came out to soccer practice and TOLD me i'd be kicking the next season for him... i did enjoy it, though

[westend1]

I have been watching Lauher kick 45 yarders easily at practice.  Plenty of leg, just needs more experience.

[Guest WBFan09]

i honestly believe the past two years would have been more successful had we had two kickers on the level that these guys are at...in the Cy Falls game last year it meant kicking a feild goal instead of going for it on 4th down and may have given our team more confidence