Top kickers, punters and long snappers in Oregon high school football

Boys soccer star Vance Sheffield and girls soccer star Teagan Henderson are among the top kickers in Oregon

Placekicking is just one of the many duties Rocco Graziano performs for the Sheldon Irish. / Photo by Michele Bunch

You recently read our list of 200 players we can’t wait to see in action during the 2024 Oregon high school football season. 

But that list hardly scratched the surface of players to watch throughout the state. Now, we’re taking a deeper, position-by-position look at Oregon’s top players. 

In this list, we focus on special teams. Who are the top kickers, punters and long snappers in Oregon high school football? After you read our list, let us know of any players you think should be added. 

OREGON’S TOP 200 PLAYERS OVERALL

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OREGON'S TOP KICKERS, PUNTERS, LONG SNAPPERS

K Aidan Beauchamp, Glencoe, senior

Beauchamp also plays receiver and cornerback for the Crimson Tide, but he earned all-Pacific Conference honorable mention as a placekicker last season, converting on 12 of 17 PATs.

P Braden Sievertson, Sandy, senior 

Between Sievertson and placekicker Marco Torres, the Pioneers were in good hands (or feet) in the special teams phase last season. Sievertson was an all-Mt. Hood Conference second-team selection who averaged 43.6 yards per punt as a junior.

K/P Branson Cook, St. Paul, junior 

As befitting an eight-man player, Cook wears many hats for the Buckaroos — among them, being a second-team all-state selection at kicker (4 of 6 on PATs, five touchbacks) and punter last season. He averaged nearly 30 yards per punt.

K/P Brighton Jacobsen, Barlow, senior

Jacobsen made the all-Mt. Hood Conference honorable mention list as a junior, making 35 of 40 PATs and 8 of 10 field goals (with a long of 42 yards) and averaging 39.5 yards per punt, including a 70-yarder. He spent the summer on the camp circuit, being named Specialist MVP at the Northwest Best Showcase and winning the University of Idaho’s Specialist Camp field goal competition, and has received offers from Puget Sound, Willamette, Pacific and Lewis and Clark.

K/P Calvin Evans, Tualatin, senior 

Evans entered last season as one of the state’s top kickers, but he expanded his repertoire by becoming the Timberwolves’ leading tackler (97, 10 for loss, four sacks). He added six fumble recoveries and received all-Three Rivers League honorable mention at three positions. He was 7 of 8 on field goals (long of 38 yards), went 41 of 43 on PATs and averaged 30.5 yards per punt. 

K/P Carson Smith, North Valley, senior 

Smith last year made the 3A all-state team at two positions, receiving honorable mention at tight end and earning first-team honors as a kicker, with a 47-yard field goal among his accomplishments. He was an honorable mention all-Far West League pick as a punter.

K/P Gabe Love, senior, Crook County

Love showed off his athleticism at the 4A state track meet in May, winning two gold medals, a silver and a bronze. He might be the best returning kicker in the state, earning first-team all-state as a punter (37.3-yard average) and honorable mention as a placekicker (4A-leading six field goals).

P Graham Spencer, Cleveland, senior

Spencer was an all-PIL selection at three positions as a junior, making the honorable mention list on the offensive and defensive lines and earning second-team recognition as a punter.

K Hudson Gasperson, Lake Oswego, junior

Gasperson not only is a budding receiver (four catches in limited time at Jesuit last year) but also a top placekicking recruit (4-star prospect according to Chris Sailer Kicking).

P Jack Strange, Dallas, junior

Strange averaged close to 32 yards per punt in receiving second-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference recognition as a sophomore.

P Jacob Ortega, Ashland, senior 

Ortega was a 4A all-state honorable mention selection for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 30.2 yards per punt.

LS Jeremiah Burke, St. Mary’s (Medford), senior

Burke is a 3.5-star long snapping recruit according to Rubio Long Snapping, an instructional and recruiting service for this specialized position.

LS Kadyn Nollette, Scappoose, senior

Nollette received limited action in Scappoose’s defensive line rotation as a junior (11 tackles), but his greatest value comes as one of the state’s top long snappers, earning a 4.5-star rating from Rubio Long Snapping.

P Kaleb Moore, Junction City, junior 

Moore led 4A punters with a 40.3-yard average last season. He made the all-state honorable mention list.

P Kellen Oliver, Canby, senior 

Oliver last year made the 5A all-state honorable mention list as a punter, but his value for the Cougars comes more when he lines up under center, where he was a second-team all-Northwest Oregon Conference selection as a junior, throwing for 876 yards and 11 touchdowns and completing 58.9% of his passes.

P Kyle Miller, Thurston, senior 

Miller made the all-Midwestern League honorable mention list last season, averaging 36.4 yards per punt and placing four inside the 20-yard line.

P London Leitz, The Dalles, junior 

Leitz joined Ortega and Moore as 4A all-state honorable mention punters last year, averaging 36.5 yards on his 4A-leading 32 punts.

K/P Marcel Sandoval, South Wasco County, sophomore 

Sandoval gave the Redsides an advantage in their 1A six-man games, as kicked conversions are worth two points rather than one — and the first-team all-state kicker went 26 of 31 as a ninth-grader. He also earned first-team honors at punter.

K Marco Torres, Sandy, senior 

Torres is one of the top placekickers returning in the state after going 28 for 28 on PATs and making 2 of 3 field goal tries for the Pioneers last season. He made the all-Mt. Hood Conference second team.

LS Mason Senzaki, Central Catholic, junior

Senzaki is the state’s top-rated long-snapping prospect in the class of 2026, earning four stars from Rubio Long Snapping.

K Max Ryusaki, Mountainside, junior

Ryusaki received all-Metro League third-team honors as a sophomore, when he made 23 of 25 PATs and 2 of 3 field goal tries.

K Nate Segura-Colley, South Salem, senior 

Segura-Colley, an all-South Central Football Conference honorable mention selection as a junior, made 48 of 55 PATs and 2 of 3 field goals for the Saxons.

K Noah Zanotto, Thurston, senior 

While Kyle Miller handled the Colts’ punting duties last season, Zanotto was their 5A all-state honorable mention kicker, going 44 of 48 on PATs and making his only field goal try.

LS Nolan Darcy, Lakeridge, senior

Darcy is one of the top long snapper prospects in the state and earned all-Three Rivers League recognition last fall in his specialty. 

P Orion Houck, Burns, senior

Houck does triple duty for the Hilanders, playing slotback and middle linebacker and earning 3A all-state honorable mention as a punter.

K/P Reid Woodson, Sisters, junior

Woodson earned first-team all-Mountain Valley Conference honors as a placekicker and second-team recognition as a punter, with his season highlights including a winning field goal as time expired against Elmira.

K/P Rocco Graziano, Sheldon, senior

Graziano wears many hats for the Irish — he caught 20 passes for 270 yards as a junior and made seven tackles as a backup linebacker — but his biggest value comes on special teams, where he was a second-team 6A all-state honoree as a kicker and punter. He was 20 of 21 on PATs and 5 of 6 on field goals with a long of 46 yards. 

K Rowan Miner, Southridge, senior

A 4-star recruit according to Chris Sailer Kicking, Miner enters his third season as the Skyhawks placekicker. “He has a great leg and is very accurate,” Southridge coach Kevin Bickler said.

LS Shawn Hansen, Clackamas, senior

Hansen has developed into one of the state’s top long-snapping prospects, earning an offer from Willamette University in June as a four-star recruit on Rubio Long Snapping.

K Teagan Henderson, Banks, senior 

Henderson last year not only was an all-league goalkeeper for the 3A/2A/1A state quarterfinalist girls soccer team, but she also received 3A all-state honorable mention as a placekicker, where she went 40 of 42 on PATs and 1 of 2 on field goals for the state runner-up.

K Vance Sheffield, La Salle Prep, senior

Sheffield is better known for his exploits on the soccer pitch — the 5A state player of the year scored 32 goals with 10 assists last year — but he also was an all-state honorable mention pick for the Tri-Valley Conference football champions, hitting on 32 of 36 PATs and making four field goals. 

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