Kip Smith was kind of stunned when the ball was in the air. But after registering a 67-yard field goal Friday night, the Legacy High senior got his name on the state books and flittered with the national record.
Near the end of the second quarter of the Legacy-Mountain Range game at North Stadium, Mountain Range punted to Legacy and the Lightning called for a fair catch at its 43-yard line.
Legacy coach Wayne Voorhees sent out Smith for a free kick field-goal attempt from 67 yards. As a free kick, Smith was able to put the ball on a tee.
Smith’s booming kick was more than good — according to some, it would have been good from 72 yards — and topped the 64-yarder by Eaglecrest’s Dustin Griffiths in 2001.
“It was kind of like, ‘Wow, did I really just do that?’ ” said Smith, who has committed to Minnesota and will kick in the Under Armour All-American Game in January. “While it was in the air I was real anxious.”
Said Voorhees: “We wanted to give him a chance. I didn’t do the math on how far it actually was at first, but I knew he had the leg to at least knock it in the end zone.”
Smith, who said he was comfortable from 65 yards and in on a regular field-goal attempt, is just 1 yard off the national record set by Dirk Borgognone of Reno, Nev., in 1985.
“I can’t imagine anybody going any farther,” Smith said.
And if there are any thoughts of trying to break the record?
“I don’t see it happening, especially with those cold November games we have here,” Smith said.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-6354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
