Field goals and point after tries decide games many times during the grind of a football season.
For senior Bryant place-kicker Hayden Ray, this year's attempts will be even more crucial, not only for his team, but for children across the world battling childhood cancer.
During the summer, Ray participated in a Kohl's Kicking Camp to help better his skills. While there, Kick-It, a program with Flashes of Hope, presented the idea of taking donations and pledges during the upcoming season for each field goal and PAT made with all of the money helping fund childhood cancer research.
"I went back to my dad and told him it would be awesome and that I would really want to do that," Ray said.
Since that time, Ray has joined the Kick-It program and has launched his website, taking donations and pledges for the upcoming Hornets season.
To help in the fight for a cure to childhood cancer, participants can visit Ray's site at www.kick-it.org/games/2016/09/hayden-ray.
Individuals can donate a set amount or can pledge a cash amount that will be multiplied by Ray's total points at the end of the 2016 season. For example, if Ray scores 60 points this year, a $2 pledge will net $120 toward the research push.
See Ray's full article in today's issue of The Saline Courier.