The football team’s starting kicker, Ian Boozer, has proven to be a huge difference since being inserted as the starter in the team’s sixth game of the year.
He did not miss a kick for the first six games that he played in before missing one in Saturday’s game against Riverside. Up until that point, he was 6-6 on field goals and 47-47 on extra points.
Before Boozer began to play, Hornet kickers were 3-6 on field goals and 20-22 on extra points.
“I was told by my coach that I would be the starting kicker here,” Boozer said. “But, I got off to a slow start and lost the job. It was a learning experience for me and a reality check.”
Boozer went to high school at Churchill High School in Eugene, Oregon. He played soccer for the majority of his child hood so kicking in football came pretty naturally.
After high school, Boozer had a few division 1AA offers, but decided to come to California and try out the junior college scene.
“Coach Tom Mars recruited me and thought that i would be a good fit here,” Boozer said. “I decided to come here, because I felt that it was the school that best matched my desires and aspirations.”
In just his third game as the starter, Boozer began to stamp his name into the Fullerton College record books. in a 79-44 win over Grossmont, Boozer broke the record for extra points made in a game, going 10-10. He also went 3-3 on field goals which gave him 19 points to break another record.
Even though he is only a freshman, Boozer, 18, does not plan to come back to Fullerton College next year. He has received an offer from Portland State.
He is also involved with kicking camps through Chris Sailer kicking and hopes that he can add a few more offers to choose from before he commits.
Even though he has enjoyed a season that has seen his team go 12-0 and earn a birth in the state championship, there is still work to do. The Hornets will travel up to Northern California to take on Butte College for the state championship on Dec. 14.
“This season has been incredible for me,” Boozer said. “I have never been on an undefeated team before and this time is just a close, tight-knit group of guys.
