2024 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the specialists

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, August 22, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top kickers and punters for the 2024 season.

1. Peter Notaro

North Allegheny

Senior, 5-11, 180

Notaro, a first-team all-conference kicker in 6A, committed to Alabama this summer as a preferred walk-on. His leg strength is a weapon for North Allegheny in many ways. Three of his seven field goals last season were from more than 40 yards out and nearly 70% of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks (64 of 92). He converted 7 of 10 field goal attempts overall with makes from 27, 29, 32, 34, 42, 43 and 47 yards. One field goal was kicked in the WPIAL finals and another came in the state finals. Kohls Kicking Camps, which evaluates athletes at its events, ranked Notaro as the fourth-best senior kicker nationally.

Watch Peter Notaro highlights

2. Grant Argiro

Pine-Richland

Senior, 6-2, 195

Argiro is another WPIAL kicker with a range approaching 50 yards. A first-team all-conference kicker for the second time, Argiro converted 7 of 10 field goals with makes from 30, 39, 41, 42, 42, 48 and 48 yards. His longest kick set a school record, and his kickoffs resulted in a touchback 75% of the time (54 of 72). He made 47 of 48 extra points, and also punted for Pine-Richland with a 38.3-yard average.

Watch Grant Argiro highlights

3. Harran Zureikat

Fox Chapel

Junior, 6-0, 175

Zureikat, who transferred from Shady Side Academy, is ranked by Kohls as the top junior kicker nationally. He made 5 of 6 field goals last season while kicking at Shady Side. His makes were from 21, 33, 35, 37 and 43 yards, earning first-team all-conference honors. The 35-yarder was a game-tying kick that forced overtime in a win over North Catholic. He earned a touchback on 56% of kickoffs (23 of 41) and averaged 39 yards on punts.

Watch Harran Zureikat highlights

4. Mason Childress

Mars

Senior, 5-11, 180

Childress converted 8 of 9 field goals with makes from 23, 23, 25, 25, 26, 34 and 42 yards. He went 54 for 58 on extra points, averaged 34.6 yards on punts and added 65 tackles as a second-team all-conference safety. His punts pinned Central Valley at the 16-, 15-, 9- and 6-yard lines in a WPIAL quarterfinal win.

Watch Mason Childress highlights

5. Joey Bayne

Franklin Regional

Senior, 5-9, 175

After making seven field goals as a sophomore, Bayne went 4 for 6 as a junior with makes from 27, 27, 28 and 29 yards. He converted 39 of 40 extra points and earned a touchback on 67% of his kickoffs (33 of 51). He fought through injury to earn first-team all-conference honors.

Watch Joey Bayne highlights

One to watch

Jacobo Echeverria Lozano

Upper St. Clair

Junior, 5-10, 165

USC had a veteran kicker a season ago who was voted first-team all-conference three years in a row. But Bennett Henderson is now a freshman at Fordham, so those kicking duties belong to Echeverria Lozano. Among juniors nationally, Kohls ranks him as the ninth-best kicker and 16th-best punter. He was the Panthers’ punter last season and averaged 34.6 yards on 28 attempts with six placed inside the 20. He also handled nine kickoffs and earned six touchbacks.

Watch Jacobo Echeverria Lozano highlights

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Position breakdowns

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | CB | S | K

Top five coaching changes for 2024

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.