High School Kicker Makes Drop Kick
On October 20th, 2010 at Nelson Field in Austin, Texas, JV Kicker Jason Pan kicked a historic drop kick for the extra point. The rarely-seen kicking technique has been all but extinct since the early-90s, deemed too difficult and ineffective for competitive play. However, the coaches at LBJ High School opted to use Pan’s unique skill – first acquired through his background in competitive rugby while playing with Austin Area High School Rugby – when their football team scored a touchdown within the first minutes of their district championship game. The referees (after stopping the game to consult a rulebook) awarded two points for the kick, surprising the crowd and the coaches, who believed the drop kick was worth only one point. After the game, both players and coaches noted Pan’s possible impact on not only LBJ’s offensive game, the whole of Football. Having a kicker able to drop kick for two points with the reliability of a one-point place kicker is a “real weapon”, remarked Assistant Coach Glen McNeil.
Jason is currently a Junior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School, and plays for both the LBJ Jaguar Football team and Austin Area High School RFC. He is also well-known for boldness on kickoffs, often sprinting ahead and pinning the opposition himself.