ALA-Queen Creek kicker commits to NAU as preferred walk-on
This is No. 9 in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 342) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 2/24/24
Northern Arizona University's kickers last season converted just three-of-nine field goal attempts last year. Perhaps that's why the Lumberjacks brought on a couple of in-state walk-ons to compete for the kicking duties in 2024. One of those new recruits is Samuel Hunsaker.
Hunsaker is completing his senior year at American Leadership Academy in Queen Creek, where he kicked and did some of the punting last season. The interesting part of the story is that this was his first year playing football.
He grew up playing soccer and in his sophomore year, got invited to Costa Rica to play with a Second Division team (as an amateur). He was there for four months and later played in Germany with a Bundesliga academy. Hunsaker was in Arizona visiting last summer and was in church with his family. ALA-Queen Creek head coach (at the time) Ty Detmer is a part of their ward and Hunsaker asked to see if the Patriots needed a kicker. Detmer was open to the idea.
The next day, Hunsaker had his tryout and went 14-for-16, backing up all the way to the 40-yard line (a 50-yard field goal). He converted 4-of-5 from that distance.
Last season, Hunsaker excelled for ALA-Queen Creek. He was perfect on all 42 extra-point tries and booted 11-of-12 field goals during the season with a long of 50 against Williams Field.
"I would definitely say that my snapper and holder were the biggest part of my success as well as Coach Alex Zendejas from AZ Kicking," Hunsaker said in an e-mail interview. "Without any of their hard work, none of this would have been possible. As well as Coach Detmer and Coach (offensive coordinator Max) Hall, because they gave me the opportunities.
Hunsaker held an offer from Ottawa University in Surprise. Being a walk-on, he is betting on himself and in choosing Northern Arizona, he feels that his future coaches have faith in what he can do as well.
"(Graduate Assistant for Special Teams) Coach (Romero) Ragsdale has been my biggest supporter and he really put my name at the top of the list when they got a new coaching staff," Hunsaker said. "Wherever I like to choose, whether it was soccer or now football, if a coach believes in me, that's who I want to play for. Coach Rags, (Special Teams) Coach (John ) Robinson, and (Head) Coach (Brian) Wright all do."
Wright was named Northern Arizona's new head coach in early December. He was the head coach at Pittsburg State (Kans.) since 2019 and went an impressive 33-8 at the Division II school.
Last season, Hunsaker broke a couple of school records. The 50-yarder was the longest for ALA-Queen Creek. He also converted 53 of his 54 kicks for a .981 percentage. That's tops in Patriot history.
Others took notice as the 6A Conference coaches voted him to the All-Conference First Team. We here at Arizona Varsity also recognized Hunsaker as our 6A Kicking Specialist of the Year.
He announced his commitment to the Lumberjacks on Jan. 20, a couple weeks before National Signing Day.
The 50-yarder is his "official" longest kick, because it came in a game. But what about the unofficial mark? The longest he hit in practice during the year was a 59-yarder in pregame against ALA-Gilbert North and he's getting stronger, because a few weeks ago, he was good from 63 yards.
The Patriots were moved up in successive years and pulled off a hat trick of sorts that will probably never be seen again. ALA-Queen Creek made the Open Division in 2021 as a 4A team, returned in '22 as a 5A team, and went back again last season while competing at the highest level in the 6A Conference. ALAQC was a combined 26-7 in that span.
With so many big games on the schedule, there can be a lot of pressure on the kicker, who just waits his turn on the sideline. It's actually Hunsaker's favorite part of the position.
"It just gives you that tingly feeling and hearing everyone yell and scream when you're going to kick," Hunsaker said. "Aw man, I love that feeling. There's nothing better than that."
It was tough for Hunsaker to pinpoint his most memorable moment from the year. He had a few. There was a game-winning extra point which followed perhaps the Play of the Year - a pass from quarterback Enoch Watson that was deflected and then caught by Watson himself for a touchdown with 13 seconds remaining against Pinnacle. That play tied the score and Hunsaker's kick provided the difference in a 29-28 classic. The Patriots had to slug one out against Red Mountain. In a defensive 14-14 game, Hunsaker's 27-yard field goal came as time expired to give the Patriots a victory. There was an onside kick against Basha in the Open Division playoffs. It looked like it was hit by a golf wedge and went about 12 yards, just far enough for the Patriots to successfully recover it during a furious comeback. And of course, there's the 50-yard field goal, on Senior Night no less.
Flagstaff is located at 7,000 feet of altitude and it's no myth that balls fly higher at the thinner air. Hunsaker is excited to get up there and start kicking more than a mile high.
"I'm stoked," Hunsaker said. "It's gonna be a crazy upcoming season, hopefully with some new NCAA records."
Looking at the Lumberjacks' roster, the team will have four kickers vying for placekicking duties. Brophy alum Marcus Lye (who will be a junior) kicked in all 11 games for NAU and had a long of 49 down in Tucson against Arizona. Szymon Gawlick is a redshirt junior from Massachusetts who came to the Lumberjacks by way of Southern Connecticut State. He kicked in five games during his debut season in Flagstaff and was 20-for-20 in extra points. In addition to Hunsaker, Jordan Westrich (O'Connor) is also in the Class of '24 and is a walk-on. NAU will open at home in the Walkup Skydome on Aug. 31 against Lincoln (Calif.).
NAU added 28 more players on the February signing day. That's in addition to the 14 that signed in the December period. Of that group, 10 are coming in as true freshmen from Arizona high schools. The Lumberjacks finished 5-6 in 2023 and play in the Big Sky Conference (FCS).
Make sure to follow ArizonaVarsity.com on social platforms for more daily content!
Twitter (Arizona Varsity Podcast Network)
Twitter (Arizona High School Sports)
Support our sponsor:
