Senior sets school record with six touchdowns, all in the first half

“He does the right thing all the time,” Commins said.

He certainly was nearly perfect Friday night in a 57-8 lopsided win over Thurgood Marshall.

The 5-foot-11, 205 pounder rushed 15 times for 109 yards and scored six touchdowns, a school record, all in the first half.

His touchdown runs were 5, 3, 3, 3, 1 and 6 yards, the coach said. His longest run was 19 yards. He benefited from short field positions.

Then in the second half, with the Rams comfortably leading, Kunkel and most of the starters sat on the sidelines.

His reaction to being pulled after halftime with a chance to score more touchdowns?

“It was great to watch some of the younger guys get a chance to play,” said Kunkel, who also throws the disc and shot put for the track team. “I liked cheering them on.”

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

He called setting the school record for single-game touchdowns “pretty great” and something he thinks about bęfore every game.

He quickly credited his offensive line for opening the holes and his quarterback for making the right decisions running the team’s triple option offense.

Reaching the end zone never gets old for Kunkel. Scoring touchdowns is “one of the greatest moments in my life,” he said. “Then you want to do it again.”

Or in his case, after the first time, he got to do it again, again, again, again and again.

Kunkel’s performance was even more impressive when you consider how his first game of the season ended. With the Rams tied against Wyoming late in the game, and about to score, Kunkel fumbled and Wyoming recovered.

Then Wyoming kicked a game-winning field goal.

Commins, who served as a Rams assistant coach for four years before being hired nine years ago, said the lost fumble “crushed” his fullback.

Kunkel said that turnover inspired him throughout the rout against Thurgood Marshall.

“I let the team down,” he said. “I got to do better.”

After high school, Kunkel plans to enlist in the U.S. Air Fore. His father, John, served in the Army and Air Force.

But more than following his father’s footsteps, he thinks his experience at Ross has prepared him for the regimented military.

“We work hard and we prepare,” he said about the Ross athletic program. “I’ll be ready to serve my country.”

The Journal-News will profile a local high school athlete on Fridays. If you have a suggestion, please forward the athlete’s name and high school to Rick McCrabb at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.