From Tanner Jackson to Rossi Santelia, the Citizen Times and Times-News ranked the top kickers and punters for the 2024 North Carolina high school football season in WNC.
Asheville Citizen Times
It's not just players on offense and defense ready to make a splash this season.
While special teams players don't get the attention, Western North Carolina has a wealth of talented kickers and punters who can help decide wins and losses in the 2024 high school football season.
The Citizen Times and Times-News are highlighting the top NCHSAA and NCISAA players by position, wrapping up with kickers in WNC to watch in 2024.
Here are the rankings of WNC's best kickers and punters from 10 to 1:
Best North Carolina high school football Ks and Ps in WNC for 2024
10. Tanner Jackson
Hendersonville
Vitals: 6-1, 170, Jr.
Jackson was nearly perfect on extra point attempts for the Bearcats last season, converting 29 of his 30 attempts.
9. Hanson Garcia
Roberson
Vitals: 5-9, 140, So.
Garcia was 52-for-58 in extra point attempts as a freshman, but struggled on field goals, converting just one of five attempts. He averaged 35.9 yards on kickoff attempts, including one touchback.
8. William Sinclair
Franklin
Vitals: 6-1, 185, Sr.
Sinclair averaged 58.2 yards on 30 kickoffs, tallying 14 touchbacks. On punts, he averaged 35.1 yards on 21 attempts.
7. Kaliel Yawn
Avery County
Vitals: 5-11, 190, Sr.
Yawn had 33 punts last season, averaging 33.2 yards and pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line six times.
6. Gabe Jones
East Henderson
Vitals: 6-1, 205, Jr.
On 39 punt attempts, Jones averaged 32.7 yards and pinned his opponents inside the 20-yard line six times, the most in the Mountain 7 Conference.
5. Daniel Riddle
Franklin
Vitals: 5-5, 180, Sr.
Riddle was efficient as Franklin's place-kicker, going a perfect 10-for-10 in extra points and 8-for-10 in field goals, including a long of 43 yards.
4. Spencer Thompson
Christ School
Vitals: 5-9, 170, Jr.
Thompson was nearly automatic as the Greenies' kicker as a sophomore. He was a perfect 7-for-7 in field goals with a long of 45 yards and went 30-for-31 in point-after attempts.
3. Chris Wences
Mitchell
Vitals: 6-3, 210, Sr.
The Mitchell tight end was an All-WNC third-team selection at punter last season after averaging nearly 40 yards with three of his 14 punts pinned inside the 20-yard line. He also had 55 kickoffs for 2,318 yards and five touchbacks and went 22-for-31 in PATs.
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2. Joshua Sandoval
West Henderson
Vitals: 6-1, 205, Sr.
Sandoval was a perfect 6-for-6 in field goals with a long of 36 yards. He also averaged 36.8 yards per kickoff on 89 attempts with five touchbacks and went 63-for-73 in extra point attempts, earning him an All-WNC third-team selection.
1. Rossi Santelia
Reynolds
Vitals: 5-10, 155, Sr.
Santelia pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 10 times on punts last season, averaging 33.8 yards per punt on 38 tries to earn All-WNC first team as a punter. He was a strong kicker for the Rockets as well, averaging 55.4 yards per kickoff and going 42-for-49 on extra points.
Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @EvanGerike. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
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