Casa kicker commits to WSUAcademics are a key factor in Abramo’s college decision

For Casa Grande High School kicker Matt Abramo, Washington State is a perfect fit academically and athletically.

Abramo, who is starting his senior year and final football season at Casa Grande High School, has verbally committed to attend Washington State, and, for him, it is not all about football. It is telling that when he explains his reasons for choosing Washington State he begins with academics.

“It has everything I want,” he said. “It has a great engineering program. I want to be a civil engineer, and I liked the whole atmosphere.”

Of course, football is important. “They have a great football program,” Abramo said. “They are getting better. They will probably be at the top of the Pac-12 this year.”

He said he had been contacted by several other schools, but felt there was no need to delay making his decision. “I saw everything I needed to see at Washington State,” he explained. “It is where I want to play football and get my degree.”

It is rare for a North Bay kicker to receive a scholarship offer, especially to a Division I school. The last anyone can remember from south county is Petaluma High’s Nick Marsh, who signed to play at Utah University and finished up with a solid season as both kicker and punter at Rutgers last year.

But, Abramo is a rare talent.

“He is one of the best kickers in the nation,” maintained Casa Grande football coach Trent Herzog. “He is incredible. I would bet that every one of his kickoffs goes into the end zone this year.”

Abramo went to five kicking camps this summer, and made the finals in every one of them, winning at a Chris Sailer Kicking Camp held in Las Vegas. The Sailer camps, run by former pro kicker Chris Sailer, rank Abramo the No. 13 kicking prospect in the nation among the recruiting class of 2015.

In his review of Abramo, Sailer writes on his web site: “Matt is a very talented kicker. He has perhaps the strongest leg in the nation. Hits a very nice ball off the ground. Field goals show huge potential. Kickoffs are outstanding and D1 ready. He has a bright college future. Has a great attitude and work ethic. Excellent prospect.”

More than a kicker, Abramo has a strong community awareness. Once again this year, he will be kicking for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a national nonprofit organization that raises funds for childhood cancer research. It is a project he started as a varsity sophomore to aid C.J. Banaszek, a courageous 13-year-old who died in July after battling leukemia for more than two years. The kicker has pledged $5 for every PAT kick he makes and $10 to $20 (depending on distance) for every field goal. He has asked others to join him in pledging funds based on his kicking.

If the college permits, it is a practice he would like to continue as he moves on to Washington State.

While he anticipates moving on to college, Abramo has yet to hit his full potential as a prep kicker.

After a good start as a sophomore, he was in the midst of an outstanding junior season, making 10 of 16 field goals and routinely kicking off into the end zone, when he had his season cut short by an injury, forcing him to miss all of the Gauchos’ North Coast Section playoff games.

He said he is now “100 percent” or maybe “120 percent” healthy and anxious for the season to start. “Hopefully I can set some records,” he added.

In addition to kicking, Abramo will also handle punting chores for the Gauchos this year. “Punting is a lot different,” he observed, “but if you hit the ball right, it is awesome.”

“Awesome” is a word that well describes where the 16-year-old is in his kicking, academic and entire - life.