BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
PHARR — PSJA High senior Johnathan Figueroa remembers relaxing and watching Liga MX soccer on TV with his father as a child.
Figueroa’s favorite team is Club América, based in Mexico City.
Soccer was always king for Figueroa.
“My dad would train me a lot,” Figueroa said. “We would always focus on soccer. I was on the traveling team in McAllen with the Dynamo. My goal was to go play college soccer.”
In seventh grade, Figueroa started kicking for football, which was a move that may help secure his future. He’s proven to be a stalwart kicker for PSJA High, which hosts Weslaco East at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game.
“I think he has a great chance to play college football,” PSJA High coach Lupe Rodriguez, who has been around the sport since his own high school career led him to college football, said. “He’s a great athlete. If you look at him, he doesn’t look like a kicker or a punter, he looks like a DB. He has aspirations to go to the next level and kick. I feel he has a great opportunity at that. He is a smart young man — very humble. I think he will have that opportunity to go out there and kick at the next level.”
That didn’t happen overnight for Figueroa. In seventh grade, he was still focused on soccer. He didn’t have to choose, so he played both sports, but his priority had always been on the pitch.
“One of my favorite memories was scoring in soccer,” Figueroa said. “My dad was happy for me, because I scored more than one goal, and it was a good experience.”
During his sophomore year, Figueroa said he realized the potential he had in football, and he started to direct all of his attention to that. He even quit playing soccer to make sure he gave his maximum effort.
His sacrifices have already paid dividends. Figueroa was invited to Chris Sailer’s kicking camp over the summer. The national camp was held in Las Vegas, and it was a chance for high school prospects to work with college and pro kickers and coaches, all under the watchful eye of scouts.
The Chris Sailer Kicking organization releases rankings of all kicking prospects in the nation.
Figueroa ranked 64th nationally and 11th in Texas. He received a grade of 4.5 out of 5.
Figueroa said he especially enjoyed getting to work with Shane Tripucka, a punter for Texas A&M. Figueroa said Tripucka helped him with his punting.
As a junior last year, Figueroa hit 24 of 26 extra point attempts and 3 of 4 field goals. This year, the uptick in the Bears’ offense has allowed for more chances for Figueroa. He has hit 39 of 42 extra points and 13 of 15 field goals.
He also has strong range on field goals. His longest make in practice is 55 yards, and his longest in-game make is from 43 yards.
His teammates have learned to rely on his consistency.
“Jonathan is meant to do that,” junior quarterback Trey Guajardo said. “He has worked really hard, so a lot of the stuff, he’s earned it. It helps to have him on the team, because he gives us that extra boost that we need.”
“He is very crucial to our team,” senior defensive lineman Orlando Huerta said. “There are moments in the game where we don’t get the first down, and if we are on the 30 or the 40, I trust him to make the field goal and get us points. Because points are points, and it helps us with the momentum.”
Figueroa’s future is unclear, but he sees positive signs. Texas A&M-Kingsville is one of a few schools that has shown interest in Figueroa. The Chris Sailer camp has often helped connect schools in need of a kicker with top prospects, so the camp may also prove crucial in Figueroa’s next step.
For now, Figueroa is focused on finishing out his high school football season on a positive note.
“This year has been a great experience,” Figueroa said. “It’s been really fun working with the guys. It’s a great team. We have worked hard and we aren’t done yet, so we are excited.”