Nate Schneider
Sports Scene
Adam Culp had a decent enough season as a wide receiver in 2016 with 19 catches plus a touchdown, but with so many talented ball-catchers on the roster most of his contributions came with his big right leg as a kicker.
This year as a senior, his value to the Ithaca football skyrocketed.
Culp finished the season with a team-best 40 catches for 567 yards and 12 touchdowns. He culminated his prep career in the Division 6 state championship game at Ford Field in Detroit by accounting for five catches for 70 yards and a pair of TDs, doing everything in his willpower to help the Yellowjackets rally in what ended as a 40-34 defeat to Jackson Lumen Christi.
Additionally, the Division 5-6 All-State First Team kicker booted four successful point-after tries to increase his career total to 181 made PAT attempts which is an MHSAA record. He was 8-of-10 on field goal attempts with a long of 42 yards.
Culp also notched 67 touchbacks on 98 kickoffs and punted seven times for an average of 34.7 per.
Clearly, Culp was an integral factor for Ithaca in so many facets. His 6-foot-3 and 175-pound size played well as a big target once the Yellowjackets reached the red zone, which was a lot as they racked up over 600 points in 2017.
Culp has yet to decide where he will attend college, but Ithaca head coach Terry Hessbrook has stated he believes he is a Division I-quality kicker.
“Any Division I football program would be lucky to have him,” Hessbrook said earlier this season. “He is a tireless worker and has a very strong and accurate kicking leg.”