Roper Puts His Best Foot Forward

Practice might be perfect for some, but Brent Roper, Trabuco Hills High School kicker, can’t afford to spend his spare time on the sidelines drilling a football into a mesh net.

Roper also is quarterback Tim Manning’s backup and has his sights set on the field rather than the crossbars during any game.

“I have to pay attention to every play when we have the ball in case something should happen to Tim,” Roper said. “I’ll do some stretching, but that’s it. I never practice on the sidelines.”

Roper didn’t need the practice Friday night in Trabuco Hills’ 13-7 victory over Orange in the Division VIII championship game at Santa Ana Stadium. He kicked a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 32-yarder in the fourth quarter that proved to be the winner as Trabuco Hills won its second consecutive division title.

Roper’s first field goal was a looping attempt that barely cleared the crossbar. Holder Rick Sparks managed to control a high snap and placed the ball perfectly for Roper.

“It dribbled over the crossbar,” Roper said, “but it sure looked good on the scoreboard. A high snap throws off everyone’s timing, but Rick did a good job of getting the ball on the kicking tee. Once I made the first one, the second one was a lot easier.”

Roper had to overcome more than a high snap. There was also the crowd noise of 7,200 fans. Each time he lined up to kick, the largely partisan Orange crowd rose and screamed.

“I’ve never kicked in front of that many people making so much noise,” Roper said. “I couldn’t hear a thing on the field. After I made the first one, I told myself, ‘I want something more convincing than a dribbler.’ ”

For two years, Roper had never been in a situation where his foot could decide the outcome of a game. Trabuco Hills has been a high-scoring team that rarely finds itself in a close game in the second half.

“I had a feeling this might be a close game, and I might get the call to win the game,” Roper said. “I haven’t had a great year because of a lack of concentration. But tonight made up for the whole season.”

Jim Barnett, Trabuco Hills coach, said he never doubted Roper’s ability even though the senior had made only three fields all season and had missed one in the Pacific Coast League game against Orange.

“Roper came through when we needed him,” Barnett said. “I know he’s been frustrated all year playing behind Tim. He’s a good athlete, and it was nice to finally see him get a chance to contribute.”

For Roper, it was simply a case of putting his best foot forward.