Washington high schooler Austin Rehkow hits remarkable 67-yard field goal to send game into OT
Watch out Sebastian Janikowski. You've got company in the unlikely form of a high school senior in Washington state.
As reported by the Seattle Times and a variety of other outlets, and brought to Prep Rally's attention by Beer Mug Sports, Spokane (Wash.) Central Valley High kicker Austin Rehkow set a state record by connecting on a 67-yard field goal during his team's Thursday night, 62-55 victory against rival Spokane (Wash.) Shadle Park.
"I kicked it and I was a little bit worried it was going to be a little bit left," Rehkow told "Good Morning America" just hours after he connected on the game-tying kick. "It started to straighten out for me, and from 67 yards out it's kind of hard to tell if it goes over the bar or is just short of it. I really just had to wait for the refs to put their arms up for me.
"To get it with no wind, and especially to [get a chance to] win the game, it's a special feeling."
Making the kick even more impressive were the circumstances surrounding the kick. Rehkow had to make the 67-yarder to force overtime with Central Valley trailing, 55-52. After a clean snap and a hold at his own 43-yard line -- yes, his own 43 -- Rekhow stepped up and drove his boot right through ball, which went on through the uprights, setting the stage for an eventual overtime victory for Central Valley.
For a moment, forget the final score and just look at that kick. Rehkow's powerful drive easily could have been good from another 3 yards or so. That's remarkable considering the fact that Rehkow claims he'd never even hit a field goal in practice from beyond 63 yards before.
As it was, Rehkow's historic field goal set a state record for longest field goal and tied the second-best mark in national history, behind a 68-yarder hit in 1985. That's not to mention that the blast is a good 4 yards longer than the longest NFL field goal of all time, a mark which is currently 63 yards, held by the aforementioned Janikowski, Jason Elam, David Akers and Tom Dempsey.
Though it may be hard to believe, ESPN's Mason Kelley reported that Rehkow doesn't have a single scholarship offer from a major Division I school. At the moment the kicker reportedly only has a partial scholarship offer from Eastern Washington.
If that doesn't change almost immediately, college recruiting staffs just aren't paying attention. After all, they're not going to see a more impressive kick than Rehkow's, either in terms of distance, power or pressure-packed circumstances.
Paging Mack Brown. The answer to your kicking issues may be suiting up in the Pacific Northwest right now.
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