Beavers still looking for someone to fill key role

By Cliff Kirkpatrick
Gazette-Times Reporter

For the second straight season, the Oregon State football team’s punting situation will be a work in progress.

The Beavers were forced to use place-kicker Alexis Serna last year when the projected starter Kyle Loomis quit the team the day before training camp opened.

Recruiting a punter was the plan, but the Beavers didn’t find anyone they wanted to use a scholarship on for the coming season. That means they are doing it the old fashioned way: They have brought in walk-ons to fight for the job, and hopefully someone will stick.

“The punting deal will be interesting,” coach Mike Riley said. “We have a couple walk-ons this spring, so hopefully someone will emerge from that. And then we’ll add to that with a guy in the fall who I think has a lot of ability. Whether he develops into our punter next year, we’ll see. What we’ll do is define the guy this spring and then compete with this new guy in the fall.”

Kyle Harper, Sean Sehnem and Josh Makepeace are working with special teams coordinator Dave Ungerer this spring. One will go into training camp and the other two may be brought back when the NCAA allows rosters to expand beyond 105 when school begins.

John Hekker is an incoming punter. He’s a 6-foot-5, 200-pounder who was a first-team All-KingCo Conference quarterback who kicked and punted for Bothell High, the Class 4A Washington state runner-up last season. He punted 21 times with a 36.7-yard average and had a long of 57 yards. He connected on nine field goals and 31 extra points.

Harper, a 6-0, 197-pounder, is the leading candidate among those participating in spring practice. He redshirted last season after being brought in out of Sunset High to be an emergency backup to Serna.

Oregon asked him to walk on late, but the chance to compete for the starting position right away was important to him.

“He’s the most consistent guy,” Ungerer said. “The biggest thing with the punter is the consistency. They can all punt the ball far and high enough. It’s only two out of five. We need to get that higher. They are a work in progress right now. We are working through it each day to give them the most work to see who will be the most consistent out of the group.”

Sehnem is a junior transfer from Division II Western New Mexico, and is originally from Encino, Calif. He kicks also, and made 15 of 20 field goals and 20 of 23 extra points for the Mustangs in 2006.

Makepeace is a left-footed redshirt freshman from North Valley High in Grants Pass. He was the starting quarterback and 3A third-team all-state punter in 2005.

“I’m competing really well,” Harper said. “I have two other guys to worry about. Right now I just want to make it to fall camp, and hopefully start next year. I’ve been here for a year, and I try to keep that in mind. I have a year on these guys. And I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

Harper nearly played last season when Serna struggled early. There was a point when Riley asked him if he would give up his redshirt season if Serna had a bad game, and Harper agreed.

However, Serna began to punt more consistently, so Harper never played.

So he spent most of the year working with Ungerer to develop his punting style. Harper was a quarterback at Sunset, so when he punted he rolled out and rugby punted on the run to have the option to pass or punt.

“I think I’ve improved a lot since high school,” Harper said. “I got here and battled with Serna. I thought I might get it, but he ended up getting it and did a good job by the end of the season. Now that he’s gone, I’m hoping to win the spot.”