School: Bullard

Year: Senior

Height/weight: 5-9, 165

He’s qualified because: The County/Metro Athletic Conference Co-Specialist of the Year made 42 of 44 conversion kicks, routinely drove kickoffs into the end zone and, above all, drilled 11 field goals, including shots of 45, 47, 48, 48, 49 and 55 yards under pressure against top-shelf competition — Clovis West, Bakersfield, Edison and Clovis East.

And he did this while his mother, Gail Dunn, was fighting terminal cancer.

The 9-3 Knights, champions of the CMAC and Central Section Division I semifinalists, dedicated their season to her.

The word: “Blake’s a good athlete who kind of developed his craft as a kicker. As a freshman, he was team MVP as a tailback. Then he dislocated his shoulder three times, so his family pulled the plug on that and he concentrated on kicking. To have a high school kicker who kicks into the end zone is huge because it makes the other team start on its 20. Consequently, we wanted to start the game on defense because of field position. That’s a huge weapon to have. And, with this kid, we had to completely change our thinking in fourth-down situations. Anything from 55 and in was a field goal. At worse, he at least kicks it in the end zone and the other team starts on the 20 anyway. And this was not a kid who choked. He had some misses, but those were 40 plus [yards] misses. His season stands alone, but it’s all the more impressive consideration the situation with his mother. You can play another position using emotion. But kicking emotion doesn’t help; it can only hurt.” — Knights coach Donnie Arax.