Scrounging for Scholarships : High School Kickers, Overlooked in Recruiting Game, Often Become Walk-Ons

Ignacio Brache’s first brush with organized football was a near disaster.

As a 15-year-old sophomore at Village Christian High in Sun Valley, Brache reluctantly agreed to try out as the football team’s kicker after having been spotted in a physical education class by Coach Mike Plaisance.

In his debut against Malibu Kilpatrick, Brache’s opening kickoff traveled 60 yards in the air but was returned for a touchdown. The wide-eyed Brache stood rooted to the field as the kick returner zoomed by him on his way to the end zone.

“Ignacio didn’t know how to tackle because he didn’t know anything about the game,” Plaisance said. “But he redeemed himself that night by kicking an extra point as time expired to give us a 16-15 victory.”

Football then grew much more pleasant for Brache, who recently finished a successful high school career with 32 field goals, 74 extra points, and 87% of his kickoffs reaching the end zone. The impressive list of statistics includes 10 field goals of 40 yards or longer and five of those better than 50 yards.

In a league game against Southern California Christian of Orange last season, Brache tied a state record with five field goals, on kicks of 56, 55, 48, 40 and 35 yards. He made a 60-yard effort against Los Angeles Baptist.

Brache might have expected plenty of attention from college coaches offering scholarships. But the Village Christian senior learned one of life’s painful lessons: In the wacky world of recruiting, kickers are rarely a top priority, no matter how talented they may be.

Plaisance went on a public relations campaign to help Brache get noticed. He sponsored a kicking contest at the school last summer, put together a highlight videotape and contacted all of the colleges that had senior kickers.

The efforts apparently paid off. Brache was not besieged by calls but he did receive an offer from Cal and will sign a letter of intent with the Bears today, the beginning of the monthlong national signing period.

And Brache is not the only area kicker receiving a scholarship. Chris Sailer of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will sign with UCLA, and Patrick Shinnefield of Santa Ana Mater Dei said he will attend Stanford. In addition, Antelope Valley’s Chad Shrout, who plays on the defensive line and punts, is headed to Hawaii.

Even the most touted kickers, however, rarely receive the recruiting attention of most other positions. Because colleges are limited to 85 scholarship players, coaches often rely on walk-ons for kicking and punting. Schools rarely have more than one kicker on scholarship and coaches usually recruit for the position only once every three or four years.

“Part of the problem is that quarterbacks and kickers are two positions that recruiters need to evaluate in person,” said Gary Bernardi, a UCLA assistant coach. “Since we only have a limited time to visit with the players, it’s hard to see everybody. And it is very difficult to evaluate a kicker off a film. You need to see how they react in game situations and under pressure.”

That might explain why Sailer received considerably more attention than Brache. Although he tied the state record for 33 field goals in a career and set the record for 22 in a season, he benefited from attending a school that receives plenty of media attention.

“When you read about the kid in the paper every day, it doesn’t hurt his exposure,” said Bernardi, who coached at Burbank Burroughs High in 1993. “It cuts down on searching time.”

Shinnefield had an exposure problem, since his senior season was his first on the varsity. He had no contact from college coaches until after Mater Dei capped an undefeated season by upsetting top-seeded La Puente Bishop Amat in the Southern Section Division I championship game.

Mater Dei went 14-0, and Shinnefield contributed to the team’s offensive success by kicking 12 fields goals, one a 50-yarder, and 54 extra points.

When Stanford came calling in December, Shinnefield arranged for a visit and committed quickly after an offer was made.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think about receiving a scholarship when the season started,” said Shinnefield, who also plays on the school’s soccer team. “I was just grateful to get my chance and now I have a full ride to a great school. It’s a dream come true.”

Bernardi said coaches know the importance of having a good kicker and punter but they are often positions best evaluated when the season is over. That explains why many top prospects are left hanging until the last minute.

Sailer was one of those rare exceptions. He started getting letters as a junior and was recruited as a senior by several major colleges, including Notre Dame and Stanford. He finally settled on UCLA because Coach Terry Donahue promised him he could also play soccer.

“I made sure that I always put Chris’ name on letters of inquiry that I received from the college coaches,” said Kevin Rooney, the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame coach. “By the time he was a senior, Chris was pretty well known. It took some extra effort, though.”