From Preston Bowman to Cameron Vickers, The Dispatch has selected the best kickers and punters for the 2024 Ohio high school football season in the Columbus area.
With the 2024 high school football season starting in less than a week, The Dispatch concludes its look at the top players in Central Ohio by selecting the 10 best kickers and punters.
Our previous position stories have focused on the best quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs.
Here are the 10 best kickers and punters in the Columbus area, according to The Dispatch, in alphabetical order:
Preston Bowman, Pickerington North
Vital signs: 1.83 m, 86 kg, sr.
College Involvement: Kentucky
Bowman is a talented playmaker on offense and also a solid punter. Last season, he punted 37 times for a 36.3-yard average. Each punt landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and he had a length of 62 yards. Coach Nate Hillerich said Bowman could also contribute on kickoffs this season. As a receiver, he had 43 catches for 713 yards and nine touchdowns. He was named first-team All-OCC-Ohio as a punter and second-team All-District and honorable mention All-State in Division I as a receiver.
Carson Goulet, Pickerington Central
Vital signs: 5-8, 160, sr.
The college offers: None
Goulet will serve as the Tigers’ kicker after being named to the OCC-Buckeye second team last season. He made 42 of 44 extra points and 4 of 7 field goals. As a punter, he averaged 39.6 yards on eight attempts.
John Link, Westerville North
Vital signs: 6-2, 190, sr.
The college offers: None
Link is a versatile player for the Warriors, playing as a kicker and punter and potentially being able to play as a wide receiver, according to coach Stanley Jackson Sr. Last season, Link averaged 34.9 yards on 28 punts, including eight inside the 20-yard line, and one long of 60 yards. He made 43 of 45 extra points and 2 of 3 field goals.
Treyton McKee, Bloom-Carroll
Vital signs: 5-10, 177, sr.
College Involvement: Bowling Green
McKee capped his junior season by being named MSL-Buckeye Kicker of the Year, second-team All-District and honorable mention All-State in Division III. He made 56 of 57 extra points, 4 of 6 field goals and had 35 touchbacks on 72 kickoffs. For his career, he ranks first in program history in extra points (175), second in field goals (12) and fourth in scoring (205 points).
Gabe Montoya, Mount Vernon
Vital signs: 6-0, 200, Sr.
The college offers: None
Coach Mark Weber calls Montoya “one of the most talented kickers in Central Ohio.” Last season, Montoya made 3 of 4 field goals for 42 yards and made 24 of 27 extra points.
Zack Oyster, West Jefferson
Vital signs: 5-8, 180, sr.
The college offers: None
Oyster helped the Roughriders go 12-2 last season and reach the Division VI, Region 23 final. He made 51 of 60 extra points and 2 of 2 field goals.
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Hayden Paschke, Canal Winchester
Vital signs: 6-0, 195, Sr.
The college offers: None
Paschke was a solid punter for the Indians and was selected to the OCC Capital first team. He averaged 36.3 yards on 47 punts, including 18 inside the 20-yard line and seven inside the 10-yard line, with a longest of 62 yards.
Haydn Slomovitz, Grove City Christian
Vital signs: 5-8, 140, so.
The college offers: None
Slomovitz is a kicker for the Eagles and also plays on the school’s boys soccer team for his father, coach Aaron Slomovitz. Last season, he made 42 of 45 extra points and made two field goals.
Abe Ulbrich, Columbus Academy
Vital signs: 5-9, 170, sr.
The college offers: Case Western Reserve, Wittenberg and DePauw
Ulbrich will play four years for the Vikings. In his career, he has punted 82 times for 2,367 yards, made seven field goals and made 70 of 80 extra points. He was selected to the MSL-Ohio first team as a sophomore.
Cameron Vickers, Mount Gilead
Vital signs: 6-2, 200, Mr.
The college offers: Heidelberg, Marietta, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Ohio Wesleyan and Wittenberg
Vickers is a key player at punter and linebacker for coach Mike Reid’s team. Last season, Vickers averaged 43 yards on 32 punts and was named first team All-District and All-State in Division VI. He also made 112 tackles as a linebacker.
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