Townie to kick for Penn State

There has been little talk this off-season of who will be handling the placekicking duties at Penn State. This is somewhat surprising considering Kevin Kelly graduated as the all-time leading scorer in Penn State and Big Ten history.

We thought there was a good chance Kelly's replacement would be Anthony Fera, the class of 2009's second-best kicker, but it turns out a local kid is at the top of the depth chart...

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At least for the moment, the job of starting kicker for the 2009 season is Collin Wagner’s to lose, providing a memorable end to dreams held for a decade...

“It’s one of those things, you’ve waited your whole life to do. I was a Penn State fan all my life and I never thought I would be in this position. Now I am, so I’ve got to make the most of it. I’ve got to win out the starting spot before anything happens. If that happens, I’ll be ready to go.”

Nothing is being taken for granted, especially after the addition of freshman Anthony Fera, who was a highly sought recruit from Cypress, Texas.

Fera is strong and built almost like a linebacker — his other position at St. Pius X High School— at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds. He made 37 of 39 PAT attempts and 8 of 9 field goals during his senior year, including a 58-yarder, while forcing a touchback on nearly every one of his kickoffs. He also kicked in the Under Armor All-America High School Football Game in January, booting a pair of field goals and three PATs.

Head coach Joe Paterno knew he had a gem in the recruit, but he is just hoping the freshman, who enrolled in school in January, can be a little more consistent...

“He has a strong leg, but he’s all over the place right now. If we get his footwork down, I think he’ll be pretty good.”

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