new commit!!!!!!!!!

[tampaboi07]

http://thebullspen.com/index.php?topic=39245.new#new

[Guest]

So we have commitments from a great kicker and a great punter.

[Rocky Style]

This is great news.  On a related note, I am digging Alvarado's punting.

[Bull Dozer]

This is great news.  On a related note, I am digging Alvarado's punting.

Yeah he has been good thus far.  He crushed a bomb on that last punt friday in a huge spot for us.  Will be nice to get him some competition for the kicking job though  , hopefully this kid will push him to get better or be good enough to take over.  Our kicking game is by far our biggest weakness.   

[Bull Martin]

Kicking game is important.  hopefully this will help carry us through!!!

[Brad]

So we have commitments from a great kicker and a great punter.

Again?

[nobull.Bulls]

redshirt the punter cuz Alverado is definitley a great punter.

 Thank goodness for that kicker! I hope he turns out to be great

[HOTMello2005]

Outstanding....Keep winning on nat'l TV and picking off ranked teams....This is what's going to happen.

I too think Alverado makes a much better punter than a place kicker.

Now we need to get some guys on special teams to tackle to make those great punts and kick-offs mean something....

[BULLfreak]

Remember guys Alvarado was signed as a punter not a kicker

[Mama_Bull]

Published: Wednesday, September 12, 2007

lake wales kicker

The Highlanders' Threat From 50 and Beyond

By Roy Fuoco

THE LEDGER

High school football fans are usually surprised when they see a place-kicker come out to attempt a 57-yard field goal. Even NFL fans don't often see that.

SCOTT WHEELER | THE LEDGER

MAIKON BONANI, 18, kicked three field goals last year from more than 50 yards. He narrowly missed a 57-yarder last week.

MIKE BONANI School: Lake Wales High.

Position: Kicker/punter.

Grade: Senior.

Age: 18.

Personal: Native of Brazil, speaks Portuguese.

Other sports: Soccer, tennis.

Favorite Food: Pasta.

Favorite Movie: The Replacements.

Favorite Subject: Math.

Favorite Music: Hip-hop.

Athletic Highlights: Led county in 2006 with 13 field goals, including three from more than 50 yards, and was the fourth-leading scorer among place-kickers with 49 points. ... Was named first team All-County and first team All-State as a kicker. ... Was second team All-County in boys' soccer. ... District champion at No. 1 singles and first team All-County in boys' tennis. Played in state tournament.

SCOTT WHEELER/THE LEDGER

maikon Bonani grew up playing soccer in Brazil. But he said kicking a football requires more precise mechanics. "Some of my friends tried it and couldn't do it," he said.

But Lake Wales fans weren't surprised when Maikon Bonani came out to attempt at 57-yard field goal against Haines City last week. The surprise came when he missed it. He had plenty of leg - just hooked it a bit.

Bonani hit three field goals from more than 50 yards last year, the longest 55 yards. That ability has made him one of the top place-kicking prospects in the state. He is Lake Wales' best kicker since Chris Kirkner in the late '90s and the county's best since Kathleen's Paul Edinger.

"My Dad always told me to be humble and modest," he said.

Last season, Bonani had the odd stat of kicking more field goals (13) than extra points (10), although that likely won't happen this season because the Highlanders' offense is much improved. Bonani already has nine extra points to go along with two field goals in two games.

Bonani is relatively new to football, as you would expect from someone who was born in Brazil. He grew up there until he was in the sixth grade when his father, who works at the citrus plant on State Road 60, was transferred to Lake Wales.

The family had three months to decide whether they liked it in America or if they wanted to go back to Brazil. That was seven years ago.

Learning the language and learning the customs, he said, were the toughest things about moving. Growing up in Brazil, Christmas was in the summer.

Listening to him now, you would never know that Bonani, whose native language is Portuguese, didn't learn to speak English until he came to this country. Of course, he's a member of the National Honor Society and has a GPA over 4.0, so his quick mastery of the language should come as less of a surprise than his ability to kick a ball into oblivion.

As you would expect, Bonani's first love is soccer, but now he likes all three sports that he plays the same - he's a district champion at No. 1 singles in tennis, too.

Bonani came to football in the spring of his freshman year. After not playing the previous fall, he was convinced to try the sport and wound up the junior varsity kicker his sophomore year.

"I still don't know what some of the rules are," he said. "Sometimes I ask the coaches about the rules. I know the rules related to kicking but not the other ones. Football was just seen in movies."

Just because he had a strong leg in soccer didn't necessarily mean that he would excel in football.

"Some of my friends tried it and couldn't do it," he said.

Kicking a soccer ball, a player doesn't have to be as exact and doesn't have to follow through the same to get the ball high in the air. In football, he said, his mechanics have to be precise.

Bonani has become an accurate kicker in football. He felt he should have made the 57-yarder against the Hornets.

"As a right-footed kicker, I have a natural hook," he said, noting he should have taken that into account more on the attempt.

Lake Wales coach Rod Shafer has confidence in Bonani at long distances. Bonani has hit from 63 yards in practice with no wind and from 72 yards with the wind.

"Once we get past the 50, we're in field goal range," Shafer said.

When his team is in field goal range, it does affect his play-calling.

"You know you have three points, so you don't want to do something stupid," he said.

"On the other hand, you can take some chances (at the end zone on third and short) because you know you have the three points anyway."

Bonani, who has developed strong chemistry with his holder, Ryne Knuth, also punts for Lake Wales. He has become a one-step punter, something that is rare, Shafer noted.

"He's one of those once-in-a-lifetime kind of kickers," Shafer said.

[ Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com or 863-802-7549. ]

Last modified: September 12. 2007 7:56AM

http://theledger.com/article/20070912/NEWS/709120502/1008/SPORTS01