Two years ago, Oswego’s Kaleb Stumpenhorst wasn’t sweating the small stuff as he contemplated giving up soccer for football.
Hardly.
It was a very big decision.
That summer following his sophomore year, Stumpenhorst and his Naperville-based Galaxy club in soccer team took second in a national tournament. Stumpenhorst, the team’s goalkeeper, was awarded the golden glove given to the best goalie at the event.
He had also taken up kicking and punting for Oswego’s football program as a freshman, following in the footsteps of his older brother Tanner, now a sophomore swimmer at Milwaukee.
“It was a few-month decision with my parents, trying to decide which one was going to be better because there’s really no right decision or wrong decision,” Kaleb said.
Kaleb felt he had a brighter future in football, but it took some convincing.
He comes from an athletic family. His dad, Josh, competed in track at North Central College and coaches basketball and track at the Naperville junior high where he teaches.
His mom, Christie, nee Guido, played soccer at NCC and coached Kaleb in his early years in the sport and continues to coach for Galaxy.
Dad came around first.
“It took some convincing to get her to just like the idea that I wasn’t playing it anymore,” Kaleb said of his mom and soccer. “She does not like the few times I’ve had to make some tackles, but I think no matter what sport you play, there’s always a risk of injury.
“I broke some fingers playing keeper. It was like I got more injuries doing that than I have playing football.”
Kaleb succeeded Tanner as the varsity kicker and punter last season for the Panthers and continues to improve. He credited his individual training with former Northern Illinois kicker Chris Nendick for helping him improve.
“One of my dad’s former students who kicked at Iowa State pointed us toward Chris as someone who could help me take the next step,” Kaleb said. “Definitely, technique-wise, he’s helped me a lot. And obviously, my work in the gym getting stronger and more flexibility, too.”
Stumpenhorst made a career-long field goal of 47 yards last season before topping that by connecting from 50 this season against Joliet West.
He’s competed at national camps, getting ranked by both well-known Kohl’s and Sailer services.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Stumpenhorst is in the midst of an outstanding season. He’s 11 of 16 on field-goal attempts and 27 of 28 on extra-point kicks. He’s sent 36 of 45 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks and punted 24 times for a 41.2-yard average.
Oswego coach Brian Cooney particularly likes what Stumpenhorst brings to the field-position aspect of the game for his team.
“If you’re going to drive on us, make it be 80 yards, that’s a huge advantage,” Cooney said. “Plus, with some of the burners we see back there for returns, we don’t want them bringing it back.
“Kaleb has been accurate with the distance and is much better as a senior than as a junior.”
Stumpenhorst has roster spot offers from NCAA Division III Wisconsin Platteville and Wisconsin Whitewater but will let the recruiting process play out.
Highlights for him this year were two field goals late in the first half against Oswego East.
“We were down 14-7, kicked one late in the half and they lost the kickoff on a fumble,” said Stumpenhorst, who then kicked another with too little time left to try anything else. “In a span of seven seconds, we cut the lead to 14-13.”
His 46-yard field goal late in the first half of Friday’s 17-7 Class 8A playoff opener against Naperville North was his most pressure-packed attempt.
“Down 7-0, we needed to get on the board,” he said. “I think (Cooney) has a lot of trust in me to send me out there 16 times. You see other kickers for some schools lucky to get four or six attempts in a season.”
