Kicker leaves Curley Wolves frustrated
Harding Academy junior Kyle Ferrie didn’t gain a yard, catch a pass or make a tackle in his team’s 47-25 victory over Prescott on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rok.
Ferrie, a kicker, helped the Wildcats win their third consecutive Class 3A state title by showcasing a powerful left leg that kept the Curley Wolves bottled up all afternoon.
“Their kicker was unbelievable,” Prescott Coach Brian Glass said. “He was the guy we feared most coming into the game.”
Ferrie, a junior, kicked field goals of 27 and 36 yards, was 5 of 5 on extra points and sailed 8 of his 9 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, giving him 100 for the year.
Five of Ferrie’s kickoffs — in the first and fourth quarters — sailed with a 12 mph wind at his back.
Three of Ferrie’s four third-quarter kickoffs — heading into the wind — were not returnable.
“I think he’s the biggest reason the game was able to get the way it got,” Glass said. “He kicks them against the wind into the end zone. He did leave one a foot short and we returned it and got good field position out of it. I think we scored on that one. It makes a huge difference.”
Harding Academy defensive lineman Cooper Welch agreed.
“It’s amazing,” said Welch, who recovered two fumbles and forced an interception in the second half. “He’s a gift. That’s exactly what he is.”
Welch said Ferrie’s ability to kick touchbacks is one less thing his defense has to worry about.
“It’s nice to know every time we kick off that it’s going to be on the 20,” Welch said.
Ferrie said he was honored to know that Prescott’s Glass considered him a weapon.
“Kicking is very overlooked, especially in high school,” Ferrie said. “To be a part of somebody’s game plan like that, it’s big, so that definitely means a lot to me.”
Ferrie, who is also the team’s punter, bobbled a snap deep in Harding Academy territory with his team trailing 6-3 early in the second quarter.
It took a near miraculous maneuver for him to escape the oncoming Prescott defenders.
“I knew my line was going to block for me, and I just had to turn around and whack it,” he said. “I had literally about a split second to get it off.”
Ferrie’s kick ended up rolling dead at the Prescott 31.
“That was a true point swing as well, switching the field when it looked as if our backs were against the wall,” Ferrie said.
Earlier, Ferrie attempted a 59-yard field goal with the wind, and it landed about 4 yards short.
It would have been the longest field goal ever made in an Arkansas state championship game.
“Coach [Neil Evans] came up to me, and he said, ‘Do you want to punt or kick?’ ” Ferrie said. “I knew I was good from there, but can I do it in the aspect of the football game.
”I said let’s kick it, and I did exactly what I wanted to do, but the wind didn’t help me as much as I thought.”
Ferrie, who counts Baylor, Arkansas and Mississippi State among his top college destinations, said his goal next season, — his senior year — will to improve on his consistency both as a kicker and a punter.
He finished his junior season making 13 of 17 field goals with a long of 49, 100 touchbacks and 78 of 81 extra points.
“I’m more about consistency than power,” Ferrie said.