Into the Yellow Jacket Record Books
Written By: Matt Florjancic ‘07, staff writer
BEREA, OHIO -- Entering the 2004 football season, Baldwin-Wallace third-year Head Coach John Snell has some questionmarks to answer following the graduation of a senior class that led B-W to its first 10-win season and its first NCAA Division III Playoff appearance since 1991.
One of the players that Snell said goodbye to was All-OAC and All-North Region punter Rob Becker from Dover.
Becker led the Ohio Athletic Conference in punting as a junior and senior and had a propensity for pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line.
So, enter Middleburg Heights resident and Midpark graduate Kevin Soflkiancs as the freshman punter for the 6-2 overall and nationally-ranked Yellow Jackets who travel to Marietta, Ohio this Saturday to play the upstart Pioneers in a game at Don Drumm Stadium that begins at 1:30 p.m.
In eight games, Soflkiancs has made many at B-W continue to appreciate what an outstanding punter can mean to a defense. Through his first eight contests, the business administration major who would like to teach and coach at the high school level following graduation in 2008, is leading the OAC and is third in Division III by averaging 42.4 yards per punt. And, more imporftantly, Soflkiancs has nailed 19 of his 48 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
"Kevin is very intelligent," said B-W third-year Head Coach John Snell. "He’s got a great work ethic. He just has all the qualities you want to have in a football player."
Soflkiancs has been very appreciative and surprised by the support his teammates are giving him.
"I actually didn’t expect it to be this well," said Soflkiancs. "Being a punter, you expect to get a lot of people giving you a hard time about pretty much everything, but everybody’s been really supportive,"
Soflkiancs recognizes that whatever the weather and time of year, he has to practice to enhance his skills.
"I do a lot of leg lifting in the off-season and try to kick two to three times a week even in the winter so I keep my form right," said Soflkiancs.
"Kevin has been outstanding and he gets better each week," said Snell. "He is a great young man who has the talent and ability to be a special player at B-W. We are happy to have Kevin in our football family."
Although Soflkiancs’ career spans just eight games, he has already been named as the OAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice. The first time was in a 31-3 win against Ohio Northern University when he averaged 45.3 yards per punt in seven attempts, including a career-long 67-yarder and another of 57 yards. The second time came in a 31-24 Homecoming game win versus Otterbein College on October 9. In that game, Soflkiancs averaged a Finnie Stadium-record 51.0 yards for four punts and had three land inside the 20-yard line. For his efforts in the Otterbeinwin, he also earned Football Gazette North Region and National Special Teams Player of the Week honors and was selected to the d3.football.com InterNet Web Site Division III Team of the Week.
"I didn’t think I was going to come out and perform like this, but I’m just proud and now I’ve got to keep it up," Soflkiancs stated.
Even the 67-yarder surprise Soflkiancs.
"That was just one of those punts that hits your foot right," said Soflkiancs. "You just look up and you say,Wow, I can’t believe I just did that."
"Kevin is a weapon for our defense," said Snell. "When he puts the opponent in a hole, it gives our defense a chance to stop the opponent and give our offense great field position."
Even before dropping back for his first punt in college, Soflkiancs was amazing his teammates.
"One thing I realized about Kevin over summer [was] he came up here every Monday and Wednesday and was always running and competing," said senior safety and co-captain Mike Scarcella. "I thought this was some kind of stud receiver, but it turns out he’s a stud punter."
He realizes his effectiveness would be diminished severely without the help of his teammates.
"I just got to thank the guys that are blocking up front for me," said Soflkiancs. "They’re covering my punts and we have the highest net average in the conference right now. If I can be part of a winning team and help my team win, it is the most important thing for me."
But football wasn’t always Soflkiancs best sport.
"I am a converted soccer player," stated Soflkiancs. "I played football for the first time as a sophomore and I liked it. I think I got pretty good at it, so I just kept going with it."
While a Meteor at Midpark, Soflkiancs played three years of football and earned three letters. He played three years of soccer and lettered three times but did not play as a senior. He also ran two years of track and lettered as a junior and senior.
"I decided as a senior not to play soccer and concentrate on just punting," said Soflkiancs. "I set records for punting and kickoffs as a junior, and I wanted to have a good senior year."
As a senior, Soflkiancs was a second-team All-Pioneer Conference choice in football. As a junior, he was an honorable mention All-PC pick in football and in soccer. In 2001 he was a first-team all-conference pick in soccer and in 2000 he was an honorable mention selection in soccer. As a senior, he averaged a school-record 41.1 yards per punt, a school-record 54.1 on kickoffs and converted all 17 of his point-after-touchdown (PAT) kicks.
For the rest of the Yellow Jacket season, Soflkiancs has set team and personal goals.
"I want to help B-W get to the NCAA Division III Playoffs and win the OAC title," Soflkiancs stated. "As for my personal goals, I would like to lead the OAC in punting and lead the nation (in Division III) because that would be quite an accomplishment."
Scarcella knows that Soflkiancs has started well and believes that his punter could have a bright career in football.
"He’s going to be something to watch in the future," said Scarcella. "I think he has a future in some kind of pro league the way he kicks."
Following its game at Marietta this Saturday, B-W will then begin preparations for its annual battle with cross-town rival John Carroll University on November 13 in University Heights in the "Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl" trophy.
"We need to play well at Marietta, and Kevin’s effort will go a long way toward helping us realize that goal," said Snell. "We want to finish strong at 8-2 overall and see what happens regarding a possible spot in the Division III Playoffs.
"You just never know," said Snell. "Funnier things have happened. The OAC has a great reputation and history of success in the playoffs. Kevin and the rest of our playes know that they have to play hard and leave it all out on the field. From there, it is up to the Division III Playoff Selection Committee."
Saturday’s game at Marietta can be heard locally on campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, and on commercial station WHKW, 1220 AM. The WBWC pregame show begins at 1:00 p.m. and that broadcast will also be carried on B-W’s InterNet Web Site at www.bw.edu/athletics. The pregame show on WHKW begins at 1:15 p.m.
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.
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