Football: Where have all the kickers and long snappers gone in City Section?

After watching missed field goals, missed conversion kids, roughing-the-kicker penalties and snaps going everywhere but into the punter’s hands on Friday night in two City Section championship games, it’s clear there’s a special teams problem in the City Section.

At least South Gate recognizes that fact and didn’t even attempt a single conversion kick in a 34-32 loss to San Fernando. The Rams just went for two-point conversions.

“I figured the odds were better,” South Gate Coach Jose Casagran said. “You have to have a kicker. That’s one thing we said afterward. You have to work at it in the off season.”

Last season, South Gate had a productive kicker. This season, the Rams picked up two soccer players in August, and they didn’t have enough time to learn the position.

And that’s the problem. City Section athletes need to start receiving some tutoring from the private kicking and long snapping coaches in Southern California.

“A lot of kids don’t have the money for private coaches,” Casagran said. “My kids certainly don’t.”

Instead of passing competitions, maybe teams need to work on finding someone who can kick, someone who can hold and someone who can snap. They’re not easy skills but they can be mastered and should be done better in the City Section.

Look how West Hills Chaminade knocked off unbeaten Gardena Serra on Friday night in the Southern Section Western Division final, with a 27-yard field goal as time expired by Ben Kreitenberg. That’s an example of how special teams can produce a victory.

Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com