High School

WATCH: Arkansas commit boots a record 61-yard field

Evan Noel shatters the Mississippi high school state record for longest field goal

Gary Adornato

Evan Noel of St. Stanislaus blasted a 61-yard field goal Friday night to set the new Mississippi high school state record. The kick off the foot of the 5-star Arkansas commit equaled the SEC record and had enough distance to top Justin Tucker's NFL record 66-yard kick.
Evan Noel of St. Stanislaus blasted a 61-yard field goal Friday night to set the new Mississippi high school state record. The kick off the foot of the 5-star Arkansas commit equaled the SEC record and had enough distance to top Justin Tucker's NFL record 66-yard kick. / Evan Noel Instagram

Not often does a kicker receive a 5-star rating from recruiting services, but not many kickers, high school or otherwise, can convert a 61-yard kick.

Evan Noel of St. Stanislaus High (Mississippi) is a rare exception to both norms and, on Friday, he made a kick that must be seen to be believed. Noel lined up and absolutely drilled a 61-yard field goal attempt and sailed it high through the uprights to put three points on the board.

The kick would have equaled the Southeast Conference record set last year by Missouri's Harrison Mevis to deliver a dramatic upset win over then No. 15 Kansas State. Noel's boot appeared to have more than enough distance to top the NFL record of 66-yards held by Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.

Unlike the record kicks by Mevis and Tucker, Noel's field goal was not a game winner. Pass Christian overpowered the Rock-a-Chaws, 47-10.

Noel, who is the rated as the No. 2-No. 5 kicker in the nation, depending on which recruiting service you follow, snapped a mark which had stood since 1994, when Lemeko Williams of Clarksdale connected for a 59-yard field goal.

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Gary Adornato

GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University, and in 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.

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