Pittsburg senior Anthony Rueda signed his national letter of intent Wednesday afternoon to play football at Coffeyville Community College.

Rueda converted from being a soccer player to being a football player — a kicker — during his junior year and he proved to be successful enough that he’s now continuing his academic and athletic career at the next level.

“I’m feeling great,” Rueda said. “I woke up this morning and I got up feeling great. I was a little nervous, a little anxious, but nothing crazy. Going into my junior year, I was expecting to just play soccer, but things happened, it is what it is and I just kept my chin up. Coach Latt was there, asked me if I wanted to kick and it was something new. I was eager to learn.

“I’ve learned a lot from other players, coaches, everything. Beginning my junior year, when I went to go kick, I hardly knew anything and I went to work and learned a lot of techniques, a lot of fundamentals, everything.”

“I remember two years ago, you were down a little bit,” Pittsburg football coach Josh Lattimer said. “Things didn’t work out in soccer and I said, ‘Hey, come on in here and try and kick a football. Have you ever kicked a football before?’ ’Nah, not really.’ Ended up being a pretty good dang kicker, one of the best in (Class) 5A.

“You were a weapon for us, on scoring. Pretty automatic on PATs. I remember this year, we called a timeout against Topeka High. Went out to the huddle, called you out and said, ‘Hey, if we make this 40-yard field goal, we’ll go to Dairy Queen and get some Blizzards.’

“So, the boys upfront did their part, you did your part and nailed a 40-yard field goal. You would have thought we had won the Super Bowl. That’s something I’m going to remember from this season for a long, long, long time. When I looked into your eyes, you were confident. … That’s why we went with it. On your kickoffs, you were money and then just the morale of the team around you. You were a good teammate.”

What goes through Rueda’s mind when kicking a 40-yard field goal?

“I try to keep everything repetition, whether it’s kicking a 40-yard field goal, a 50-yard field goal, a PAT,” Rueda said. “I look to everything as the same kick, same motion, same form, same everything, try and keep everything repetition.”

Rueda talked about what made him want to go to Coffeyville and join the Red Ravens.

“The coaches, they also have a lot of new equipment and the environment there, it felt right,” Rueda said. “It’s close to town. Obviously, it’s not Pittsburg State, but Coffeyville is still close and it’s a great program, a great place with great coaches and great environment.”

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/