By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com
CHICAGO – A pair of Prokicker.com camp combo kicker veterans made big impressions during the camp at the Chicago area over the weekend.
Pedro Ramello, a rising senior at Fishers High School in Fishers, Ind., said he came to camp to tune up for the upcoming season.
He participated in the Tampa area Prokicker.com camp back in the spring.
“You think you have everything down and it’s actually not that way at all,” he said. “It really helped out, the little things that are added on.”
Ramello is looking forward to his senior season when he’ll be kicking for a new team at Fishers. He’s already met the coach and is anticipating a big year. Last year he was the backup kicker at Bartow High School in Florida.
“There was a senior kicker already there,” he said. “I had a couple of punts and seven PATs. What I liked about going to that school was the senior kicker was really good. I ended up leaving the school way better than I was when it started. I did all I could.”
Ramello will have a more definitive role for Fishers, where he hopes to be the placekicker and punter. His kickoffs were strong as well.
Matt Reagan, a Prokicker.com staff coach, was impressed with Ramello’s improvement from the spring camp to the summer camp.
“He’s a real solid kicker who hits a good field goal,” Reagan said. “His steps are a little unconventional but they were with him. He’s definitely somebody who can play at the next level.”
Ramello missed only one field goal in charting, Reagan said.
His punting was solid enough, too, although Ramello said “I like punting a lot but it’s not as much fun as kicking because you’re scoring.”
The other combo kicker that Reagan identified as a top prospect was Nolan McMahon, who will be a junior at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.
“He’s a big guy,” Reagan said. “He can throw some weight into the ball. He can punt, kick field goals and hit the kickoffs. The thing is, he sometimes gets a little unfocused and relies on his strong leg. If he can focus on technique and really get that down, he can be something.”
McMahon was consistent on punts and launched several kickoffs deep into the end zone.
“I thought I did pretty well overall but not as well as I’d hoped to do,” McMahon said. “This camp is more of a learning experience. You can always do better. But I came away from that camp a better kicker.”
McMahon will be the varsity kicker for the first time and the former soccer player is looking forward to showing what he can do.
“I’m completely putting my efforts into football,” he said. “I split time (with soccer) last year. You have to do one or the other.”
McMahon, who is 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, hopes to drop a few pounds but keep that strong kicking leg along the way.
“I was hoping to be going down there (to camp) and learn those last-minute things I need to work on,” he said. “I feel a lot better prepared and more confident going into the season.”
McMahon said his kickoffs didn’t have the spin, rotation or hang time he wanted.
During his junior season, he wants to average 35 yards per punt and put all of his kickoffs into the end zone. McMahon said there’s always the “basic goals” of not missing a field goal inside the 30 and to hit every punt solid.
