Kickers in long-range competition
Most of the attention during Cal’s Saturday’s scrimmage will be on the four quarterbacks competing for the starting job, but the coaching staff will be training plenty of its focus on the guys using their feet instead of their arms.
The Bears’ next kicker will presumably have an enormous impact on the program for several years, and Gabe Siemieniec (three years of eligibility left) and Chris Landgrebe (four years), both left-footers, appear to recognize the magnitude of their competition.
Their teammates certainly do.
One of the most boisterous moments of the past week’s practice was when Siemieniec was chosen to represent the defense and Landgrebe was selected for the offense. The kickers took turns drilling field goals as the defensive and offensive players inched closer to the kicks and got increasingly louder in attempts to distract.
When Landgrebe finally missed from about 40 yards out on the right hash, the defense celebrated and the offense started running gassers.
“We’ve got two guys who are capable of doing it physically, but it comes down to what’s between the ears,” said special teams coordinator Charlie Ragle, who likely will add a junior-college transfer to the mix for training camp. “We’re going to find out which one can lock in and put himself in the driver’s seat.
“We’re going to push these guys. We’re going to put these guys in a lot of pressure situations this spring and simulate as best we can to find a guy.”
Peer pressure is putting plenty on the line, but nothing can simulate a game situation. The closest thing to be seen yet this spring will come Saturday, when the team is put through its first scrimmage.
Such Saturdays for the past handful of years didn’t mean much for the kicking game, because Matt Anderson was nearly automatic. He finished his career as the school’s alltime leader in points (316) and field goals (60) and also connected on 136 of 139 extrapoint attempts (97.8 percent). Anderson, who plans to pursue an opportunity in the NFL, lives with Landgrebe.
Now, Cal coaches will have to choose between Siemieniec, a 6-foot-1, 230-pounder from Ontario, Canada, who used to make weekend drives to Georgia or Michigan to try to gain notice from colleges; and Landgrebe, a 6-2, 190-pounder from Cincinnati, who has won just about every elite-level prep kicking competition imaginable.
“I find that I’m at my best when I don’t let anything get to me and just stick to my routine,” said Landgrebe. “You try to get your mind to
go blank, because then, it’s all muscle memory.
“If you can get your mind to go blank, you’ll fall back on your habits, and you know you’ve worked hard enough to make those winning habits.”
Siemieniec has the experience advantage, having been the primary kickoff specialist last season. Twenty-seven of his 52 kicks went for touchbacks. But Siemieniec hasn’t put his focus on trying to replace Anderson yet.
“I’ve never really thought of it like that,” he said. “I’m just doing my own thing. Obviously, the goal is to be the best that I can be, but I don’t think specifically about beating all of his records.
“I better try to win the job before I start worrying about 300 points.”
Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron