OWINGS, Md. – Tyler Potts and Colin Scaggs are two names well-known in the Calvert County football community. The two cousins are known for their kicking abilities.
Tyler, #27, is a senior at Northern High School in Owings, Maryland. He is the varsity team’s kicker. Colin, #16, is a freshman who kicks for Northern’s Junior Varsity team.
Tyler has been playing since his sophomore year. He started kicking just two weeks before the season started for JV Coach Jimmy Remington.
“Kickers can change a game, especially at the Junior Varsity level. I was able to enjoy having Tyler on the team for half the season before they moved him to Varsity. That was a special season for Tyler. He has always worked hard on his craft and it has paid off,” Remington told The BayNet.
Three years ago, after the varsity team lost the only game of the season by one point with two 4th down failures in the red zone, Varsity Coach Richard Holzer knew he needed a kicker so he pulled Tyler up from JV. Tyler went on to kick a game-winner in the state semi-final game. The team won the state championship that year.
“I love the rush of the Friday night lights. The student section makes the game so much more fun. This year has been different now that all my friends I grew up with are starting and playing a lot of snaps. Sharing the experience with them has been the most fun this season,” says Tyler.
While Tyler was crushing it on the field, he was telling his coaches at practice, how good his cousin Colin was at kicking.
“Tyler was 100% right. He is an incredible kicker. He has made every extra point and had multiple touchbacks this season. The two of them have been able to push each other to get better every day,” said Remington.
“Having two kickers who are essentially automatic points anytime we cross the 30-yard line is a huge bonus for us as a program. I never hesitate to send the field goal unit in. This is something I’ve never had as a head coach prior to Tyler this year and Colin next year, ” said Holzer.
Colin has played football since he was five years old. He played soccer too. That’s where he learned how to kick. He wanted to play tackle football but he says his parents wouldn’t let him.
“My mom is a trauma nurse and has been so against it. I convinced them last year to let me play for the Dunkirk Warriors and loved it. This will be the second year I have played tackle football,” says Colin.
Colin, who has scored 36 points in five games this season, says the game has taught him a lot of discipline and what it means to be humble. As for Colin and Tyler’s futures?
“I hope to get a scholarship to a D1 college and my dream is to be a kicker in the NFL,” says Colin.
“I do hope to play in college and get a scholarship later on this year but a shorter term goal is just defending my title for best kicker in SMAC and making a run for state team this year,” says Tyler.
“It’s great having Tyler who then can pass the torch to his cousin Colin. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders going into each season for the next four years,” said Holzer.
The boys have practice every day after school but if they’re not playing on the high school football field you’ll probably find them kicking at Dunkirk Park.
Northern’s varsity team is 5-2 so far this year. They take on the 6-1 Calvert Cavaliers at Calvert this Friday, October 20th at 7 pm.
Northern’s junior varsity team is 6-0 and plays Calvert at Northern on Monday, October 23rd at 5 pm.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
Great article…thank you!
Nicely written article, two awesome kids doing great things in the community and for themselves. Proud moments!
Love the article! How can I print this off without all the ads?