AJ Reistter

Will Perrill ’24 holds Little Cy-Hawk trophy after victory.

Going into August, the Little Hawk football team had a big hole in their roster: they had no kicker. However, they got some much needed assistance. 

Will Perrill ‘24 has been playing soccer ever since he can remember. Now, at the age of 17, he’s the starting kicker for the football team. This is Perrill’s first year ever playing football, so it is mostly a foreign concept to him. Lucky for him and the team, he has found success quickly.

“It’s pretty fun, I like the team, everyone has been really welcoming to me, which has made it a lot easier. The kicking part kind of comes more naturally because of my soccer experience. The mental part is definitely the hardest part, but it should get easier and less stressful over time,” Perrill said. 

During the first two games of the season, Perrill didn’t get his chance to prove himself as a worthy kicker, besides on kickoffs. Against Liberty, Perrill missed one of his few extra point attempts, and it had affected him mentally.

“You know, it was hard to recover mentally for a minute after that, but once I got into my groove again I felt much more confident,” Perrill said. 

Fortunately, the next week, in the little Cy-Hawk Game, Perrill had seven makes on seven attempts. Perrill, being a soccer player, has been in high pressure situations before, but nothing compares to Friday night under the lights.

“It’s a lot more pressure on Friday nights than a soccer game because, for the most part, besides like a bad hold or snap, if you miss the kick, it’s on you. And that’s a lot different than soccer because it can’t just be one person’s fault,” Perrill said.

Perrill looks to assume his starting spot for the remainder of the season.