Where there’s a Wills: Greer kicker talks intense game-winning field goal

Greer K Wills Ryan sent the Jackets to the second round of the Class 4-A playoffs with a 25-yard game-winning field goal. But it didn’t come without complications — and some controversy.

Greer kicker Wills Ryan experienced his wildest rollercoaster of emotions on Friday night.

He felt it all in the span of five minutes.

With 14 seconds left, Greer trailed Indian Land 28-26. Greer had the ball inside the Indian Land 10-yard line. Fourth down. A spot in the second round of the 4-A playoffs hung in the balance.

Greer head coach Will Young called Ryan’s number.

“I was warming up on the sidelines, not letting anybody talk to me,” said Ryan. “Coach Young called ‘field goal,’ so we ran onto the field.”

The kick was from about 20 yards out — no further than an extra point. Ryan lined up to kick. He was nervous, trying not to think too much about the attempt. Unfortunately, two straight penalties — an offsides on Indian Land and a false start by Greer — gave him five more yards to cover, and about two more minutes to think. An Indian Land timeout gave him 30 seconds more.

“That alone lasted a couple of minutes before I could even kick,” said Ryan. “I ran off the field during the timeout, got loose again, and came back on.”

Ryan finally managed to attempt the kick, now from 25 yards instead of the original 20. The snap was clean. Ryan swung his right leg through the ball.

Doink.

Off the left upright. Ryan’s kick missed, and Greer’s playoff journey had ended early.

Or so he thought.

Ryan fell to the ground after the kick. An Indian land rusher had run into his plant leg. As Ryan sat on the grass, deflated with his head down, he saw a yellow flag land next to him.

Personal foul. Roughing the kicker. Half the distance to the goal.

Ryan would get another shot.

“They hit me in my plant leg and I fell, and they also hit [wide receiver] Brock Diggins, who was the holder,” said Ryan. “The call was for roughing the kicker, but they roughed the holder too.”

After the game, many fans and supporters took to social media to either defend or disagree with the call. It was one of the most hotly-discussed topics of Friday night’s round one slate across South Carolina.

Ryan said the referees made the right call.

“They hit me, and I fell,” said Ryan. “It’s about protecting that plant leg, because they could break it if it gets hit.

“It was a rollercoaster, for sure. I was disappointed with myself when I missed it… but when I saw that flag come out, I knew I had to make up for it.”

And when Ryan got a second chance at the kick, he made no mistake. He drilled it down the middle to give Greer a 29-28 win.

“I couldn’t hear anything. I couldn’t hear what people were saying. It was white noise. I just saw the ball get snapped, saw the hold, and kicked it.

“It was dead straight. I knew it was good as soon as it came off my foot.”

Ryan’s teammates mobbed him and celebrated with him as the sophomore kicker had kept Greer’s playoff run alive. Coach Young cracked a joke with Ryan after the game.

“He congratulated me,” said Ryan. “Then he was like, ‘You really couldn’t have just made it on the first try?’

“But man, it was awesome. You just can’t describe it. I wanted to do it for those seniors who were potentially playing in their last games. And I did.”

Ryan and the Yellow Jackets will hit the field again Friday as Greer takes on Greenville in round two of the 4-A playoffs. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. from Dooley Field.