Hope College kicker Evan Finch, a Pioneer High School alumnus, is on the watch list for the preseason watch list for the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Placekicker Award.
Cory Olsen | MLive.com file photo
Hope College kicker and Pioneer High School alumnus Evan Finch has been named to the preseason watch list for the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Placekicker Award.
The award is given to the nation's top placekicker in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), NCAA Division II and III, NAIA and junior college football teams. The only college football teams not included in the selection process is the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Evan Finch
The award recipient is chosen by a committee which considers both on-field performance as well as work in the community. Finch works with special education students as a swimming teacher, is a bible study leader at Hope and also volunteers with Pioneer's track team.
“He does extremely well in the classroom and on the field,” Hope football coach Dean Kreps said in a release. “He’s the real deal student-athlete.”
Finch, a 2010 Pioneer grad, led Hope in scoring during his junior season last year, totaling 45 points. He converted 33-of-35 point-after-attempts and made 4-of-4 field goal attempts with a season-long of 40 yards. For his career, Finch has 108 career points with 72-of-76 PATs made and is 12-of-16 on field-goal attempts.
Finch is is one of 34 placekickers nationally and 11 from NCAA Division III on the preseason watch list.
Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.