CENTERTON -- Blake McDoulett was destined to become Bentonville West's first placekicker, more than a year before the school opened and its football team took the field for the first time.
All it took was one look at his footwork to impress Wolverines coach Bryan Pratt, who witnessed McDoulett's talents shortly after he was hired in the spring of 2015. There was just one problem, though: McDoulett was not using a football at the time.
Van Buren at Bentonville West
Tiger Stadium
KICKOFF 7 p.m.
RECORDS Van Buren 1-2, West 0-3.
ON THE AIR KAMO-FM 94.3.
BETWEEN THE LINES Bentonville West enters 7A-West Conference play for the first time in school history, while Van Buren returns to league play after a two-year hiatus. … It will be a battle of contrasting styles between West’s no-huddle, pass-oriented offensive attack and Van Buren’s ground-heavy Flexbone rushing game. … Wolverines starting QB Will Jarrett was held out of last week’s game with Muskogee, Okla., because of an injury but is expected to return. … WR Jackson Prince had a big game last week with seven receptions for 98 yards and two TDs. … Van Buren needed a late touchdown and an interception to take a 25-18 victory over Van Buren in a game delayed by storms. … Junior slotback Walter Green took over for injured fullback Josh Aden and scored the Pointers’ two touchdowns. Aden’s status for this week is unknown.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Van Buren: QB Caleb Salisbury (Jr., 6-2, 175), WR/CB Kameron Collins (Sr., 5-9, 175), SS Greg Gladden (Sr., 5-109, 170), DL Alex Espinosa (Sr., 5-10, 260), DL Jayden Mendez (Jr., 6-1, 265). West: RB/LB Sebastian Canigila (Jr., 6-0, 185); WR Jackson Prince (Jr., 5-8, 150); QB Will Jarrett (So., 5-10, 150); WR/DB Stefan Banda (Jr., 5-9, 160); WR/DB Jason Gloeckler (Jr., 5-11, 150); OL Anthony Boettner (Jr., 6-2, 240); OL Michael Toney (Jr., 6-2, 305); WR Jadon Jackson (So., 6-0, 165).
HOOTEN’S RANKINGS Van Buren is No. 13 in Class 7A. West is No. 16.
HOOTEN’S LINE Van Buren by 7.
OUR TAKE Van Buren 24, Bentonville West 21.
— Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
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"I'm at Lincoln Junior High School just after I was hired, and I've seen him a couple of times," Pratt said. "He's actually over there juggling a baseball with his feet while there is a test going on and I'm monitoring kids outside.
"He's really good at it, and it's pretty impressive to watch what he can do with his feet. I can't even do it with my hands. So I just went over to him and asked him if ever kicked a football and he said no."
McDoulett has been a soccer player since he was 4 years old, and he became serious about his juggling skills when normal soccer exercises became a little boring. He has juggled anything from tennis balls to soccer balls, and even a few unorthodox juggling items such as the football kicking tees and water bottles.
However, that didn't stop him from trying something new. McDoulett accepted Pratt's invitation to come to Tiger Stadium, and he was given a tryout after being shown where the football's sweet spot was and the proper football kicking technique.
"It was weird," McDoulett said. "The first time I kicked it, I kicked it like a soccer ball. It got about 5 feet off the ground and knuckled a little bit.
"I just had to get my stance and my posture correct to kick a football. It's a little different, but as long as you get the proper form, you can kick it pretty good."
McDoulett didn't have the distance normal football kickers have, but Pratt marvelled at how accurate he was with his kicks. It was good enough that Pratt made him the starting kicker for Bentonville Gold's ninth-grade team last fall.
McDoulett was limited to extra points and short kickoffs, but he became a valuable weapon when Pratt wanted to try an onside kick. However, McDoulett's season came to a premature end when he suffered a knee injury while playing soccer just before the Northwest Arkansas Conference championship football game.
"Wherever you ask him to place the ball, he does it," Pratt said. "He was one of the reasons we were undefeated going into the finals. We scored a lot of points, and I don't remember him missing very many PATs."
McDoulett is fully recovered from his knee injury this fall, and he has put some serious work into his kicking during the offseason, even though he continues to juggle his priorities between football and soccer. Pratt said he's not afraid to ask the sophomore to try a field goal if the ball is inside the opponents' 20, and he even nailed a couple of 40-yarders during a recent practice.
He's hit all three extra-point tries this season, and a bad snap ruined a fourth try during last week's game against Muskogee, Okla. Pratt gave McDoulett a chance to kick a 36-yard field goal during the Wolverines' game at Little Rock Central, but it was blocked.
"I feel comfortable anywhere inside 35 yards," McDoulett said. "I just left a little bit too late on the field goal kick. I will have to work on it so hopefully the others won't get blocked."
About the only thing going against McDoulett right now is his size, and that raised some concern with his parents when it was brought up about him playing football. He's only 5-foot-4 and maybe 100 pounds, which means he has to step on the field with some players that are twice his size.
In fact, Pratt said he had to make a special request when he ordered West's new uniforms and get an extra-small size for McDoulett to wear.
"When he put it on the first time, he thanked me for it," Pratt said. "He's a kid that is going to spring up, and he's going to get a lot bigger in the near future. He's one of those late bloomers, I guess you could say.
"When he goes, he's going to be really good because he's definitely prepared himself."
Sports on 09/23/2016