a day ago
Seven SWLA kickers who keep their teams on the right foot, weaponizing third phase of the game
When it comes to kicking in football, high-pressure situations come with the territory.
It could be a last-second field goal attempt, an extra-point kick to break an overtime tie, or a punt to pin the opponent deep on its side of the field.
Luke Wainwright, Noah Menard, Sam Smith, Cameron Bonin, Payton Crawford, Braylon Beard, and Monte Farmer are a few of the returning starters in Southwest Louisiana looking to use their precision kicking to help their high school football teams in tough situations.
Luke Wainwright
Wainwright, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound senior, experienced a tricky situation firsthand last year. With 15 seconds on the clock in Grand Lake's Non-select Division IV bi-district playoff game against Jonesboro-Hodge, he drilled a 22-yard field goal for a 23-20 win.
Earlier in the season, he made a 35-yarder, which was the second-longest in Southwest Louisiana in 2024 behind St. Louis Catholic's Zachry Sugandi- Pruitt's 53-yarder.
Wainwright, who also plays golf and was the Division IV state runner-up medalist, made 33 of 37 point-after attempts. He will also see time at wide receiver this year.
'He has done really well this offseason,' said head coach Jeff Wainwright, Luke's uncle.
'I think he gained a lot of confidence last year, especially at the end of the year against Jonesboro-Hodge when he had a game-winning field goal. Those are big things for kids to bring back to the table the next year. He's already been in those pressure situations.'
Sam Smith
Before Smith became South Beauregard's kicking specialist last season, he made a name for himself on the soccer pitch. He scored a single-season school record 45 goals in his junior year.
On the gridiron, Smith (6-2, 185) made 33 of 35 PATs, and head coach Brad Kellogg is looking for him to keep teams from getting any yardage off kickoffs.
'He's a soccer kid,' Kellogg said. 'Matter of fact, possibly a scholarship soccer kid, and he's got a strong leg.
'We're really hoping he can kick it in the end zone like St. Louis every time. He's really been working on that. We don't kick a lot of field goals. He's so strong-legged. He just keeps trying to get that ball in the end zone every time.'
Payton Crawford
Crawford (5-9, 180) made the 5-2A all-district second team as a freshman last season.
Oakdale head coach Kevin Bertrand sees his young kicker continually improving after making 11 of 17 kicks last year and will use him at receiver.
'He's been working on it all summer, and he's been doing a good job,' Bertrand said. 'We know going in that he's a guy that understands what we're trying to do.'
Menard, Bonin, Farmer, and Beard spread their talents all over the field at multiple positions.
Noah Menard
Menard plays all over the field for Hamilton Christian and earned all-district honors last season as a wide receiver, placekicker, and punter.
He made 30 of 47 PATs, caught 20 passes for 216, and scored six total touchdowns.
Braylon Beard
Beard (6-1, 175) was the 5-2A second team all-district punter last season made 62 tackles with five sacks and eight tackles for a loss on defense. This year, he will start at defensive end and tight end and is working to learn to play offensive line.
Cameron Bonin
Bonin, a 5-9, 160-pound senior, was an all-district first team and American Press All-Southwest Louisiana Small Schools punter. He also plays quarterback and defensive back for Lake Arthur.
As a junior, he averaged 38.7 yards a punt, made 19 of 27 PATs, and kicked a 22-yard field goal. Running the offense, he completed 36 of 77 passes for 870 yards and nine touchdowns, splitting time with fellow senior Jaxson Davis.
Monte Farmer
Farmer is a 6-8, 175-pound senior two-sport athlete. He averaged 38.7 yards per punt for Washington-Marion while running the offense at quarterback with 1,442 passing yards and eight touchdowns.
The multi-faceted athlete has also played receiver at times and was the American Press All-Southwest Louisiana Big School basketball MVP last season. He averaged 17 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks a game while playing nearly every position on the court.
