Many factors have contributed to Ithaca’s remarkable football winning streak the past four seasons. Again this year, placekicking remains a huge part of that success.
Alex Vanderploeg has been helping coach Terry Hessbrook in that respect this season. In the first eight games, Vanderploeg had kicked off 55 times, with 34 of them going for touchbacks. He was 47 of 49 in PATs. Only one PAT was blocked. This is for a team that scores a lot of touchdowns, so missing only two isn’t a statistic to be taken lightly.
He was Ithaca’s backup kicker last season and is No. 1 this fall. Jacob Pierce is this season’s backup kicker. Both are on the soccer team.
“They’re both tremendous kickers, and it’s really a weapon for our team,” said Ithaca coach Terry Hessbrook. “When Alex kicks off, darn near every ball goes in the end zone. That means the other opponent had to start from the 20. That’s a huge weapon for our defense. If the other team knows they have to go 80 yards, that makes it very difficult.”
“If they’re not [in the end zone], usually they catch the ball somewhere near the 5-yard line,” Vanderploeg said.
He hasn’t tried a field goal through the first eight games, but Vanderploeg figures he could, if necessary, kick one 45 yards or more.
“Coach asked me if I had ever kicked a football,” Vandrploeg said. “My mom wanted me to do it. I thought I’d give it a try. I love it. They’ve had three or four [soccer players on the football team] before me.”
Vanderploeg had one tackle as a junior but has not had one through the first eight games this season.
Doug Strait, the Ithaca soccer coach, has a solid relationship with the Yellowjacket football coach when it comes to the placekicking duties.
“Usually during the off-season, I ask him who has a strong enough leg to kick the football,” Hessbrook said. “He’s done a great job of recommending players to us. Several of our kickers the last few years are now in the state record books for extra points. We have three of top four ever in the history of Michigan high school football.”
When both sports were playing at one time this season, the soccer players would come to football practice and work on special teams. “When that’s done, they go back and on the soccer team,” Hessbrook said. “It works out real good. Lot of schools don’t have a good relationship between their soccer and football programs. Here at Ithaca, we’ve been able to make it work.
“They’re pretty talented kickers. During the summer, when they’re not having soccer practice, they come down to the practice field with their footballs and work on their field goals and extra points. Once they get their timing down, they already have good leg strength. They strike the ball real well.”