BUTTE — If Casey Kautzman gets what he's wishing for, Naranche Stadium will some day see a lot fewer footballs tumbling from the sky onto the Main Street sidewalk on Friday nights in the fall.
The first-team all-state Butte High senior will be running a kicking camp along with the Bulldog coaching staff -- as well as some players from Montana Tech, Montana and Montana State -- at the end of the month and he'll be donating all proceeds from that event to helping outfit his home field with some new equipment.
"My hope and dream is to get a big old kicking net behind the field goal posts," said Kautzman, whose chased down countless balls that found themselves being booted out of the stadium during practice. "Either side, whatever side. And just make the next generation of kickers be able to practice that much more efficiently."
Kautzman was inspired to host a camp by Billings West kicker Riley Bergeson, a U.S. Naval Academy commit, who ran a similar program in June.
"That kind of sparked the idea for me," Kautzman said.
He also knows that teaching will provide him with a fresh perspective on his game.
"When you can teach something you're able to master it a little bit more," Kautzman said. "That's what I was last year. If I was able to explain it, it was able to help me kind of break down how I kick."
Kautzman said he's hoping to see 25-30 participants at the camp which will take place Wednesday, July 28 from 2-5 p.m. at Naranche. The camp is open to boys and girls in all grades.
"I hope they have a fun time, have an awesome day up here at Naranche and it's a good memory," Kautzman said. "Maybe they learn how to kick, how to punt or maybe even how to throw."
Come August, Kautzman will turn his attention to his senior football season. He's established himself as one of the most consistent and clutch kickers in the state. The 2021 season will be his final chance to show recruiters what he can do as he looks to continue kicking in college.
"Just felt like yesterday I was a freshman walking into Butte High," Kautzman said. "It's kind of unreal. So time flies by for sure."
