Berks Catholic’s Andrew Kurtas has gotten a real kick out of his new sport

Football coaches at Berks Catholic, like most schools, are always on the lookout for a reliable kicker. Saints associate head coach Dave Stahler found one a few months ago — in his physics classroom.

Andrew Kurtas grew up kicking a ball, but it was a round one, with black-and-white pentagons, not oval-shaped with fat stitches. It wasn’t until late June when the soccer goalie and midfielder put his toe on a football for the first time.

His love for the American version of football started right then and there.

“My physics teacher encouraged me to try it,” Kurtas said of Stahler. “I’m grateful that he did, because I love it.”

Not much more than a month later Kurtas found himself in a Kick-It competition with many of the best kickers in Berks County. The other kickers, who train and compete against each other all the time, didn’t know who he was.

Safe to say that when Kurtas won the competition he wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

“I couldn’t stop smiling,” he said after kicking a 50-yard field goal to win that part of the three-pronged competition, which included punting and kickoffs. “It felt awesome.”

Kurtas finished with 315 points overall. Wilson’s Ben Rada was second with 304 points, Conrad Weiser’s Adam Noll scored 287 and Twin Valley’s Sam Frey 243.

Frey and Rada finished second to Kurtas in the field goal competition. Noll was second and Rada third to Cocalico’s Cole Roose in the punting category. Noll finished third in the kickoff competition.

Kurtas had never attempted a field goal as long as 50 yards before the competition. When he was practicing with the Saints this summer the position players took up a big chunk of the field so he worked from shorter distances.

“The longest I’ve ever kicked in a practice was 45,” he said, “but I knew I could kick from further. I just didn’t have the field accessability.”

Kurtas is obviously a quick learner. Before auditioning for the job he reached out to former Saints placekicker Alex Zavala, a friend. Zavala gave him some tips on the mechanics of placekicking.

Kurtas worked with Berks Catholic coaches Jake Latchum, Logan Shupp and Stahler to get the fundamentals down.

About a week into his kicking apprenticeship Kurtas took part in a Kohl’s Kicking camp at Berks Catholic. He received further instruction from top coaches in the field.

“There were a lot of great coaches there,” he said. “That that really (accelerated) my kicking.”

Kurtas had never put on a football uniform until recently. He grew up playing soccer, basketball and volleyball. From the start, Latchum said, Kurtas threw himself into the new sport, attending team lifting and practice sessions throughout the summer.

“I love the kid,” Latchum said. “He has a great attitude, he works hard, he’s very coachable and he kicks the heck out of the ball.”

With live contact practices now ongoing the 6-foot, 155-pound Kurtas has gotten a chance to take part in tackling drills.

“It’s cool that he wants to be a part of this from top to bottom,” Latchum said. “We always incorporate kickers in tackling drills, just in case they’re put in that position. It’s good to know he wants to do that.”

It helps, Latchum said, that Kurtas has played goalie for FC Revolution (he’s a midfielder or striker for the Saints).

One of the keys with new punters, Latchum said, is making sure they can handle the snap from center.

“He’s a goalie in soccer, so he’s got hands,” Latchum said.

Being a goalkeeper, Kurtas also knows what it’s like to be alone out on the field. Placekickers, even with 10 teammates on their side of the line, can feel very lonely when the game is on the line and the ball is snapped.

Kurtas said that’s not a problem.

“(Kicker) is a really high-pressure position,” he said, “but I’m the most confident I’ve ever been in any of my sports. Playing football is fun; all my teammates are supportive and awesome.”

He handled his first competition as if he’s been kicking footballs his entire life.

“I was not nervous at all,” he said of competing against Berks’ best. “I knew I was good, but I also knew some of the other kickers, like Adam Noll, were great kickers.

“I just went out there and tried to kick my best, have some fun and it ended up great for me. I just wanted to get in the top three; that was my goal. I honestly shocked myself when I got first place.”