GROVE CITY — Brian Murone hasn't had many opportunities to show off the power of his right leg this season.

A senior place kicker on the Grove City High football team, Murone has gotten most of his work booting extra points and booming kickoffs for the powerful Eagles.

“I know it was a little disappointing for him because we go for it on fourth down so much because we have so much confidence in our offense,” said Grove City coach Jeff Bell. “Would he have liked to have more opportunities? Yes. But I tell you what, he came to practice and worked hard every day and when we needed him, boy did he step up.”

Grove City needed him last Friday against Cathedral Prep in the District 10 Class AAA title game.

Murone hit a 42-yard field goal at the end of the half to give the Eagles a lift and a 10-0 lead heading into the break and hit a 28-yard attempt in the third quarter for a 13-0 lead on the way to a 33-0 win.

He also perfectly executed an onside kick at the start of the third quarter.

“The whole season I worked hard in practice,” Murone said. “Every week I put the work in because I knew we'd need a kick eventually.”

Murone was confident he could make the 42-yard attempt at the end of the half because in pregame he was clearing the bar from that distance into the stiff wind at Erie Veterans Stadium.

His kick to cap the second quarter came with the wind at his back.

“I asked him if he could make that kick,” Bell said. “Of course, like any kicker, he said, ‘Yes.' He went right out there and banged it through.”

Murone isn't a stranger to pressure situations.

He's a star on a baseball team that won the District 10 title last season and was a key player on a soccer team at the school that reached the district playoffs.

Murone has also been accurate on extra points this season — and had plenty of them. Murone has converted 74 PATs and is second on the team behind senior fullback Wes Phipps with 83 points.

In fact, Murone was eighth in the Butler County area in scoring.

His path to the football team was a strange one.

The kicker at Grove City is usually a senior soccer player, but last season, Murone filled the void as a junior.

“I always wanted to play football as a little kid on up,” said Murone, who at 5-9 and 140-pounds, certainly fits the build for a kicker. “So, when no one else stepped up, I jumped at the chance.

Murone hit 47 extra points and two field goals last season for the Eagles.

This season, Murone battled a pair of ankle injuries and a dead leg from soccer.

Now that soccer season has ended, the length of his kickoffs and field goal range has increased.

“In preseason, he was kicking a few into the end zone,” Bell said. “I was thinking, ‘Man, great. We have a kicker who can really boom the ball.' Then they got shorter and shorter. Now, he's kicking them in the end zone again.”

And Murone is also adept at placing his kicks.

Against Prep and its speedy returners, Murone was good at arching high kicks toward the sidelines that gave the Ramblers little opportunity to do anything with it.

“We get creative,” Murone said. “That was a lot of work after soccer practices.”

Murone also is carrying on another tradition for kickers at Grove City: wearing the No. 99.

It started nearly 10 years ago and has continued since.

“Our kicker was always a soccer player and would come get his uniform after everyone else,” Bell said. “We had 50-some kids and only 60 uniforms, so the only numbers that were left were 71, 58 and 99. The 99 got taken. It kind of caught on. I tell you what, I'm certainly glad Brian is wearing it this season.”