Philpot always willing to lend a foot

WYLIE PREVIEW

By Joshua Parrott
Reporter-News Staff Writer
August 24, 2003

Ever since he could walk, Aaron Philpot was kicking a soccer ball.

For the past 13 years, the lanky Wylie senior with “Pistol” Pete Maravich-like locks has darted and dodged defenders on the soccer field well enough to play among the state’s elite soccer players on a club team in Dallas.

This past summer, his experience on the soccer field translated into the football opportunity of a lifetime with 91 of his peers at the 2003 Lone Star Kicking Challenge in College Station.

“It’s an invitational for Texas high school kickers from Class 1A schools to 5A,” said Philpot, who connected on 5-of-8 field goals and 28-of-30 extra-point attempts as a kicker last season. “It was an awesome experience. The A&M kicker (sophomore Todd Pegram) was there, and the coaches taught us different ways to approach a ball and little mechanics that will help us kick better and farther.”

Pegram isn’t a bad choice to take kicking tips from — he converted 12 field goals and 32-of-33 extra-point attempts as the first true freshman kicker to start in College Station in more than 15 years.

This time last year while Pegram was adjusting to the rigors of Division I football, Philpot was adjusting to his first season as a varsity player in Wylie football program and his third high school in less than three years.

Due to his father’s job as a sales center manager with Coca-Cola, Philpot lived in China Springs outside of Waco for three years, then spent one year at San Benito High School in California and the past two-and-a-half years at Wylie.

“I always wanted to play football, but I just moved around so much I never got the chance,” said the 6-foot, 170-pound athlete, who kicked a 50-yard field goal last season against Sweetwater. “Once eighth-grade year came around, I tried out and got to play. I’ve loved it.”

Soccer still isn’t far from Philpot’s heart. This past season, he led the Bulldog soccer team in total points and to four district victories in the program’s first season, not to mention two 1-0 losses at the hands of state-power Granbury.

Philpot isn’t alone as a senior returning starter. In fact, only two starters aside from Philpot return: senior center Eric Wilson and junior defensive tackle Tyler Crump.

Philpot, who also plays wide receiver and strong safety, said he is looking forward to a senior season in which he and Wilson are team leaders.

“He’ll get people worked up, and he’s an awesome athlete,” said Philpot of the 6-3, 250-pound Wilson. “He tries his best at everything. He’s a leader.”

On the other hand, Wilson has lived in Abilene his entire life.

The big center said he knows what he and Philpot need to do for this team coming off a 9-3 district championship season.

“We need to be examples on the field,” said Wilson, who played defensive tackle all of his sophomore season but exclusively at center as a junior. “Being seniors here, we pretty much set the pace for what’s going to happen. If we set an example, the sophomores and juniors are going to follow. We’ve got to step up because we can’t do it by ourselves. We need to lead these guys.”

Another way the two returning seniors lead their team is by being sure teammates spend time together off the playing field.

During the first week of fall practice, a team lunch was held at senior quarterback Jordan Hibbs’ house. Also, after every Thursday practice during the season, the Bulldogs will gather at a local restaurant and enjoy this overlooked time spent as friends off the gridiron.

Both Philpot and Wilson dream of donning the burnt orange and white jerseys for Mack Brown at the University of Texas but understand such an opportunity is out of their hands.

“We don’t have much control over that,” Wilson said.

“Everybody just needs to do their best out there,” Philpot said. “We all need to contribute and work together.”

Wylie head football coach Hugh Sandifer has nothing but good things to say about the multi-position, multi-sport Philpot.

“He understands team concepts and what it takes to be a leader,” Sandifer said. “Any attention that would come his way, he would also give credit to those who helped him do it.”

Philpot has learned well from his coach.

“Kicking isn’t just about the kick itself,” Philpot said. “We’ll all working together for that goal. It’s not just the kick; it’s the hold and the snap. It’s a team thing.”