Get to Know- Jon Coppens- Holy Family- Class of 2015

Jon Coppens is a kicker from Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, MN.  He earned the starting varsity kicking spot as a sophomore which is sometimes rare at the high school level.  This year, Holy Family has not had many big scoring games, like you see many winning programs do, but Jon has been a consistent accountable contributor to his school's kicking game this year who has rarely missed.  But those abilities didn't just come over night.  Jon started dedicating himself to it at the end of last season.  Coach Husby and Jon started working together at the end of his Freshman football season on his kicking game over the winter.  According to Husby, "Jon has made some of the biggest and fastest improvements in his kicking game in one off season, than I have ever seen.  Jon is a true testament to other kids that hard work and dedication to the kicking game can really pay off.  Over the coarse of 1 year, Jon's added about 15 yards to his field goal range and has become a very accurate kicker."  Jon Coppens has a bright future as a kicker.  So we took some time to check in with Jon on how his current season is going.

What has it been like knowing that you have made it to the state playoffs? 
Going to the State Tournament was an unbelievable feeling. We beat a very good team in the final seconds and the fans rushed the field. It felt good knowing that as a team we surprised many people by finishing second in our conference and advancing to state. We were predicted to finish fifth out of six teams in our conference division and received the fourth seed in our section.

What has your season been like this year?
This season has been a roller coaster ride. We went from being 2-3 to 9-3 and in the State Semi-Finals.

Often times there aren’t many sophomores that play up on Varsity in high school.  What has that experience been like as an underclassman?
I am very thankful to God for giving me the ability to get Varsity playing time as an Underclassman. Nothing feels better than Kicking on a Friday under the lights. I was also  fortunate enough to Kick for the JV team because of my age and that team went 8-1 this season and was very explosive offensively, which gave me more in game experience.

You’ve had a great year of kicking so far.  What kind of off season training did you do to prepare yourself for this year?
This off season I focused on improving my technique as a kicker. I went to many camps and attended Private Lessons with Taylor Mehlhaff and Chris Husby. Going to camps not only helped me by getting more kicks in but by having competitions with other great kickers. Through these camp competitions I was able to see what I needed to improve on to take my Kicking Game to the next level. Attending private lessons also helped me make these improvements.

What kind of “in season” training did you do to stay on top of your kicking game?
For in season training obviously I kick with the team, but I also kick on Sundays in order to make some technical refinements.

What are some of your personal and team highlights from this season so far?
My personal Highlights are being blessed with kicking the school record for longest Field Goal which is 38 yards, and recovering two of my own surprise onsides kicks. Team highlights have been getting to the state tournament and the dome and beating rivals Mound and Waconia. 

Have you had any college contacts yet based on the season you are having?
I have had a few programs talk to me this season.

What are your goals (individually and as a Team) for next year as a junior?
It is too early to focus on next year because some people don't get a next year and the team is blessed with a great run right now. I really want to win for the Seniors.  They are a great group of leaders.

I know you've had a pretty consistent year kicking, how did you do during the Regular Season?  How are you doing (kicking wise) in the playoffs?
During the regular season, between both Varsity and JV games, I was 45 for 45 on Extra Points (with 3 Blocked FGs) and 3 for 3 on Field Goals (37, 34, 32 yards) with 1 blocked.   In the Section Playoffs I was 13 for 14 on Extra Points and 2 for 2 on Field Goals (38, 27 yards).

If College Coaches would like to see how you are doing, do you have a link to your highlight film.

Jon Coppens Hudl Account

Thank you for your time Jon and good luck in your State Playoff football run.

-Coach Chris Husby
Professional Kicking Coach and Owner
Special Teams Football Academy  
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CoachHusby@gmail.com 
651-353-2660