Westminster's football program was in danger of starting the season 0-3 for the second time in three years when Ian Gould took the field late in the fourth quarter last week.
On the road against Urbana last week, the Owls had already climbed back into contention near the end of the third quarter. But, with two minutes left on the clock, there stood the junior, needing to nail a 30-yard field goal to tie things up.
Gould split the uprights to draw even with the Hawks, and after Westminster recovered an onside kick, he again hit a 30-yarder.
This time, it was for the win.
"I felt like the weight was on my shoulders some," said Gould, who earned Athlete of the Week honors for helping the Owls to a 27-24 win. "But, I hit those in practice."
Gould said he hasn't experienced a situation where his kicks would result directly in a win during his high school career. The closest he could come was in his team's season-ending victory against South Carroll.
Then a sophomore, Gould hit two field goals — one of which was for 33 yards — to give the Owls the upset victory over the county champions.
He said his two kicks against Urbana didn't necessarily require mental preparation, as "it's just like any other kick."
Gould said he would like to kick in college after his days of suiting up for the Owls are complete. Until then, he has to improve on the other aspects of his game, including sending kickoffs into the end zone on a regular basis, and consistently hitting field goals from 40 or more yards away in games.
matt.owings@carrollcountytimes.com
410-857-7893
twitter.com/mattowings
Carroll County Daily Headlines
Honor Roll
Ethan Bare, Man Valley football
Jensyn Koontz, NC field hockey
Kevin Morris, SC boys soccer
CJ Smith, SC golf
Ryan Turlick, Liberty boys soccer
Hannah Warther, Century girls soccer