Cherry still aims to kick in the AFL

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

May 28, 2008 Last Updated: May 28, 2008 10:31 AM Professional

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Jason Cherry isn't kicking a football just for kicks.

The 1998 Butler graduate, in his first year with the Huntington Heroes of the American Indoor Football Association, continues to have his eye on a career in the Arena Football League or NFL.

"The average age of kickers in those leagues is a lot older than I am now,"said Cherry, 27. "As long as I stay healthy, this is what I want to do and that's where I want to go."

Cherry is in his fourth year in the AIFA. He played for the Johnstown franchise the past three years.

When financial woes forced Johnstown's team to fold after last season, Cherry tried out and made the team in Huntington.

Huntington's franchise is under new ownership this year and on its third head coach in 2008.

The players are supposed to be paid weekly, but they went three weeks without a paycheck earlier this season. When the coaches weren't paid, the team refused to board a bus to Florence, Ky., and forfeited its scheduled game there.

The original coaches this year left because of that situation. The second head coach, Carlos Clayton, was released by the team three days ago. Bill Blankenship is the current head coach.

The Heroes were 5-1 through six games, but 10 players went elsewhere after growing tired of awaiting their paychecks. Huntington has slipped to 5-5 as a result.

"Eventually, we all got caught up money-wise, but the delay cost us some good players," Cherry said. "It's a shame, because we were very good.

"It gets frustrating at times, dealing with money issues, but you have to stick it out if you really want to play."

Cherry has never tired of football. He was Butler's kicker for three years, won a Division I-AAnational championship at the University of Massachusetts, then had an injury curtail his one season at Slippery Rock University.

Cherry has spent the past few years coaching the Butler High kickers during the fall while being an arena football kicker during the spring. Huntington's regular season ends June 21.

Despite the turmoil surrounding his team, Cherry has developed into one of the top kickers in the AIFA.

He has booted 12 of 25 field goal attempts — 11 of 11 from 29 yards and in. Cherry has connected on only one field goal from between 30 and 39 yards and has misfired on all eight of his attempts from beyond 40 yards.

Arena football goalposts are only 10 feet apart, however. Goalposts on collegiate and NFLfields are 18 feet apart.

"It definitely helps, kicking toward a smaller area,"Cherry said. "No matter how wide the opening, you still aim right down the middle."

Cherry also has kicked four unosthis season. An uno is a kickoff from the opposite end zone that splits the uprights — usually from 65 yards away. It gives the kicking team a point and the receiving team the ball on its 5-yard line.

J.R. Cipra of Erie leads the league with 15 unos.

A low ceiling in Huntington's arena prohibit a kicker from getting too much air under the ball.

"There's a big beam that hangs down and stretches over top of one of the set of goalposts,"Cherry said. "You need to kick more line drives to be successful here."

Earlier this season, Cherry was flown to Phoenix to try out for the AFL's Arizona Rattlers. He lost out to a kicker who has been getting the ball higher.

"I hit all 11 of my PATs and seven of nine field goal tries,"Cherry said of his tryout. "It just wasn't to be. But it showed me how close I am."

Cherry also provided competition for the regular kicker of the AFL's Columbus Destroyers recently.

"My agent's trying to promote me and I won't give up,"Cherry insisted. "My name is out there."