Gorman kicker Colin Ditsworth in a class of his own, leads Gaels into playoffs

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Monday, Nov. 8, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Three Bishop Gorman High football players are stationed in the parking lot outside the Gaels’ Fertitta Field for this drill during a recent practice.

The players’ responsibility is simple: catch the footballs kicked by senior Colin Ditsworth before they damage any vehicles.

It’s the day before a game and Gorman’s final preparations include a heavy focus on special teams. Ditsworth is thriving on the afternoon, blasting kick after kick through the uprights from multiple distances — kicks with so much height, they easily clear the 30-foot-high kicking net and land in the parking lot.

Yes, he is that good. And, on one afternoon, maybe too good.

During one practice earlier this fall, before teammates began fetching kicks, one of Ditsworth’s boots shattered a car window.

“None of the teams we play have someone as good as him,” said sophomore receiver Ryan Smith, who is Ditsworth’s holder. “All I have do to is put the ball down. He’ll make it.”

On a team loaded with college prospects, it’s Ditsworth who has been one of the defending state champion Gaels' best weapons this fall.

When they take the field Thursday to open the Sunset Regional playoffs against visiting Shadow Ridge, everyone in the stadium will know what to expect when Ditsworth kicks off.

Of Ditsworth’s 83 kickoffs this year, an amazing 59 have gone for touchbacks. The mark is tops in the nation, according to Maxpreps.com, which tracks high school stats but doesn’t have kicking figures for several teams.

A touchback gives the opposition the ball at its own 20-yard line, making Ditsworth the unsung hero of the state’s top defense. Gorman only yielded 12 points in eight Southwest Division games, shutting out six opponents to win the league title for a fourth straight season.

In the games Gorman won by shutout, 93 percent of Ditsworth’s kickoffs went for touchbacks.

“We trust that he can get it down there,” Gorman coach Tony Sanchez said. “That’s huge for (our defense). If you look at the history of football, if a team has to drive 80 yards to score, the percentage of their chances of scoring goes way down.”

Most high school teams have a position player double at kicker, typically giving the opposition good field position because the kickoff lacks distance or rolls out of bounds for a penalty. Additionally, extra points become an adventure and field goals are rarely attempted.

Ditsworth, as witnessed during his practice routine, is the exception.

He’s made five field goals this year, including a 50-yard attempt. Against nationally ranked Hamilton High of Arizona in late August to open the season, Ditsworth made three field goals — 23, 44 and 43 yards — in the first half.

As for extra points, it’s safe to say no kicker in state history has made more point after touchdown kicks. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Ditsworth is 183-of-188 in extra points over the last two years, while 118 of his 175 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks.

Ditsworth played soccer during his childhood, but transitioned to football as an eighth-grader and was promoted to Gorman’s varsity team a year later. Despite a 5-foot-5, 140-pound frame as a freshman, and not nearly the strong leg he currently possesses, Ditsworth was called into duty because of an injury and helped Gorman win the 2007 state title.

“I guess you can say I made the right decision,” he jokingly said about switching sports.

Now, he’s hoping for a third title in four years. On a team loaded with underclassmen at key positions, Ditsworth has proven to be more than a kicker — he is one of the team's leaders.

Ditsworth didn’t miss a weight training session during off-season conditioning, and like several of his teammates, saw his lifts increase and his body get stronger.

“He’s really become a confident kid, but not arrogant at all,” Sanchez said. “He’s just a great young man, the type of kid you would love to have sitting at the dinner table with you.”

Ditsworth has gone to great lengths to master his craft. He’s trained with national kicking expert Chris Sailer, who ranks Ditsworth as the nation’s No. 25 kicking prospect for the class of 2011. Sailer's rankings for kickers and punters are widely respected by recruiters.

Sailer says this about Ditsworth, “Colin is an outstanding kicker. He has a good leg and makes kicks with great height and great consistency. Continues to show great improvement each time we see him. One of the best field goal kickers in his class.”

Ditsworth hasn’t received any college scholarship offers, which isn’t a reason to hit the panic button. Schools typically secure their kickers after signing position players.

For now, Ditsworth is perfectly content helping Gorman in its quest to win another championship. Gorman is the No. 1 seed in the regional, meaning Ditsworth will surely send plenty more kicks into the parking lot at Fertitta Field.

“Every game is the same no matter who we play,” Ditsworth said. “Once the ball is snapped, my job is to stay focused and make the kick. …I love being part of this.”