With Kicker, Father Knows Best

PATTON SETS SCHOOL RECORD WITH 51-YARD FIELD GOAL

By Alex Abrams

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

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Fayetteville senior Drew Patton set the school record with a 51-yard field goal in a loss to Rogers Heritage last week and has scholarship offers from several colleges.
Photo by KURT VOIGT

FAYETTEVILLE — By now, Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton can read his kicker’s mood and tell when it’s better to remain quiet and not o◊er any words of encouragement.

Patton knows everything about his kicker - his strong leg, his field-goal percentage and even his high ACT score. But the coach and kicker still“butt heads” on occasion, and their disagreements can carry over from the practice fi eld to the dinner table.

After all, Drew Patton is the coach’s son.

And like most teenagers, there are times when the senior blocks out what his father says, especially when he’s about to attempt a long field goal in a game.

“It’s a lot more added pressure. You got to prove yourself a little bit more,” Drew Patton said of having his father as his coach. “And then going home and still talking about football, it’s unique. It’s pretty unique.”

Drew Patton is part of Fayetteville’s two-kicker rotation, splitting the duties with fellow senior Will Rosteck. Patton is used on kickoffs and long field goals, while Rosteck comes in mostly on extra points and short fi eld goals.

And while Daryl Patton admitted he can sometimes be harder on his son than any of his other players - like his father was with him years ago - the Fayetteville coach saw last week just how strong his long-range kicker’s leg actually is.

Drew Patton set a school record when he booted a 51-yard field goal in the fi rst quarter of a 49-20 loss at Rogers Heritage, surpassing the previous mark of 50 yards. With kicks of 47 and 48 yards earlier this season, the senior has kicked three of the four longest field goals in Fayetteville history, dating back to the early 1990s.

“Sometimes he’ll look at me as his dad and not his coach, and me being critical, sometimes you butt heads,” Daryl Patton said Monday as his team prepared to host Conway in the fi rst round of the Class 7A playo◊s Friday night.

“It’s probably not your typical coach-son-father type thing. ... (But) it’s been fun coaching him, (the) highlight of my coaching career, and he’s had a real good senior year.”

Daryl Patton said he had no reservations about sending his son onto the field to attempt the longest fi eld goal of his career. Considering the windy conditions last Friday night, Patton admitted he would’ve let the kicker attempt a 60-yarder.

Sports, Pages 9 on 11/10/2009

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