One of the brightest stars of Hamilton High School’s 2018 football season has come in the form of a specialist.

Senior kicker Daniel Obarski is etching his name in the record books at Hamilton, where he has already hit the longest field goal in school history—a 54-yarder in a Sept. 14 loss to Mountain Pointe.

“It’s a big relief when you look up and see it go through,” Obarski said about his record-breaking kick, one that he says is his favorite moment playing football.

Obarski is ranked the No. 18 kicker in the 2019 class, according to Kohl’s, a Wisconsin-based organization that ranks specialists and holds camps around the country. Kohl’s creates recruiting rankings for ESPN, and they select the Under Armour High School All-Americans annually at their National Scholarship Camp.

In addition to his No. 18 ranking, Obarski is also rated a five-star recruit, which has helped him earn college offers from Army, Air Force, and Purdue.

While he is now a highly touted recruit on the field, Obarski also plays hockey for a team that represents his school in the Arizona High School Hockey Association. On the night following his record-breaking field goal, he scored a game-winning goal on the ice.

“I knew it would be hard to get noticed playing hockey,” Obarski said. The Minnesota-native said that this ultimately led him to join football in high school.

Obarski is a perfect 22-for-22 on extra points this season and has made seven of his nine field goal attempts. Before the 54-yarder, his previous long on the season had been 37 yards, according to MaxPreps.

Obarski’s numbers speak for themselves this season, but they aren’t the only mark that he has made on the Hamilton football program. He has become a role model for another kicker one year younger than him.

Colin Fuller, a junior wide receiver who also serves as a holder on field goals, is currently next in line behind Obarski at the kicker position.

“He has definitely taught me a lot already,” Fuller said. “Not only in just the kicking game, but also how to get ready mentally in pregame, during practices, and just learning to have fun with the game of football.”

Fuller said that he intends to pass on the wisdom he has gotten from Obarski to other future kickers in the program.

While kickers can often seem like outsiders on their own sideline, Obarski has earned the respect of his peers. Teammates see the value of the contributions he makes.

“If we get into a tough situation on offense, he still gets us points,” junior linebacker Jeremiah Trojan said. “He does it all, even when it comes to punting and kickoffs. He’s truly an incredible kicker.”

“I know that he is a very intelligent student and I can always ask him for help in the classroom as well,” Fuller said. “He hasn’t had a single problem with players or coaches and is very well-liked throughout the locker room.”

With four games left in the regular season, there is still time for Obarski to leave a lasting impact on the program. He said that he would like to break the record for most field goals in a game if the opportunity comes about.

Obarski can be seen in action at Phoenix College on Friday at 7 p.m., when Hamilton will open its regional schedule against Brophy Prep.