Mustangs kicker Lance Koenig never imagined he’d be throwing touchdown passes
Lance Koenig enjoyed as complete a game as a high school kicker could experience Friday for Governor Mifflin. He kicked a pair of field goals, setting a program record for makes in a season; made both his PATs; recorded a touchback on a kickoff; and successfully pulled off a pair of onside kicks, one of which he recovered himself.
The highlight of the night – and perhaps his sports career – came on a fake field goal that turned into a touchdown pass.
Koenig had never attempted a pass in game; he never thought special teams coach Doc Vecchio would call it. When the play was called Koenig stepped up – literally.
Ephrata must have sensed a fake was coming. It’s defensive ended rushed the pocket. Koenig, who had taken a direct snap from center, saw him out the corner of his eye, cooly dodged him, stepped up in the pocket and lofted a pass over the outstretched arms of a defender for an 18-yard touchdown to Joe Murray.
“I was just in shock (after doing it),” Koenig said. “We mess around at practice doing a fake; I never actually thought we would do one (in a game).
“When it got called, I was: ‘Alright, time to go.’ I was ready and I was excited. It was like playing backyard football, doing something fun.”
For his unprecedented all-around game, Koenig has been named Wyomissing Physical Therapy Player of the Week. He is the first placekicker ever to win the award.
The performance didn’t come as a surprise to Vecchio, who calls Koenig the best and most versatile kicker he’s ever coached.
“He just has it,” Vecchio said of Koenig’s presence and wide-ranging skill set. “He’s an exception.”
The 6-foot senior is an all-around athlete. He played a little quarterback in the Broncos youth system growing up and was a pitcher and shortstop in little league. He’s played basketball at Mifflin. His best sport is soccer, where he was a captain and all-league pick this season.
Koenig was urged to come out for football as a freshman by friends on the team who knew he had a strong leg. He eventually fell in love with the sport and before his junior season started training seriously for it, working with Berks kicking guru John Zima.
Koenig did kickoffs and PATs last season but never had an opportunity to kick a field goal during his junior season. This year he’s had plenty of chances and has been nearly perfect, making 7-of-8. His lone miss came from 49 yards.
“I mis-hit that one,” he said. “I wish I could have that one back, but it happens.”
Koenig’s seven field goals are tops in Berks this season. He’s 25-for-25 on PATs and has 18 touchbacks, making him a top contender for the Berks Specialist of the Year award.
He’s especially adept at executing onside kicks. Vecchio believes that because of Koenig’s soccer background he’s developed the agility and foot skills to place the ball effectively in either direction. That’s been a key to the Mustangs recovering at least five onside kicks this season; they pounced on two of the four they tried against Ephrata.
Koenig is especially adept at executing the “Benny Special,” where he dribbles the ball slowly 10 yards down the middle of the field. Anjay Rodriguez and Jayden Jimenez are the Mustangs’ inside blockers on the play; they clear out the defenders around the middle, giving Koenig the space to cover the ball.
He said he’s pulled that play off three times.
“It’s just a light little tap,” Koenig explained, “then I jump on it.”
Vecchio dubbed it the “Benny Special” in honor of former Mifflin kicker Ben Myers, who successfully executed an onside kick when the Mustangs took out Micah Parsons’ nationally ranked Harrisburg team in the district playoffs.
Vecchio said he’s never had a kicker execute that play as well or as consistently as Koenig.
“Every kick he does in practice is pretty much what you just saw,” he said.
Koenig made two field goals as a sophomore. His nine career kicks are one off the program record of 10, set by Brandon Snyder from 2008-10.
Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
This is the fifth consecutive season that Wyomissing Physical Therapy has sponsored a Player of the Week award.
Also considered for Wyomissing Physical Therapy Player of the Week:
- EJ Brownback, Wilson
- Aidan Dauble, Exeter
- Jake Hafer, Exeter
- Greyson Miller, Twin Valley
- Michael Miller Jr., Muhlenberg
- Keenan Munn, Twin Valley
- Mason Sherry, Kutztown
- Ryan Walters, Kutztown
- Faith Zudie, Berks Catholic
Selected Wyomissing Physical Therapy Player of the Week this season:
- Week 1: Beau Fegely, Fleetwood
- Week 2: Chase Eisenhower, Wyomissing
- Week 3: Adriel Baez, Muhlenberg
- Week 4: Leo Brown, Exeter
- Week 5: Michael Miller Jr., Muhlenberg
- Week 6: Cameron Small, Muhlenberg
- Week 7: Joel Ummarino, Exeter
- Week 8: Ryan Rementer and Greyson Miller, Twin Valley
- Week 9: Cameron Small, Muhlenberg
- Week 10: Lance Koenig, Governor Mifflin
Selected Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week in 2024:
- Week 1: Evan Myers, Twin Valley
- Week 2: Kayson Fritz, Reading High
- Week 3: Cameron Small, Muhlenberg
- Week 4: Jayden Zandier, Exeter
- Week 5: Bryce Gumby, Berks Catholic
- Week 6: Madyx Gruber, Wilson
- Week 7: Jayden Zandier, Exeter
- Week 8: Justice Hardy, Wyomissing
- Week 9: Davis Keppley, Conrad Weiser
- Week 10: Evan Miller, Conrad Weiser
- Week 11: Cameron Small, Muhlenberg
- Week 12: Drew Engle, Twin Valley
- Week 13: Jayden Zandier, Exeter
- Week 14: Chase Eisenhower, Wyomissing
Players selected in 2023:
- Week 1: Tyler Shuey, Hamburg
- Week 2: Tommy Hunsicker, Wilson
- Week 3: Dominic Giuffre, Schuylkill Valley
- Week 4: Jayden Zandier, Exeter
- Week 5: Drew Forrey, Wyomissing
- Week 6: Evan Johnson, Twin Valley
- Week 7: Drew Engle, Twin Valley
- Week 8: Jayden Zandier, Exeter
- Week 9: Czion Brickle, Fleetwood
- Week 10: Evan Myers, Twin Valley
- Week 11: Jack Riffle, Fleetwood
- Week 12: Drew Engle, Twin Valley
Players selected in 2022:
- Week 1: Gio Cavanna, Muhlenberg
- Week 2: Cam Jones, Wilson
- Week 3: Pierce Mason, Hamburg
- Week 4: Gio Cavanna, Muhlenberg
- Week 5: Josiah Jordan, Berks Catholic
- Week 6: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
- Week 7: Cam Jones, Wilson
- Week 8: Dominic Giuffre, Schuylkill Valley
- Week 9: Leland Moore, Hamburg
- Week 10: Cam Jones, Wilson
- Week 11: Pierce Mason, Hamburg
- Week 12: Evan Johnson, Twin Valley
Players selected in 2021:
- Week 1: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 2: DeShawn Wilson, WR, Reading High
- Week 3: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 4: Logan Klitsch, QB, Conrad Weiser
- Week 5: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 6: Diohnny Ruiz, RB, Hamburg
- Week 7: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 8: Cameron Jones, KR, Wilson
- Week 9: Trey Freeman, WR, Twin Valley
- Week 10: Jadyn Jones, RB, Wilson
- Week 11: Logan Klitsch, QB, Conrad Weiser
- Week 12: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 13: Eric Nangle, RB, Exeter
- Week 14: Colin Payne, Exeter
