You might get a kick out of this

This is difficult to write, but ... I got scooped by the Wall Street Journal.

In case you've never been to a city with a building taller than two stories, the WSJ is a business and financial publication that's based in New York. The real kicker? It doesn't even have a sports page.

But one of its reporters evidently got wind of a freshman football player at Upland that kicks like "Gus" the mule.

The kicker's name is Jake Van Ginkel and here's his story. Since that piece was published, Van Ginkel has added to his fame, kicking field goals of 57 and 58 yards in a freshman game last Thursday against San Gorgonio.

He's the third of five brothers and his dad seems like a cross between Marv Marinovich and Jim Clausen. At least he spends quality time with his kids.

If you're wondering why Van Ginkel isn't kicking for the varsity, the Highlanders have a pretty good one in senior Kyle Hughlock, a three-year starter who has made all three of his field-goal attempts, 12 of 13 point-after attempts and booted 15 of 21 kickoffs for touchbacks.

- Dan Arritt

Comments

[Pete Van Ginkel]

Upland Freshman - Jake Van Ginkel

Jake kicked 58 and 57 yard field goals in a game earlier this season, and just missed a 63 yarder, wide left by about 3 feet, that had the distance for another 10 yards in the freshman game yesterday.
He put a few kickoffs through the uprights and nearly kicked another into the endzone.........................while kicking off from the 20 yard line after a safety!

He finished the season without missing a PAT.

He was 8-12 on FG`s, with his misses coming from 63, 59, 52 and 32.

He made FG`s from 58, 57, 50, 45, 44, 36, 35 and 35.
His 58 yarder was shown on Roggin`s Heroes.

He`s also the starting QB, and he completed about 80% of his passes with an arm that is about as strong as his leg.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PN3Q48g258Q