Who will be the top kicker/punter in Salem-Keizer area high school football this fall? It's your turn to vote. The 2026 OSAA high school football season is nearing and the Statesman Journal is working around the football field to identify some of the top players at every position. After working through the entire offense and defense, it's time for the kickers and punters. Kickers and punters are a source of consistency on the football field and the people teams turn to when needed the most. Salem-Keizer area kickers bring an array of experience to high school football fields this fall and one thing is certain — kickers and punters will make an impact. Without further ado, here are the nominees for the top kicker or punter heading into the 2026 OSAA high school football season, brought to you by Maps Credit Union.
Anderson Craig, Cascade Caden Druliner, Silverton Eli Little, Silverton Brady Passage, Sprague Nicklas Schneider, Dallas
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is the most deserving at statesmanjournal.com/sports. The poll closes at noon Friday, Aug. 21.
Anderson Craig, Cascade Craig kicked field goals for the Cougars last fall as they marched through an undefeated season to a Class 4A state championship. Craig, a junior now, competes as a quarterback in addition to his placekicking duties on a Cascade team with enough returning talent to chase state glory once again.
Caden Druliner, Silverton Druliner held down the kicking role at Silverton en route to a Class 5A state championship last fall. He collected second-team all-conference in Special District 3 and is a returning senior for a Foxes team aiming for another state title Eli Little, Silverton Little was the go-to punter for the Class 5A state champion Foxes last fall as a sophomore. He's back as a junior with second-team all-conference accolades on his resume and an exciting season ahead in Silverton. Brady Passage, Sprague Passage has emerged as the Olympians' kicker in his first year with the program, bringing experience from the soccer field and multiple other sports at Sprague. Passage, a junior, is an exciting field goal and PAT kicker to have on a team hoping to take a leap this fall. Nicklas Schneider, Dallas Schnieder, a senior, was one of the top field goal kickers in Oregon last fall. He earned first-team all-conference in Class 5A Special District 3 and stamped second-team all-state honors.
Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at LBartlett@statesmanjournal.com or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Vote! Who will be Salem's top kicker/punter in high school football?