Seybold came through in clutch for Potomac
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By Dave Fawcett
Published: September 14, 2008
But he had to know. Did he make the kick?
A few minutes earlier, Jerry Seybold had lined up for the biggest moment of his athletic career.
He’d never attempted a field goal in a varsity game. Heck, he’d never even played in a varsity game before Friday night’s home contest against Osbourn Park.
Called up from the junior varsity, Seybold was a mid-week addition with one specific duty: handle the kick-offs.
But his role suddenly changed Friday night after Potomac’s first kicker, Anthony Edwards, had missed a 36-yard attempt with under two minutes left. Edwards was out of gas after having played the whole game, leaving head coach Tony Lilly with only one choice when the Panthers got in position for another field-goal try with under 10 seconds remaining.
Lilly turned to his skinny 5-foot-10 novice down at the end of the bench who was wearing a number that wasn’t even listed on the varsity roster and told him to get out on the field.
The 15-year-old sophomore was ready.
“There was no deer in the headlights look from him,” Lilly said.
In only his second game ever as a football player and without warming up, the soccer convert dug in and cleanly connected on a 21-yard field goal with three seconds on the clock to lift the Panthers to a 3-0 win.
At first, Potomac’s fans, players and coaches erupted in celebration, but their emotions became subdued as the hero of the night remained down on the field, holding his leg.
Seybold had been inadvertently hit after his follow-through by a rush of Osbourn Park players looking to block the kick. The contact left Seybold with a broken femur. It also left him without any idea whether his kick had given Potomac the victory.
But he had to know. So Seybold, still laying on the field, looked up at Lilly and asked the only question on his mind: did he make the kick?
“I told him, ‘It was an amazing kick, you won the ball game for us,’ ” Lilly said.
Seybold had played soccer since he was five, but he got hooked on football after watching Potomac’s all-state kicker Eric Dobratz.
Seybold had first noticed Dobratz while serving as a ball boy for Potomac’s boys soccer team.
Dobratz, like Seybold, was a soccer player as well before devoting himself full-time to football last fall.
With a booming left foot, Dobratz developed into one of Potomac’s most dangerous weapons last season in helping the Panthers reach the Division 5 state final.
“He watched Eric and thought, ‘I can do that,’ ” said Seybold’s father Jerry.
One day last year, it became clear to Jerry Seybold Sr. that his son might have some talent in kicking a football.
It started off as a bet. Seybold told his father that he could kick a 20-yard field goal.
Offering up $5, Jerry Seybold Sr. bet his son he couldn’t make it.
The younger Seybold won and next thing you know, Jerry Seybold Sr. had registered his son for a two-day Ray Guy kicking camp in June at Fairfax High School.
It was unbearably hot both those days, but Seybold was thrilled with what he was learning.
“I asked him how it went and he said “I loved it,” Jerry Seybold Sr. said.
Seybold began the season on the junior varsity, but Lilly was impressed enough with the player’s abilities to give him a chance on the varsity.
Osbourn Park was coming to Potomac and featured a dangerous return player in sophomore Dominique Terrell.
Lilly instructed Seybold to kick the ball away from Terrell and Seybold did what he was told.
But other than that responsibility, Seybold figured his night was done until the last-second call came to kick the field goal.
Jerry Seybold Sr. watched his son’s shining moment unfold while standing next to a fence at Potomac’s stadium.
Once his son converted the game-winner, Jerry Seybold Sr. started slapping people’s hands. It wasn’t until he noticed that his son wasn’t celebrating with his teammates on the field that he realized something was wrong.
“His helmet was still on the ground,” Jerry Seybold Sr. said.
Both of Seybold’s parents rushed to the field, but remained calm in the face of so much uncertainty.
In the meantime, medical personnel tended to Seybold. After about 15 minutes, Seybold was taken by ambulance to Potomac Hospital.
Needing a specialist, Seybold was then transferred to Fairfax Hospital so he could be operated on.
The surgery was done early Saturday morning. Three screws were placed in his leg.
Depending on the swelling and how he does with the crutches, Seybold could be home no later than today.
Although his season is over for this year, there’s no doubt Friday’s performance showed Seybold’s true character.
The new kid on the team had delivered. If people didn’t know much about him before Friday, they knew plenty now. Potomac had won the game, but they also found a future star with a stomach for pressure-filled situations.
“I’m excited about this kid,” Lilly said. “Once he gets his leg healed, we might have a nice kicker for two years.”
David Fawcett is the sports editor of the News & Messenger. Reach him at (703) 878-8052 or at
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