Nebraska's top high school football players: Meet the state’s best punters and kickers

Kicking and punting in Nebraska is almost always a double duty job for a guy already assigned another position. Many of those players make this list. But there’s also the true specialists out there who are making the Cornhusker State a place where more and more college specialists are produced each year. Just take a look Saturday on the TV – the guy kicking for the Big Red is a Westside recruit. This list has a player who set a state record, quarterbacks who double as punters and even a guy who started as an offensive lineman. 

Tallon McDonald – Scottsbluff Senior Kicker – 6-1, 190 

The list starts with a kicker who set the Class B record and tied the all-class record with a 59-yard field goal during a win on Set. 8. McDonald’s kick bested the previous Class B mark by four yards and tied the distance set by Chris McClanathan in 1999.

For the year, he was 6 of 9 on field goals, 20 of 21 on extra points and made a field goal in five of the Bearcats’ nine regular season games. On kickoffs, he averaged just about 57 yards per boot and put 22 in the end zone. Essentially, his kicks landed at the 3 each time he lined up for a kickoff.

McDonald was pretty good last year then made an extra step this fall due to his attention to detail and his work in the offseason. As a junior, he averaged 49 yards per kick, had four touchbacks, was 13 of 15 on PATs and missed two field goal tries.

Had he not been suffering from a quadriceps injury much of the season, his numbers might have approached those of this year and he would have received more attention before the season. But while he was mostly unknown a few months ago, he’s become a unique weapon for the Scottsbluff offense. Coaches weren’t quite sure about his range until he started hitting from 50 in the warmups before the game against Frederick (Colorado). Once he drilled the 59-yarder just before the half, he added a new dimension to how the Bearcats operate and call the offense.

“Tallon is a total team guy. He is at every practice and does whatever he can to help the team,” Scottsbluff coach Judson Hall said. “Tallon has worked very hard on his kicking fundamentals and his fundamentals as a kicker overall. He shows up early to kick before practice and stays late to kick after practice. He wants to do his job for the team every time he has an opportunity.”

Kael Forney – Columbus Senior Punter – 6-1, 180

Forney is the state leader in punting average and the reason Columbus remade its special teams setup.

Prior to Forney joining the roster a few years back, the Discoverers utilized a rugby-style punt to get coverage downfield. But once he began to unleash kicks in practice, coach Craig Williams and his staff realized they had a difference-maker at their disposal.

“Kael happened to be a quarterback at that time, and when we started to work in special teams individual period it became apparent that we actually had a kid that was a legit punter,” Williams said. “We changed our punt unit back to a more conventional set.”

Forney began to reveal his potential as a sophomore when he had the chance to kick on seven punts and averaged over 42 yards with a long of 55. When he seized the job for good as a junior, he punted it away 39 times for an average of 41 and another long of 55. This past fall, he had 37 punts, an average of over 44 yards per kick, blasted a long of 75 and dropped four inside the 20.

Forney has some offers from local colleges at the Division III and NAIA levels. He’s also an excellent baseball player and a guy who could also do more at the next level depending on how coaching staffs see his future.

“Kael is a perfectionist, and he is never satisfied with where he is at,” Williams said. “The most impressive thing about Kael's punts are that when he does not strike the ball perfectly, it is still a 40-yard punt. The ball simply explodes off of his foot.

“He also works hard on punting with the nose down, and directional kicking. He understands that these are things he will need to do to be successful in college. One of the most interesting things about this young man is that he is a great athlete. He runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash time and he has a 33-inch vertical jump. When you watch him play catch with the guys, he has the best hands on the team.”

Jacob Reichstein – Adams Central Junior WR/DB/Punter

Reichstein is a do-it-all kind of guy for the Patriots. The junior catches passes, covers the back end of the defense and punts. In special teams, he’s one of the best in Nebraska. Before the second round of the playoffs, Reichstein had a punting average of over 38 yards and was rated in the top 10 for all punters in Nebraska.

That number was no fluke. He averaged better than 38 yards in six of nine games and had a long of at least 38 in all but one of those nine. Twice he had games with punts of over 50 yards. For a team that played in six games that were decided by one possession, his importance cannot be overstated.

Reichstein and Adams Central knocked out last year’s Class C-1 state runner-up in the first round of the playoffs and held Aurora to just seven points due to the defense and Reichstein’s work as a punter. Twice he pinned the Huskies inside the 20. He also had 10 tackles in that victory and made a catch for 30 yards.

As much of an effect as he has on the game now, that’s only sure to grow with one more year of varsity remaining.

Brody Parks – Elkhorn South Junior Kicker – 5-11, 175

Parks is a player who has had quite the journey to becoming Elkhorn South’s placekicker and kickoff specialist. When he started his varsity career, Parks was an offensive lineman who wore the number 60. Just a few years later, he’s still donning that figure on his chest and, to many, looking quite odd when he lines up to make a kick.

But appearances aside, the results speak for themselves. Through the regular season and the first round of the playoffs, Parks had made 41 of 44 extra points, 6 of 7 field goals, averages nearly 57 yards per kickoff and has sent 12 into the end zone for touchbacks.

He’s been really solid the last two years. As a sophomore, he averaged nearly 50 yards per kick with two touchbacks. Parks’ best performances this fall include going 7 for 7 on PATs in a win over Papio South and hitting both field goals in a win over Omaha Central that included a long of 40.

As the Storm try and continue through the postseason, having a kicker that hits 90% of his extra points and field goals provides a comfort level not every team can enjoy.

“Brody is extremely dedicated to his craft. He has a repeatable motion and follow through that make him very reliable on his field goals and extra points,” Elkhorn South coach Guy Rosenberg said. “His smooth mechanics and investment in the weight room allow him to maintain his accuracy on long field goals.

He also consistently puts the ball in the end zone on kickoffs and can also place the ball in the optimal spot for our kick coverage. Our special teams coordinator, Lorne McFadden, does a great job of synching those two components together.”

Tresten Hass – Seward Sophomore – 6-3, 190

Here’s another guy with a bright future. Hass led Seward back to the playoffs this fall after a season away and he did it in a variety of ways.

The most obvious is as the Bluejays starting quarterback. Hass completed 58% of his passes for 1,666 yards, an average of 167 yards per game and tossed nine touchdowns. As a runner, his dual-threat abilities led to an average of 4.4 yards per carry and 11 more trips to the end zone.

That’s what gets the headlines, but don’t overlook his talent as a punter. Hass dropped back 27 times and amassed over 1,000 yards in punts. He averaged over 37 yards per kick, had a long of 62 and placed eight inside the 20.

It’s difficult to say whether or not the coaching staff will allow him to remain as the punter in addition to his role as a dual-threat quarterback. Typically, the less responsibility away from the position, the better. But he may not give the coaches a choice. Hass ended his first full season as a punter with the 16th-best average in Nebraska. He should only get better and become even more of a weapon not only as a quarterback but also as a punter.

Mitchell Kelly – Pender Junior Punter – 6-1, 180

Unfortunately, Pender and Pendragon football fans have only seen glimpses of Kelly’s talent the last few years, but those glimpses have been rather encouraging. After 10 games as a freshman, he played in seven as a sophomore and just five this past fall in his junior year. Yet even though he hasn’t been fully healthy since 2021, Kelly has made an impact when he has the chance. He took over punting duties this season and averaged over 40 yards per kick on nine punts. It’s a small sample size, but it also shows just how effective and consistent Kelly can be.

He had a punt of at least 40 yards in four of the five games and uncorked a 64-yarder in the season opener. Additionally, Kelly caught four passes and 41 tackles. As a sophomore, he had 25 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. In his rookie year, he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and made 17 stops.

Kelly has what it takes to be an effective playmaker in all three phases if he can avoid the injury bug. In the meantime, coaches say his determination and persistence in the face of adversity provides an example for everyone else.

“Mitchell is one of the hardest-working kids I've coached. He lives in the weight room. He’s also one of the nicest kids who usually has a herd of elementary kids cheering him on in whatever he does,” Pender coach Cody Volk said. “He’s missed part of both the last two seasons with injuries so hopefully we get to see a full season of him as a senior.”

Cohen Pelan – Scotus Central Catholic Junior Quarterback/Punter– 5-9, 170

Pelan looked like he was on his way to becoming an all-state punter in his sophomore season before a broken collar bone a week before the first game sidelined him until later in the schedule.

Back and fully healthy as a junior, Pelan took over as the Shamrocks starting quarterback, safety and punter and showed why there was so much expectation for him to line up for kicks. He finished his junior season with 18 punts for an average of 40.6 yards, four inside the 20 and had a long of 58.

His punting was especially meaningful in the season-opening win over Aquinas when he had two punts of 42 yards or longer, flipping the field and forcing the Monarchs to drive 70 yards or more to score. They did not. Scotus won 3-0, and Pelan’s kicks were a big reason why.

In another close win at St. Paul, he punted just once but booted the kick 58 yards. At DC West, the Shamrock offense never got quite on track, and Scotus lost 24-6. But his four punts that averaged 43 yards allowed SCC to hang around.

One round into the playoffs, he still has the second-best average in the state. With one year remaining and only 18 punts on his ledger this fall, his best might still be yet to come.

Jake Kracl – Kearney Junior Kicker/Punter – 6-4, 185

Kracl has handled kickoffs, punts and field goals during the last two seasons in which Kearney used his special teams contributions as parts of 15 wins.

As a junior, he averaged 52 yards per kickoff, 32 yards on 23 punts with four kickoffs and went 39 for 41 on PATs. His longest punt of the year was a 55-yarder he landed inside the 20 in a win over Norfolk. He was especially important in a 35-34 win over Bellevue West, flipping the field with four kicks including one for 41 yards.

He only became stronger and more accurate in the offseason. Kracl’s numbers in 2023 look like 58 yards on kickoffs with seven touchbacks, 20 punts for an average of 37 yards with five inside the 20, 22 of 24 on extra points and 5 of 6 on field goals. His longest of the year was 42 yards and came during a 16-14 win over Bellevue West in which Kracl made all three of his kicks.

The Bearcats have taken down the T-Birds each of the past two years and in three of the past four. Kracl has been a major difference-maker in the last two wins.

“Jake is a tremendous talent in both kicking and punting. He has elite leg strength and consistent accuracy,” Bearcat coach Brandon Cool said. “Jake is one of the best kickers in the state of Nebraska.”

Jacob Reichstein – Adams Central Junior Punter– 6-2, 170

Reichstein is a dude who has gone from spectator to difference-maker for a team in the middle of another run in the postseason. Just two years ago, Reichstein wasn’t out for football. He watched from the stands as the Patriots won six games but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

When he changed his mind and decided to put on pads, injuries kept him out of the first third of his sophomore year. Once he was available and began to practice, Reichstein couldn’t be ignored. He was making so many plays on scout team that he soon found himself in the lineup. Reichstein caught a few passes, made 13 tackles and broke up a pass.

Over the summer, he went to work as a punter, seized the job in preseason practices and has been a weapon in special teams. Although he was already a likely starter on both sides of the ball, Reichstein wanted to find another way to help his team and spent the time learning his step pattern, ball drop and leg swing. He’s also still contributing in other ways, catching 10 passes for 146 yards, totaling 67 tackles, four fumble recoveries and an interception.

But it’s in special teams where he has his greatest effect. Reichstein is averaging 38.3 yards per kick on 26 punts and has landed eight of those inside the 20. His ability to pin opponents deep and change field position has been especially meaningful to the Patriots.

“As a punter, he has been tremendous. Obviously, when you win a lot of close games like we have this year, everything matters. That includes field position and his ability to turn the field with his punting has literally won us a couple of games,” Adams Central coach Josh Lewis said. “He's also been able to get punts off under distress, including one against Syracuse where the snap went over his head and into the endzone. He was still able to run it down and get the punt off for a net of 25 yards after traveling about 50 yards in the air.

“I've told him many times, he's a great football player. He does whatever he can for the team and isn't afraid of the physicality of the game; pretty special for a punter.”

Travon Shaw – Auburn Senior – 6-1

Shaw has had an interesting career at Auburn. He punted a handful of times as a sophomore and served as the kickoff guy. As a junior, he became the full-time punter and quarterback and gave up the kickoff duties. As a senior, he’s back to kicking off and punting and switched mostly to an outside linebacker.

Regardless of where the Auburn coaching staff chooses to put him in the lineup, Shaw is always willing and able to be a playmaker.

In his senior season, he’s averaging 43 yards on kickoffs and has a long of 60 and two touchbacks. As a punter, he’s booted it away 34 times with an average of 39.7 yards, a long of 67 and 13 inside the 20.

He’s undoubtedly the most experienced kicker on this list. Auburn was still alive for the second round of the Class C-1 playoffs, so these numbers will change. But before then, his career included 86 punts, an average of 38.6 yards per punt and 25 inside the 20. Shaw has also kicked it away 71 times on kickoffs for an average of 41.9 yards.

Jonathan Kruse – Leyton Senior Kicker/Punter – 6-4, 220

Leyton is a Class D-2 school with just 30 boys in ninth through 11th grade. Located in Dalton way out west to the north of Sidney, it’s about as far away from Nebraska’s major media markets as a school can get. The Warriors went 1-8 this season and have won just four games the last two years.

But despite what some might consider irrelevancy, Leyton is not without talent and superstars. Its biggest might be Kruse. The senior just wrapped up a season that included 50 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4 and 1/2 sacks, 22 kickoffs and 25 punts. In addition to his solid play on the offensive and defensive lines, his best work is as a punter.

Kruse was one of only a handful of Nebraska punters to average more than 40 yards per punt this fall. He kicked it away 25 times for an average of 40.8 yards per punt and dropped three inside the 20. He averaged over 40 yards per kickoff as a junior and had nine touchbacks then also took over punting duties this season.

His willingness to take on more work and help his team comes from a mindset that was shaped by adversity.

“I would say that Jonathan is a great competitor, leader, and very coachable,” Leyton coach Glen Lipska said. “He really likes the weight room, I think that has helped with his success. During his sophomore year, he had an injury and really worked on rehabbing and getting stronger. He has also obtained better speed and mobility from the rehab and weight room. He is a great kid, and his work ethic is awesome. He’s a great leader who’s always willing to help out the younger players on and off the field.”

Jordan Juma – Omaha Bryan Senior Defensive Back/Punter – 6-0, 175

Juma wasn’t a punter before this season and didn’t take on punting duties until late September. But once the Bryan senior stepped into the position, he took to it like a duck to water.

The Bears struggled to a 3-6 season and, like many other teams below .500, struggled to find consistency at several positions. Once Juma became the punter, he changed the special teams dynamic.

Although the regular season is over and his varsity career is over, he’ll walk away with one of the best punting averages in Nebraska. Juma averaged over 40 yards per punt, had a long of at least 40 in each game that he kicked and blasted such bombs as a 51-yarder against South Sioux City and a 53-yarder against Millard West.

He was already a contributor on defense with 40 total tackles, a sack and two interceptions – one of which he returned 99 yards for a touchdown. And while that might be where Juma left his biggest mark, the coaching staff is certainly kicking itself, pun intended, for not giving him a chance at kicking punts earlier in his career.

Juma’s exact average is 40.47 yards per punt which ranked second in the state after the first week of the playoffs.

Samuel Zazueta – Norfolk Senior OG/DT/Kicker/Punter – 6-1, 225

Kickers and punters always come from a variety of different positions at the high school level. But there might not be a more unique one on this list than Zazueta. The Norfolk senior serves as the Panthers’ punter, kicker, right guard and defensive tackle. That’s a lot to handle, but coaches say he’s more than just the best option at those four spots; he truly excels at each one.

During his senior season, Zazueta made 19 tackles, four tackles for loss, went 21 for 23 on extra points, 4 for 4 on field goals and blocked for an offense that averaged nearly 160 rushing yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry.

All four of his field goal makes came during a game against Lincoln North Star and included a long of 41 yards. Zazueta’s wide range of skills also extends past the football field. As a thrower, he qualified for state track and field in shot put and discus. He made a personal record discus toss of 162 feet, 4 inches and earned a sixth-place medal.

Micah Pracheil – Lincoln Lutheran Junior Kicker

Pracheil saw the field only briefly in 2022, booting a kickoff 43 yards in a blowout win over Tri-County. Few fans in the stands may have realized it at the time but it was the beginning of a new era of kicking for the Warriors.

Pracheil has since taken over full-time kicking duties this fall and proven his one chance last October wasn’t a fluke. He booted it away for 31 kickoffs this season, averaged, 44 yards per kick and had a long of at least 51 in all nine games.

As a placekicker, Pracheil went 18 for 19 on extra points and 5 of 7 on field goals. He had a long of 41 in a win over Centennial and made two kicks in the last game of the season that put Lutheran over the top for a winning record. It wasn’t enough to get the Warriors into the playoffs, but with Pracheil back on the roster next season consistency in special teams should remain and give Lincoln Lutheran the chance to return to the postseason.

Noah Shoemaker – Cozad Junior Punter – 6-3, 185

Shoemaker’s talent extends beyond what he can do with his foot. His feet are part of it but so too are his arms, eyes, legs and mind. The Cozad junior is also the Haymakers' quarterback and one of the team’s best weapons as a runner.

He’s put together back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 yards passing and has 36 career touchdowns between passing and rushing. Shoemaker took over punting duties last season and averaged just over 31 yards on 14 kicks. This year he’s close to 40 yards on 29 punts.

Whatever Cozad asks Shoemaker to do, he accepts the challenge and gets to work. He’s equally as successful on the hardwood where last season he averaged 13.2 points per game over four rebounds and close to two steals.

With another year remaining, what more can he do before his time is up? The coaching staff will certainly scheme up new ways in the offseason.

“Noah is a competitor in everything he does. He wants to be the best no matter what it is he is competing in,” Cozad coach Jayce Dueland said. “He is a four-sport athlete in football, basketball, track and baseball, and he excels in every sport. He has the opportunity to play basketball or football in college, and there are not very many high school athletes that have that opportunity.”

Parker Aughenbaugh – Plattsmouth Senior Kicker– 6-4, 215

A former wrestler, Aughenbaugh isn’t afraid to get involved in more than just special teams. The Plattsmouth senior has been one of the Blue Devils’ best defenders each of the past two years, totaling 81 tackles between his junior and senior seasons. He’s recovered a fumble, picked off a pass and sacked the quarterback twice.

And as helpful as he is on defense, Aughenbaugh is even more so as a kicker. Since he played in four games as a sophomore and booted six kickoffs for an average of over 50 yards, it was clear he was the guy for the future. Aughenbaugh took over as a junior and remained right around that figure at over 49 yards per kickoff with eight touchbacks and went back above 50 this fall on 51 kicks that traveled an average of 50.2 yards. Twelve of those went into the end zone.

He'll graduate this spring with 56 career extra points, 10 for 14 on field goals, a long 41 and 86 career points.

Nathan Thompson – Millard South Senior Kicker – 6-1, 200

For a guy who had to wait his turn to see varsity action, Thompson has helped maintain solid production in special teams – one of the keys to Millard South becoming the second-ranked team in Class A.

He doesn’t have quite the power as last year’s starter, but Thompson is still averaging over 40 yards per kickoff with a long of 60. As a placekicker, he’s maintained the consistency from a year ago. Thompson has missed just one extra point out of 52 attempts and has made 5 of his 7 field goals.

Millard South has blown out many of its opponents, but Thompson’s ability to come through time and again was especially meaningful in a one-point win to start the season and a tough 14-10 battle against upset-minded Columbus.

Evan Greenfield – Norris Freshman – 6-2, 170

Greenfield is the only freshman on the list but he’s performing well past his experience for a Norris squad that’s seeking to win more than one game in the postseason for the first time in more than a decade.

The Titan defense is allowing less than 20 points per game and a big reason why is field position. Norris tackles well and battles at the line of scrimmage. But also, the Titans are typically pinning opponents deep and forcing them to drive the field for points. Greenfield has one of the best averages in Nebraska at 51.8 yards per kickoff.

He’s also missed just two extra points out of 44 and made four of his five field goals. He earned confidence from his teammates and coaches in the first game of his career and hasn’t slowed down over the past two months. Greenfield came out and booted a 41-yard field goal in the first game of the season, missed a PAT, but has been perfect on extra points in each of the past five games.

As he continues to improve his kicking game he’ll also spend more time in the weight room. By the time Greenfield reaches his senior season three years from now, his name could be all over the Norris record books, and, possibly, the NSAA record book as well.

Chance Vertin – Hastings Junior Kicker– 6-2, 210

Vertin gave up the quarterback duties after last season but hasn’t let moving on from that glamorous position affect his playmaking. Now, he’s just doing it in different ways.

After completing 54% of his passes for 627 yards and two scores, Vertin moved over to wide receive where he has 10 catches, 300 yards and two touchdowns. He maintained his status as the kickoff guy, has improved his kickoff average by over five yards, become a punter with an average better than 35 yards per punt and has gone 26 for 30 on PATs with four field goals. Vertin has some work to do in terms of accuracy as a field goal kicker, but the ability is obvious. He has a 57-yarder against Northwest and was perfect on extra points in the final five games of the regular season.

Hastings won a blowout over Seward in the first round of the playoffs. If the Tigers can stay alive deeper on the Class B postseason bracket, the results are sure to tighten to one or two possessions. Vertin could be called on in those situations and begin to write the beginning of a legendary story that still has one year to go. 

Scottsbluff kicker Tallon McDonald and Bearcats coach Judson Hall come together for a photo after a game earlier this season in which McDonald set the Class B record and tied the all-time state record with a 59-yard field goal. Photo by @OffAirOnPoint Twitter.