Albuquerque Journal

Getting A Kick From Lobo Rivals (Albuquerque Journal)
By Greg Archuleta, Journal Staff Writer

The 90-degree temperatures are cause for University of New Mexico football players to stay hydrated during the first week of fall camp, but that's not the reason James Aho and Drew Zamora are drinking the water.
   
Obviously, something is in the Albuquerque supply that turns UNM walk-on kickers into postseason honorees.
   
Three Lobos who joined the program as walk-ons have become first-team All-Mountain West Conference selections in the past five seasons: Wes Zunker (2003), Kenny Byrd (2006) and John Sullivan (2007).
   
Sullivan was a consensus All-America selection last season as well.
   
"I hope whatever's in the water stays in the water," kickers/punters coach Danny Gonzales says, referring to the latest Lobo hopefuls. "We need one of those guys to be good for us to be good."
   
Coach Rocky Long prefers to let walk-ons compete at kicker rather than sign one to a scholarship because he thinks the competition creates a stronger starter.
   
Aho, a Roswell High School graduate, came to UNM in the spring and climbed atop the depth chart at the end of the 15-day practice session.
   
He strained a thigh muscle at the end of spring, however, and the injury has lingered into fall camp.
   
"This summer, I wasn't able to do much," he says. "I did a lot of therapy to recover. I've just got to bite through the pain."
   
The injury doesn't seem to be affecting Aho, who's been fairly accurate on field-goal attempts and has been hitting kickoffs the farthest consistently in practice. He says as long as he doesn't think about it and subconsciously try to protect it, he hits the ball cleanly.
   
Still, fall camp is no time to be hobbling.
   
"They're killing us with legs. I was just about to go in and take an ice bath," he says, hinting that an interview request is impeding his recovery process.
   
Enter Zamora, a redshirt freshman from Colorado Springs, who is hoping to close the gap on Aho's lead for the job.
   
"I think there's pressure on both of us," Zamora says. "(Aho) has pressure to keep doing what he's doing, and I have pressure to catch up and do better than he is."
   
To deal with the pressure, Zamora worked with Byrd and Sullivan in the summer, attended former Dallas Cowboy Chris Boniol's kicking camp and sought out psychologist Dr. John Muczko, who works with Byrd.
   
"I had very little competition in high school," he says. "Out here, there's a lot more of it against a lot more guys."
   
Gordon Rowe, a true freshman out of La Cueva, also is kicking in fall camp, and Gonzales says getting all three ready is a priority. The coach says splitting kickoff and field goal duties is a distinct possibility.
   
"Last year, we started Sullivan on kickoffs as well as on field goals, and it might've been too much," Gonzales says. Kicking off from the 30-yard line "puts a lot of pressure on those guys to get it up with a four-second hang time or higher."
   
Aho and Zamora say they're in competition and they help each other. Neither expects to make national headlines like a backup punter from Northern Colorado did in 2006 when he stabbed the team's starting punter in the leg.
   
"Me and Drew are cool," Aho says, before taking a lighthearted verbal jab at his counterpart. "I don't go stab him in the leg, like they do in Colorado."
   
The battle likely will go all the way until the week before the Aug. 30 opener.
   
INJURY REPORT: Lobo back Ian Clark will wear a knee brace for the next few days after suffering a mild knee sprain. Tight end Chris Mark has been limited in practice because of a hamstring pull. Offensive tackle Sylvester Hatten (possible concussion) and safety Bubba Forrest (cut on his left hand) both left Thursday's practice early.
   
   
Aho, Zamora Waging A Friendly Duel for Top Spot
   
   
MARLA BROSE/JOURNAL
   
Kicker Drew Zamora practices a boot while James Aho, right, checks out the action.
   
    See LOBOS on PAGE C2
   
    Lobos Kickin' Out the Jams
   
    from PAGE C1
   
    Up Next
    TCU at UNM
    Aug. 30, 4 p.m.
    TV: Versus