Ooltewah's Laszlo Toser was chosen TSSAA Kicker of the Year at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards ceremony Monday at Murfreesboro.
Laszlo Toser of OoltewahOoltewah's Laszlo Toser was chosen TSSAA Kicker of the Year at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards ceremony Monday at Murfreesboro.
Toser has been an unheralded star at Ooltewah, one of those guys who is almost an afterthought except to a coach.
"Unless you follow us or are involved with football, it's hard to explain how valuable he is," Owls coach Mac Bryan said of his kicker. "Most every time we kick off the other team is going to have to start at the 20. All but six or seven of his kickoffs have gone through the end zone, and it leaves the other guys looking at an 80-yard drive to score."
Toser, who has made 51 of 52 PATs and 11 of 15 field-goal tries, including a 52-yarder, was asked this year also to punt.
"He's averaged a little more than 31 yards per punt, but the net punting is only a yard less. That's helpful, too, because it we don't have many punts returned," Bryan said. "And while we haven't kicked more than two or three long field goals, I know that if we're getting close to the end of the half that all we have to do is get to the 30 or 35 and we've likely got a field goal."
Three other Chattanooga-area athletes were among the three finalists nominated in their respective categories but did not win. They are Marion County's Blake Zeman (Class A back); Signal Mountain's Harrison Moon (Class AA lineman); and McCallie's Alex Trotter (Division II-AA back).
McCallie running back Alex Trotter, Signal Mountain lineman Harrison Moon, Marion County running back/linebacker Blake Zeman and Ooltewah kicker Laszlo Toser were all named named TSSAA Mr. Football finalists in their respective classifications.
This is the 30th year that the Mr. Football awards have been presented to Tennessee's top high school football players.
Read more in tomorrow's Times Free Press.