On the chilly night of October 8…Genoa placekicker/punter/all-around special teams ace Tyler Pickard helped his now-7-0 (3-0 SLL), three-time league-defending-champion Comets crisply shoe aside longtime Suburban Lakes League rivals the Gibsonburg Golden Bears 75-12 via his toe.

The All-Ohio specialist also kicked himself into one record book, and narrowly missed another just wide-left…on the strength of going nine-of-nine on extra points, booting four-out-of-five field goals, and booming howitzer-like touchbacks.

“It was a great feeling making four field goals against Gibsonburg last Friday night,” offers “T-Pick,” a 5-11, 190 pound junior, who drilled scores of 20, 24, 33, and a mile-long 47 yards.

The latter not only posted a new Genoa record when it snuck over the crossbar in the northern end zone of Gibsonburg Golden Bear Stadium, but also brushed aside the previous Comets’ field goal distance record of 45 yards, which was set against Elmwood at Comet Stadium last year by Pickard. He also booted four field goals in that contest to help his team bury the visitors 60-0, as well as to improve to 10-0 and clinch Genoa’s third-straight SLL title, in the ’09 regular season finale.

The state record of most field goals in a game that Pickard just missed breaking was set by John Aerni of Westlake in 1986, and tied by Ben Buchanan of Westerville Central in ’07,

“I really wish I could’ve made that fifth one (which sailed wide-left at the 9:09 mark of the fourth quarter), to tie the state record but hitting the 47-yarder was great, because it did break my own school record from last year, which was cool,” concurs Pickard.

Genoa placekicker, Tyler Pickard, boots one of his state record tying four field goals against Gibsonburg. (Press photo by Harold Hamilton/HEHphotos.lifepics.com

He is doling out kudos to his holder, senior Seth Dufendock, his long snapper Andrew Hayes, also a senior, and those blocking.

“I knew I could make it, as long as I got a good, solid kick on it, because Seth is definitely a great holder, and he always gets the ball down. But yeah, this one was definitely more exciting than the 45-yarder at home last year, because it helped us reach a new record. And that’s because everybody did their job,” Pickard said.

“T-Pick” would go on to single-handedly – or “single-footedly” – light up the scoreboard with 33 of the Comets’ juggernaut 75-point output, which go into the Ohio High School Athletic Association books one shy of a 15-way tie for third-place. That includes another state record of 10 extra points per game, although Pickard did tie former Comets’ placekicker James Leach in the Genoa record books for first, who also booted nine against Woodmore back in ’08.

Pickard also had two interceptions from his starting linebacker position, both of which he’d take all the way back to the house for “pick-sixes.”

Everything combined earned Pickard WRSCradio.com’s “Taco Bell ‘Offensive Player of the Game’ Award” and “McDonald’s ‘Golden Arches’ Golden Star Defensive Player of the Game’ Award” for the game.

“Yeah, I was really excited when I took both of those interceptions back to the house, because they were my first two varsity pick-sixes, and I hadn’t had one since a game during my freshman year,” laughs Pickard.

Pickard also recorded two tackles against the Golden Bears, and rushed twice for 33 yards with a long run of 19 yards, and had a gaudy average of 16.5 yards per carry in back-up running back duty.

Through game seven, Pickard has 15 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown (with an average of 7.1); 30 tackles (he leads the team), six assists, three sacks, and three interceptions; nine punts for 350 yards, and a long of 51 (and a 38.9 average); as well as nine-out-of-12 field goals made for a 75 percent success rate, and a stellar 34-of-37 “Pick-PATs” sent right down “Broadway,” for an equally-stellar 92 percent.

“Although the second one was probably better, I think, because it was a little bit longer of a return, and more of a legit interception,” he reflects. “But that’s why we do what we do during the week at practice as a team. We just continue to work hard as a family, and it pays off, because good things happen. But I was definitely feeling it during the game against Gibsonburg.”

Which begs only one more questioned to be answered. Just which record or milestone shines as the most-rewarding?

“None of them,” Pickard hits on it quickly. “The most-awesome feeling came, when we as a team, put up 75 points (also a new record for Genoa, as the ’08 edition of Mike Vicars’ Comets tallied 73 in one game), and helped Coach Vicars, Coach Spiess, and the rest of the coaching staff reach 2,002 career points since they’ve been at Genoa. That great moment was a lot better than the 47-yarder, and my two pick-sixes.”

“They’ve done so much for us as players since they’ve been here,” he reflects again, “and it just felt good to do something back for them.”

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