A Poignant Reminder

A first-year varsity football performer who took up the sport just two years ago, McCormick handles extra points, field goals, and kickoffs for the Cougars.

 

Place kickers are always in the spotlight. Striking the ball true and through is an expectation. Pressure, both internal and external, is, or can be, their constant companion. The outcome of games can depend on the swing of their leg and their ability to block out distractions.

 

Though they don’t experience mano-a-mano physical contact each time they take the field, only the industrious, physically tough, and short-memory resilient need apply.

 

That’s why McCormick relies on the words represented by that inscription, Proverbs 16:9, which read, “A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

 

“It’s a good reminder,” he said, noting that it’s also the background on his phone. “When I go out there, I know I’ve trained for two years and I’ve put all this effort in, but it’s up to God. If it goes through, I’m grateful. If I miss, I’m grateful, too, because I know it’s a chance to grow.”

 

This year, McCormick’s PAT attempts have gone through much more often than not. Through the Cougars’ first seven games, he’s connected on 18 of 21 attempts. Of the ones he didn’t, two were blocked and one sailed off the mark.

 

“Cale worked extremely hard in the offseason to be where he is,” said Collegiate’s head coach Collin McConaghy, whose squad is 3-4 heading into Saturday’s homecoming game with Norfolk Academy.

 

“He’s taken it upon himself to do a ton of work on the weekends, to work with kicking specialists, and to really hone his craft. He’s even keeled. The moment isn’t too big for him. You always like to see people who have put in the work be successful, and that’s Cale.”

 

As far back as he can remember, through rec leagues, travel teams, and Collegiate’s Cub program, soccer was McCormick’s sport of choice. During JV tryouts his freshman year, he injured his right quad, took a break to let it heal, and answered the call in his heart and mind to give football, specifically place kicking, a try.

 

He's always been a Cincinnati Bengals fan. In 2021, he was on hand at the American Football Conference championship game and saw the Bengals’ Evan McPherson drill a 31-yard field goal in overtime to secure a 27-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He was inspired and intrigued.

 

“I thought, Oh, that would be really cool if I could do that too,” McCormick said. “He’s a really good kicker. He’s called Money Mac because he has one of the highest make rates in the league.”

 

McPherson isn’t perfect, though, a fact which is, in a way, comforting to McCormick and has helped him shape his mental approach to his specialty.

 

“You just have to deal with [a missed attempt] and move on,” he said. “It’s what it is. You can’t let it get in your head, or the rest of your game will be thrown off. If I miss, I just tap the back of my shoe (where the words of wisdom are written). It reminds me that I’m OK.”

 

In his two seasons on the JV, McCormick kicked a bit in games, but this year he earned the starting role. To refine his technique, he’s worked not just with Collegiate’s coaches but with Dan Orner Kicking & Punting and with Anthony Prevost, the founder of Superior Specialists, an organization dedicated to the development of kickers, punters, holders, and long snappers. He’s been a quick study.

 

“There’re little improvements in form that you can make,” McCormick said, “but the thing Anthony Prevost always tells me is that kicking is 90 percent mental, so the better you get, the less you have to think. The less you think, the more accurate you’ll be. Once it’s automatic in your head, it’s completely different than the first time you go out there in a game and you’re trying to think through everything.”

 

At practice each day, McCormick spends much of his time working on technique and accuracy. That said, he’s careful to warm up and cool down properly and not overdo the repetitive motion of kicking to avoid injury.

 

When the time comes for the team to work on the kicking game, he often finds himself in simulated pressurized situations with speakers blasting or teammates clustered around him yelling in an attempt to rattle him. Operating in concert with long snapper Will Clifford and holder Harrison Baxter, he’s unfazed by the chatter and the clutter.

 

“It’s about trusting your team, trusting your leg, and trusting the work you’ve put in,” he said. “It’s enjoyable every day. When you go out there and hit great kicks in practice, it’s relaxing. Then in the game, the pressure’s kind of nice. You know that what you’re about to do matters. It’s a way for me to put points on the board for my team. That’s an amazing feeling.”

~Weldon Bradshaw