Autumn in Texas means the hype of Friday night lights. High school football often consumes much of the conversations of students during school, especially on Fridays. West has a winning team, but they would have a hard time without the help of the special teams. West is often regarded as having one of the most efficient special teams in the district. It is composed of punter Damon Foncham, kicker Parker Davidson and long snapper Chris Clark—all of whom are seniors. Each player must work together to make the plays go smoothly.

A crucial role of the special teams is punting, which is done after the offense cannot gain any more yards after a third down to give the ball back to the opposing team. Foncham has this responsibility in order to make sure the defense has the best possible advantage.

“On fourth down, I do my best to pin the other team deep,” Foncham said. “Field position is a big deal, so the better I punt the ball, the better situation the team is in.”

Another vital role, especially on scoring drives, is the kicker. Davidson must either score an extra point after a successful touchdown, kick a field goal for three points after being unable to make a touchdown, or do the kickoff to the other team after the offense has scored. Davidson has proved to succeed at this job.

“I just broke the district and school record for a 53-yard field goal,” Davidson said. “In addition to that, I won National Kicker of the Week by Kohl’s Kicking for my performance in the game versus Hebron.”

The key that makes all of the kicks possible is the long snapper Clark. He waits for the call from the referees and coaches, and then snaps the ball 15 yards to either Davidson or Foncham so that they can complete their duties in kicking. While his position is not commonly recognized, Clark is happy to play as the long snapper.

“I like my position because it is something I have been doing for a while and I don’t really have to worry about getting injured,” Clark said. “It’s something I take pride in.”

The trio plays well together, making the tedious parts of the game flow better.

“All three of us have been together for a while now: we grew up together and we went to the same school, so we have created this bond with each other,” Davidson said. “We have created a good friendship.”