JOHN CARROLL FOOTBALL Theofilos makes most of opportunity

By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
George Theofilos kicked for only one season of football at Howland High as a senior in 1999, and started only the final game of that year against Canfield.
But last week, as a junior placekicker for John Carroll University, Theofilos was named the Ohio Athletic Conference special teams player of the week for a record-setting performance.
In only his third game as John Carroll's regular placekicker, Theofilos converted all 10 extra points he attempted in the Blue Streaks' 73-0 rout of Otterbein, to establish a single game school record.
He is 23-for-24 in the three-game span and 2-for-2 in field goals for 29 points, to rank fifth on the team in scoring.
Theofilos has helped John Carroll to an 8-1 record, including 7-1 in the OAC, entering the regular season finale Saturday against Capital.
Theofilos, who played four years of soccer at Howland for coach George Cappellas before giving football a try, has come a long way in a short time.
Listens and learns
He credits much of his success to the advice and competition received from teammates, including sophomore Dino Zuzic, who was the starting placekicker earlier in the season.
"We always challenged each other throughout [camp]. Early in the season, he had the upper hand and was getting most of the opportunities. But I just stuck with it. It was a good situation because we tried to make each other better. I improved a lot since I came into camp."
So while Zuzic got to kick in the games, Theofilos practiced and watched and learned and waited.
Zuzic went 21-for-26 in conversions and 5-for-8 in field goals. But he was injured and began to lose his touch.
"He may have strained his leg. He felt he was kicking too much," said Theofilos. "He has lost a lot of power and accuracy and I actually started kicking better. I had been doing well in practice and the coaches felt I earned my shot."
Opportunity knocks
Theofilos finally got his chance against Heidelberg on Oct. 26, and responded by making eight extra points, which tied the school record, and a 33-yard field goal in the Blue Streaks' 59-21 win.
The next week, he went 4-for-4 against Muskingum before turning in his record-breaking 10-for-10 show against Otterbein Nov. 9.
"My biggest improvement was this year," said Theofilos. My accuracy [has improved]. I always knew that I would have the power and the leg to kick, but the main asset you can have as a placekicker is accuracy, and that's when you can be of benefit to your team.
"I was lucky because we have been scoring so much which has given me opportunity."
But he emphasized he couldn't have done it all without his teammates.
"I also I have had great blockers. My line has been fantastic. I owe it to all the players on the team," he said, including snapper Sonny Hovan and holder Brian Shellito.
Valuable advice
Theofilos believes he learned the most from David Vitatoe, a former placekicker for John Carroll.
"[Vitatoe] was probably one of my biggest influences as a kicker technique-wise. He was a fifth-year senior when I was a freshman. He really taught me a lot of the basic techniques. He helped me through that freshman year when I came in," said Theofilos.
The son of Maria and Dino Theofilos, George is majoring in management with a 3.2 grade-point average.
kovach@vindy.com