“I was told they recruited three kickers,” Saunders said. “I came in the week before and I was kicking the ball really well. When I came into camp, I was really excited. I was the leader going into camp. I kicked really well.”
Saunders’ strong preseason led to being named Defiance’s starting kicker. He scored 28 points this season, including 19-for-22 on extra points. He also went 3-for-5 on field goals, including a long of 33 yards.
He also averaged 48.1 yards per kickoff this season, earning the team’s Special Teams Player of the Week award several times.
“This year, my kickoffs have been a lot better than in the past, and since high school it’s gotten a whole lot better,” Saunders said.
The Yellow Jackets finished the season 4-6 and 4-4 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. They started the season 0-4, but won their next four in a row before dropping its final two games.
“We learned a lot during that four-game stretch,” Saunders said.
He’ll also get to work on kicking in the offseason. Defiance is opening an indoor athletic center in December, which includes all-purpose flooring and a track — and will have plenty of space for football workouts.
“I’m going to work hard in the offseason,” Saunders said.
Short Takes
Football: Shawnee High School graduates Seth Shipley and Aaron Barth, both senior linebackers at Earlham College, earned All-HCAC honorable mention honors this season.
Shipley led the Quakers (0-10 with 89 tackles, while posting a sack and fumble recovery. Barth was second on the team with 79 tackles with a sack and a fumble recovery.
Men’s Soccer: Northern Kentucky University sophomore forward Mohammad Salhieh finished the season with a team-best five assists for the Norse (14-5). He also finished tied for the team lead with five goals.
The Norse fell to Rockhurst 2-0 in the D-II NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game on Nov. 13. The Norse were the defending D-II national champion.
• Catholic Central grad Joe Halula received an All-North Coast Athletic Conference honorable mention this season.
The forward scored five goals and added an assist for the Tigers (6-11-1, 2-7 NCAC).
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