Palmer grad, Colony coach to kick for Wild

ANCHORAGE — Since taking the turf for the Alaska Wild in 2007, Jeremy Johnson has kicked around the idea of returning to the arena. Now, three years after suiting up for four games during the Wild’s inaugural season, Johnson will wear the team’s red and black jersey once again.

Johnson, a 1992 Palmer High School graduate and the longtime head coach of the Colony High School boys soccer program, has signed a contract to kick for the Wild. The placekicker signed a contract with the professional indoor football franchise on Wednesday and will kick for the team when Alaska hosts the Kent Predators on Monday night at the Sullivan Arena.

It’s a short-term deal, Johnson said. He’s filling in for Alaska’s starting kicker, who is currently away from the team. But Johnson said there may be a chance to kick again for the Indoor Football League franchise later in the season.

“If you don’t miss, they tend to want you back,” Johnson joked.

Johnson’s first priority during the spring is his duties as a Colony soccer coach. In 2007, Johnson kicked in the first two and final two Wild games of the season, during the weeks indoor football and prep soccer didn’t conflict. Even though he can’t commit 100 percent to the Wild, Johnson said he’s always kept in contact with Alaska general manager Abe Hernandez.

“I’ve always been a competitive person. I love competition,” Johnson said. “But Colony’s my first priority.”

After signing the contract on Wednesday, Johnson will have less than a week to knock the rust off his kicking game. He’ll have to quickly adjust to once again trying to boot a football through uprights that are only nine feet wide. That width is far more narrow than the 24 feet high school placekickers have to work with and the 18 feet National Football League kickers are used to.

Alaska is currently 0-1 this season after suffering a 29-28 loss in its season-opener last week. Kent is also 0-1.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.