Drinkwater, Clyman eager for special teams promotion

by Michael Smith
 
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Last season, Grain Valley graduate Austin Schmitt was one of the best kickers in the Kansas City area.
 
He had such a strong and accurate leg that he could attempt field goals of over 50 yards during games. In 2022, Schmitt made 9 of 14 field goals, with a long of 48 yards. He converted on 60 of 63 PATs, had five touchbacks and averaged 49.8 yards on kickoffs.
 
The Eagles will also have to replace senior Brek Sloan, who elected not to play this season. He was the team’s punter last season and averaged 31.3 yards per punt last season.
 
The team has big shoes to fill, but luckily for head coach David Allie’s team has a pair of replacements that had a taste of varsity experience a year ago.
 
Senior place kicker Ben Drinkwater and sophomore punter Colton Clyman both saw a little time at their special teams positions in 2022, and are eager to play full time at the varsity level.
 
“We’ve had kicks in blowouts. There could be a lot of nerves going from watching the team play to actually going in there,” Drinkwater said. ““I got some kicks during my sophomore year and even more during my junior year in varsity games.”
 
“I don’t think there will be any nerves this year since I’ve already kicked in varsity games.”
 
Added Clyman: “Last year was my first ever playing football. It was great to get that experience in. I was able to get punts in with the freshman team, junior varsity and varsity.”
 
Drinkwater, like Schmitt, is a soccer player, and has decided to make football a focus for his senior season. He became a place kicker after Allie spoke with Ben’s father and threw out the idea of him kicking for the football team.
 
His mother then encouraged him to try it and after Drinkwater did, he liked it.
 
“I knew when Austin left, I would have a chance,” Drinkwater said. “I just stuck with it. Since I liked it so much, it made the decision so easy.”
 
Clyman grew up playing baseball and soccer, but because he contracted lead, mercury and pesticide poisoning three years ago, he had to quit those sports and pick up ones that didn’t involve a lot of running like golf and being a punter in football.
 
“I played soccer my whole life, so I figured it would translate into kicking,” Clyman said.
 
Both have been putting in a lot of work over the summer to get ready for the season. Drinkwater said he’s been working on getting all of his kickoff inside the 5-yard line. To do that, he’s been trying to get his kicks inside the ball more, so he could generate more power.
 
“So far, that has been working pretty well,” said Drinkwater, who said his strongest attribute his his accuracy. “On my field goals, I have been seeing it big time. I don’t miss a lot.”
 
Grain Valley special teams coach Kevin Page said he’s liked what he’s seen from Drinkwater so far over the summer.
 
“Today, he was consistently kicking it inside the 5 and that was without a warmup,” Page said. “I would expect he would be able to put it in the end zone during the season. He’s also really good with his onside kicks and directional kicks. I think he can help us out.”
 
For Clyman, he’s been focusing on his footwork.
 
“I have been working on having short, controlled steps,” Clyman said. “The shorter your steps are, the more power you have. I have also been working on full field situations like getting the ball inside the 20-yard line.
 
“I have been working on these kicks called Aussie balls, where the ball back spins. That way, you can put them close to the goal line and it kind of sits there.”
 
With the hard work both Clyman and Drinkwater have put in over the summer and the experience they’ve already had at the varsity level,” Page is confident the team’s special teams unit will pick up where it left off last season even with the new full-time personnel.
 
“I’ve been really impressed with their efforts over the summer,” Page said. “They have been working hard over the summer and they understand the important role that kick plays on our team. I have been very pleased with their offseason.”

Sophomore Colton Clyman, left, and senior Ben Drinkwater will lead the Grain Valley football team's special teams unit in 2023 as the punter and kicker, respectively.  Photo credit: Michael Smith