San Juan Hills had the right player to turn to in the final seconds of its Southern Division 2 football playoff game against Downey on Friday night. Kyle Donahue kicked a 24-yard field goal for the 28-27 win.
Donahue's rise this season is natural. He made 11 of 13 field goals and made touchbacks on 93 percent of his kickoffs.
“He has proven his accuracy and agility,” coach Robert Frith said.
Donahue, a 17-year-old, has been playing soccer for 12 years. It wasn't until he entered high school that he started playing football seriously. He wasn't a starter for San Juan Hills until this season, and now nothing can stop him from playing as long as he can.
“I like it,” he said.
Downey tried to freeze him with a timeout. He took the first kick before it was canceled out by a penalty. The second shot was also perfect.
“I felt tight pretty quickly. It was an amazing feeling,” he said.
There could be rain Friday before the next game against Los Alamitos, but Donahue said, “I feel great in any conditions. I've played in the rain before.”
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