Published: 07:03 PM, Sat Aug 04, 2012
Pine Forest has dangerous weapon in junior kicker Patrick Woods
By Stephen Schramm
Staff writer
For Patrick Woods, it all started in gym class.
One day in eighth grade, the class had some down time on the football field. Woods had played more than a decade of soccer. As a goalie, his booming kicks earned him the nickname "Bigfoot." So when the teacher tried to get him to attempt a 40-yard field goal, he didn't hesitate.
"I was just playing around," Woods said. "There was no pressure, I just did it."
Woods took a few steps, swung his leg and sent the ball sailing through the uprights, surprising everyone on hand.
"They were like, 'What just happened?' " Woods said.
Fast-forward to this season, and the rising junior at Pine Forest High School no longer surprises anyone when he nails a long kick. He'll be in his third year as the Trojans' kicker and, with hard-earned confidence in himself and the trust of his team, he'll be one of his team's most dangerous weapons.
Going the distance
Woods hit a 55-yard field goal at a camp last summer. His longest field goal in a game was a 42-yarder against Douglas Byrd. His longest in practice is in the neighborhood of 60 yards. Pine Forest coach Bill Sochovka said he's got no qualms about sending Woods out for any field goal opportunity of 40 yards or closer.
"He'll make it," Sochovka said. ". That puts pressure on defenses. We don't have to go the full distance."
Despite the precocious beginning to his life as a kicker, it took time for Woods to grow into his role.
His gym-class display drew the attention of Pine Forest coaches, who encouraged him to try out the next fall, but he still needed work.
Over time, he dropped soccer and baseball. He worked with his father, Tony Woods, to get a grasp on proper technique. The two studied online videos and spent weeks working on the field at school, even tracing out the steps of his kicking motion on the floor of the family's garage so he could practice at home.
"If you don't try to do something, it's easy," Woods said. "But if you try to perfect something, it starts to get hard."
The results of his work have shown. He was invited to camps in Charleston, S.C., and at Elon and Auburn this summer. At one camp, he turned heads with a 73-yard kickoff.
It's that aspect of the kicking game that makes Woods the proudest. In a somewhat uncommon method for kickers, he lets fly a loud grunt when he kicks off.
"You'll hear me," Woods said. ". Usually when I grunt, I kick the ball out of the back of the end zone."
Expanding skill set
This season, he'll add another task: Handling the punting duties. Sochovka said he hopes to develop another option at the position to save Woods' legs, but for now, he's hard at work expanding his skill set.
"It's so much different with a football because you have to hit it perfectly," Woods said. "It's way harder than you would think it would be."
But as he did with kicking, Woods hopes to make it look easy.
Staff writer Stephen Schramm can be reached at schramms@fayobserver.com or at 486-3536.
Tim Allen
Position: Receiver
Height/weight: 5-8, 180 Class: Senior
About Allen: After spending last season at E.E. Smith, where he caught 10 passes for 280 yards, Allen has assumed a leadership role at Pine Forest. Sochovka praised the athletic Allen as a positive influence on the Trojans and said he'll get a look at the quarterback spot.
Jake Jenson
Position: Tight end-long snapper
Height/weight: 6-4, 220 Class: Senior
About Jenson: A player who has established himself as a team leader, Jenson will be the only senior on the Trojans' offensive line. With boundless energy and a strong competitive fire, Jenson is also a fixture on the Trojans' basketball and baseball teams.
Nelson Guillory
Position: Linebacker
Height/weight: 5-8, 170 Class: Senior
About Guillory: Sochovka said Guillory's importance can't be overstated. The linebacker missed six games last season with a broken hand. Sochovka said Guillory's intelligent play and tone-setting work ethic will be crucial to the Trojans' defense.
Devonte Baker
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 5-10, 165 Class: Junior
About Baker: Baker will be a key component to the Trojans' offense. A running back with deceptive speed, Baker led Pine Forest in rushing last season. Sochovka said he will likely see plenty of action this season.
Dakota Allaman
Position: Linebacker
Height/weight: 5-8, 180 Class: Senior
About Allaman: The hard-nosed linebacker will man the center of the Trojans' defense. Sochovka said that Allaman has a strong motor and brings it every play. His toughness will be crucial if Pine Forest's defense is to improve.
schedule
Aug. 17 - Purnell Swett
Aug. 24 - Gray's Creek
Aug. 31 - at Smithfld-Selma
Sept. 7 - at Westover
Sept. 14 - at South View
Sept. 21 - E.E. Smith
Sept. 28 - at Cape Fear
Oct. 5 - Seventy-First
Oct. 12 - at Douglas Byrd
Oct. 19 - at Terry Sanford
Oct. 26 - Jack Britt