Who will be the top high school football kicker or punter in the Eugene-Springfield area in 2026? With the fall sports season just around the corner, The Register-Guard will spend the next few weeks highlighting the top local football players in the area. We are continuing this year's preseason coverage with a look at Lane County's top placekickers, punters and kickoff specialists. Now, it's time for you to decide which athlete is the best of the bunch. Without further ado, here are the nominees.
Samuel Castanza, Thurston Mylee Johannsen, North Eugene CJ Jones, Marist Catholic Colby Kasperek, Springfield Aidan Navarro, Pleasant Hill Jax Norcutt, Lowell Jaden Turner, Sheldon Braden Van Leuven, Willamette
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is most deserving at www.registerguard.com/sports. The poll closes at noon Friday, Aug. 21.
Samuel Castanza, Thurston After handling kickoff duties for Thurston's league champion squad last season, rising senior Samuel Castanza will take on an even greater role this fall. Castanza will be a do-it-all specialist for the Colts this fall, replacing Class 5A second-team all-state placekicker Hunter Bagwell, as well as first-team all-state punter Rylan Sharp.
Mylee Johannsen, North Eugene One of the top extra-point kickers in the Midwestern League last season, Mylee Johannsen is back for her senior year with North Eugene and will provide plenty of consistency for the Highlanders' special teams unit. "She works really hard at it. She puts the extra point through every single time; she was 26 of 28, and one of those misses was because somebody got through the A-gap and blocked it. She's really steady and really good," North Eugene coach Rick Raish said. CJ Jones, Marist Catholic Tabbed by Chris Sailer Kicking as one of the top prep punters in the nation for the 2027 class, Marist Catholic's CJ Jones is the top returning punter in Oregon and could see his recruiting stock continue to soar. Jones is a Washington State commit who earned Class 4A first-team all-state honors as a junior in 2025. "CJ is probably the best punter I've ever coached, and I don't say that lightly. I've been coaching kids for 20 years," Marist Catholic coach Zach Loboy said. "The things he can do kicking a ball are pretty amazing. He can be a huge weapon for us. ... He has put in a lot of time. For a kid who is all of 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, he'll consistently go from the opposite (40-yard line) and put it between the goal line and the five. Like, it's a coffin-corner type of kick every time. Stuff I haven't seen in high school football very often." Colby Kasperek, Springfield Rising senior Colby Kasperek is going to step into Springfield's starting running back role this fall and will also play a big role at punter. "Colby did pretty well punting last year and he worked at it in the offseason," Springfield coach Frank Geske said. "He can boot the ball; there's no doubt about it. He'll flip the field for us."
Aidan Navarro, Pleasant Hill A rising senior who is among the top returning wide receivers and defensive backs in the Mountain Valley Conference, Aidan Navarro will also be a special teams difference-maker for Pleasant Hill this fall. "He hit a 37-yard field goal for us last year against La Pine," Pleasant Hill coach Kenny Koberstein said. "He's got a big leg; he'll be good there for us."
Jax Norcutt, Lowell One of the top returning pass-rushers and pass-catchers in Class 2A, Lowell senior Jax Norcutt is also an ultra-talented special teams prospect. Lowell coach Ray Yarbrough said Norcutt, who has drawn plenty of track and field college interest, is starting to get attention from college football coaches for his skillset as a kicker. "He might be the best kicker around here, whether it's (Class 1A) or 6A," Yarbrough said. "He kicked a 52-yard field goal last year. He went up to a camp at Pacific and was kicking 60-yard field goals. He consistently put it through the end zone on kickoffs last year." Jaden Turner, Sheldon For the second year in a row, Sheldon will have a player from the school's soccer team handling kicking duties. All-conference kicker and goalkeeper Ozzy Canchola Garcia has graduated, and the Irish will look to replace him with rising senior Jaden Turner. "The ball comes off his foot really nicely, we've just got to get a little more consistent with him," Sheldon coach Tyler Martell said. "He has really, really good potential there." Braden Van Leuven, Willamette After playing primarily at offensive line last year, rising Willamette senior Braden Van Leuven has emerged as the frontrunner to win the starting kicker job for the Wolverines as they look to defender their Southwest Conference title. "Braden called me up and said, Coach, I really want to focus on kicking.' I said, 'That's great, because we really need a kicker,'" Willamette coach Josh Line said with a laugh. "He's doing a really job as our kicker and punter right now. He's really improved; he's got a strong leg and he kicks the heck out of the ball."
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at jdenney@registerguard.com or on X @jarrid_denney This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Vote! Who will be the Eugene area's top kicker or punter in 2026?