Morningside placekicker leads Mustangs
Posted: Tuesday, October 07, 2008
When C.J. Gradoville gets his kicks, Morningside's usually en route to another Great Plains Athletic Conference football victory.
Last week, the sophomore placekicker from Council Bluffs set a GPAC single-game record for kicking points with 16, booting two field goals of 32 yards, another of 33 and nailing all seven of his extra point boots in a 58-7 conquest of Dana.
Earlier this year, in a 26-21 victory over Northwestern, currently ranked 10th in NAIA football, the former prep all-stater at St. Albert High School booted four field goals, one shy of the school single-season record.
For his performance in the win over Dana, Gradoville has been named GPAC special teams player of the week. Earlier this year he was named NAIA national special teams player of the week after the conquest of Northwestern.
Joining the 6-1, 180-pounder in honors department is teammate Ian Gilworth, the loop's offensive player of the week who completed 19 of 33 passes for 248 yards and four TDs in the romp past Dana.
"A lot of credit goes to our long snappers and my holder,'' said Gradoville, whose older brother, Zac, was an All-GPAC kicker at Midland Lutheran. "Brandon Waszgis and Seth Lloyd do the snapping and they're right on the money for my holder, Brad Norwood.
"I prefer the holder to keep the ball more straight up and tilted a little toward him and Brad's perfect with that.''
Coming out of high school at St. Albert, Midland, naturally recruited C.J.
"Actually, I really didn't want to go out to Midland and follow in my brother's footsteps,'' said C.J., who was successful on all 55 of his PAT attempts as a freshman. 'He had such a great college career there.
"It would have been difficult living up to that standard and we'd always be compared. I love it here at Morningside. There's great coaching, great atmosphere and we're nationally ranked.''
Gradoville set a school record with 12 field goals as a freshman last season and this year he's perfect on eight field goal attempts and 21-for-22 on PATs.
His longest field goal his season is a 39-yarder and sent one through the uprights from 46 yards last season.
"C.J. Gradoville is a very accurate kicker and we're very fortunate to have a guy with his talent,'' said Steve Ryan, the coach of the unbeaten and fifth-ranked 4-0 Mustangs. "We saw him kick in high school and, actually, we tried to recruit his brother a few years ago, too.
"Brad Norwood is our new holder replacing Nathan Harris and he's clicking with C.J. It takes some time for those guys to get on the same page when a kicker has a new holder.
"Brad, is a wide receiver, and usually a quarterback is the holder, but its kind of an odd deal this year. None of our quarterbacks have ever been a holder (for kicks).''
Gradoville, three shy of the career PAT record of 79 by Dave Chop (1983-85) also handles kickoff duties and sent two boots Saturday into the end zone.
Gilworth, a 6-3, 210-pound senior from Unionville, Mo., ranks third in career passing at Morningside with 4,666 yards.
The transfer from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, took over starting duties for the Mustangs last season and passed for 3,623 yards and 36 TDs and set a Morningside school record for completion accuracy at 65.5 percent.
He's thrown for 1,043 yards and 10 TDs this season.
Last week, the sophomore placekicker from Council Bluffs set a GPAC single-game record for kicking points with 16, booting two field goals of 32 yards, another of 33 and nailing all seven of his extra point boots in a 58-7 conquest of Dana.
Earlier this year, in a 26-21 victory over Northwestern, currently ranked 10th in NAIA football, the former prep all-stater at St. Albert High School booted four field goals, one shy of the school single-season record.
For his performance in the win over Dana, Gradoville has been named GPAC special teams player of the week. Earlier this year he was named NAIA national special teams player of the week after the conquest of Northwestern.
Joining the 6-1, 180-pounder in honors department is teammate Ian Gilworth, the loop's offensive player of the week who completed 19 of 33 passes for 248 yards and four TDs in the romp past Dana.
"A lot of credit goes to our long snappers and my holder,'' said Gradoville, whose older brother, Zac, was an All-GPAC kicker at Midland Lutheran. "Brandon Waszgis and Seth Lloyd do the snapping and they're right on the money for my holder, Brad Norwood.
"I prefer the holder to keep the ball more straight up and tilted a little toward him and Brad's perfect with that.''
Coming out of high school at St. Albert, Midland, naturally recruited C.J.
"Actually, I really didn't want to go out to Midland and follow in my brother's footsteps,'' said C.J., who was successful on all 55 of his PAT attempts as a freshman. 'He had such a great college career there.
"It would have been difficult living up to that standard and we'd always be compared. I love it here at Morningside. There's great coaching, great atmosphere and we're nationally ranked.''
Gradoville set a school record with 12 field goals as a freshman last season and this year he's perfect on eight field goal attempts and 21-for-22 on PATs.
His longest field goal his season is a 39-yarder and sent one through the uprights from 46 yards last season.
"C.J. Gradoville is a very accurate kicker and we're very fortunate to have a guy with his talent,'' said Steve Ryan, the coach of the unbeaten and fifth-ranked 4-0 Mustangs. "We saw him kick in high school and, actually, we tried to recruit his brother a few years ago, too.
"Brad Norwood is our new holder replacing Nathan Harris and he's clicking with C.J. It takes some time for those guys to get on the same page when a kicker has a new holder.
"Brad, is a wide receiver, and usually a quarterback is the holder, but its kind of an odd deal this year. None of our quarterbacks have ever been a holder (for kicks).''
Gradoville, three shy of the career PAT record of 79 by Dave Chop (1983-85) also handles kickoff duties and sent two boots Saturday into the end zone.
Gilworth, a 6-3, 210-pound senior from Unionville, Mo., ranks third in career passing at Morningside with 4,666 yards.
The transfer from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, took over starting duties for the Mustangs last season and passed for 3,623 yards and 36 TDs and set a Morningside school record for completion accuracy at 65.5 percent.
He's thrown for 1,043 yards and 10 TDs this season.
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