Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510060041
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A painter wouldn't consider starting a portrait of a rich industrialist's wife unless he had a first-class brush.
The president won't order the shooting to start unless the U.S. Marine Corps has the bayonets fixed.
And Joel Hicks won't play a football game until he's sure his kicking game is on sound footing.
The Pulaski County High football boss has made a career out of preaching the gospel of the kicking game and special teams.
When a field goal in a howling and frigid wind beat Robinson and put the Cougars in the 1992 state championship game, Hicks arched a brow and pointed out that we'd seen it all before.
``Pulaski County has won game after game after game because of the kicking game,'' Hicks said that day in frozen Fairfax. ``What else is new?''
Well, for one thing, the kicker at the time was. That would be then-freshman Shayne Graham, scrawny and red-headed, and not yet possessed of a big boy deep voice. The pint-sized carrot top had a big foot, though.
Four years later, he has the body to go with the foot. Pull out the tape measure and put him on the scales and the figures you get are 6 feet, 1 inch, and 175 pounds. That's up 2 inches and 20 pounds from a year ago and, which pretty much mirrors his annual growth rate through high school.
``Tell you the truth, I think I may grow even bigger than this, too,'' he said. ``Everybody in my family is big and a late grower. My sister Michelle is a 6-footer and she didn't get that way until her junior and senior year in high school. My father [Tom Graham] is 6-3.''
This much is certain, Shayne's big enough to get the job done. So far this year, he's made seven of 10 field goals including a 54-yarder the opening night of the season and a 53-yarder the next week. Graham had three (he missed a 44-yarder) in the Cougars last game.
Along the line Graham has picked up a responsibility. Now he's punting, too.
``We wanted to have two different people doing the punting and kicking, but we weren't getting the distance we needed out of our punting game,'' Hicks said.
Junior Bryan Meyers started out punting but eventually lost his job to Graham.
``Meyers is going to be good next year, but right now, I don't have the convenience of letting him develop,'' Hicks said. ``As close as our games have been, I can't afford to not play my best kicker.''
Graham hasn't relished taking another guy's job.
``It really hasn't been the best situation,'' he said. ``I don't know if he resents me or not. At first, I didn't want to be the punter and he knew that. But once I started having some success with it in practice, I wanted to do it more.''
Started having success? When did he not have success?
``He just takes that ball and drops it on his foot,'' Hicks said. ``He has such a strong leg that he kicks the daylights out of the ball. The ball hits his foot and it sounds like a gun going off.''
The average blast is 37.3 yards, which is the fourth best figure in Timesland this year. Rather noteworthy for a novice punter.
``I really never have worked at it,'' he said. ``Before this year, I'd never really had anybody instruct me, although I have watched others being instructed. I'm basically just putting muscle into it. Even if I don't hit it good, I'm still getting good hang time.''
Graham has not heretofore been considered a college prospect as a punter, but if he keeps this up, who knows? Somebody might get a nice package deal.
The colleges certainly want him to place kick. Boston College, Virginia, and Virginia Tech have all made him offers. Others have told them he could start right away for them.
``One of them said they meant their next game this year,'' he said, amused.
Right now, he plans to visit Boston College and Penn State. All five of his official NCAA visits are going to come after the Cougars season is over.
Said he: ``This may sound bad, and I am interested in my education and all, but right now, the most important thing to me is my senior season.''
Ray Cox is a Roanoke Times sportswriter.
by CNB