Hometown heroes: Clover’s Nick Sciba becomes most accurate kicker in NCAA history, more
The Wake Forest football program had a momentous Friday night — one that saw the Demon Deacons earn a statement win that improved them to 4-0 and catapulted them into the latest AP Top-25 rankings.
It turned out to be a huge night for York County, too.
Nick Sciba, a Clover High School alum and Wake Forest’s four-year starting kicker, nailed three field goals and four extra points in a 37-17 win over Virginia en route to breaking the Wake Forest football scoring record this weekend. He’s now been responsible for 338 points as a Demon Deacon — and his team still has eight games remaining on its 2021 regular season schedule.
That’s not all: Friday’s performance also made him (at least for the moment) the most accurate place kicker in NCAA history. Sciba has now made 90.1% of his kicks in his college career, surpassing the 90% record long-held by Brett Baer, a kicker at Louisiana at Lafayette who graduated in 2012.
“This is a goal I set for myself when I committed to (Wake Forest), so seeing it come true is a blessing,” Sciba wrote in a tweet on Saturday morning. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the protection from the beef boys, and the snap and holds. All the glory to the man upstairs.”
Making history was part of Sciba’s legacy before Friday: Sciba at one point in his college career had converted on 34 consecutive field goals, which broke an NCAA record that still stands today. (And he did that after experiencing one of the lowest moments of his time in Winston-Salem — one that has helped define his kicking career and life.)
Sciba was also a semifinalist in 2020 for the Lou Groza Award, which is widely considered the Heisman Trophy for college kickers, and he was an ESPN first-team All-American selection in 2019.
4 next-level, notable performers from York and Chester County
Malik Williams, App State. The Appalachian State receiver and Chester High School graduate was a factor in a wild, 31-30 win over Marshall this weekend. He caught three passes for 28 yards — adding to his already impressive stat line of 14 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns through four games in 2021.
Cordarelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons. The Northwestern High School graduate finished Sunday with six receptions for 82 yards in the Falcons’ first win of 2021 over the New York Giants. He has 13 receptions, a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown through three games in 2021.
Jaylin Lane, Middle Tennessee State. The Clover High School graduate and one of the best receivers to come through York County in the last decade is having a good sophomore season. This past week, Lane (son of Clover head coach Brian Lane) caught four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown — a pretty routine day for the receiver, who has caught 12 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.
Jadeveon Clowney, Cleveland Browns. The once-South Pointe and South Carolina Gamecock phenom has found a home with the Cleveland Browns — and he’s playing well. Against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, he notched three tackles and two sacks, pushing him into the NFL’s top-20 for sacks on the season. The Browns (2-1) look like a playoff team.
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 2:40 PM.
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