It's rare when a high school athlete can celebrate state titles in different sport.


That is the case, however, for Hilliard Davidson senior J.D. Detmer. He is a key contributor for the football and boys soccer teams this fall.

In 2007, as a freshman, Detmer helped the soccer team to a Division I state title. Last fall, he played a key role in the football team's march to a second Division I state title in four years, capped by a 16-15 win over Cleveland Glenville in the state final.

"I guess I'm pretty fortunate," Detmer said. "Being a freshman and in my first varsity season, I was just fortunate to be on a (soccer) team with a lot of good seniors. That was an awesome experience. Last year, I was a junior, but the seniors did it and I was just fortunate enough to be on another good team. I feel lucky and really glad that I got to be a part of both of them."

This season, Detmer has connected on 22 of 23 extra points and four of six fields. One of the field-goal misses was a 65-yard attempt, with his kick falling just short of the crossbar in a 35-14 win over Toledo St. Francis on Sept. 10.

Detmer, who also serves as the team's punter, is averaging 40.8 yards a punt and has 28 touchbacks on kickoffs.

Davidson is 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the OCC-Central Division and is No. 1 in the ThisWeek Super 7 poll.

Detmer led the soccer team through 10 games with eight goals. Before playing Dublin Coffman last Tuesday, the Wildcats were 6-3-1 overall and were ranked sixth in the Division I area coaches poll last week.

Detmer, who was named first-team all-OCC-Central and second-team all-district in soccer and second-team all-league and all-district in football last fall, is the latest in a long line of Davidson athletes who have competed for both teams.

The list also includes Colby Catlett, who helped lead the football team to its first state title in 2006 and the soccer team to its state championship. Other players who have split time on both teams include Drew Larger, Jake Leonard, Trevor McCool and Mike Tomlinson.

"It's not just a kicker," football coach Brian White said. "We also want them to be good athletes as well. I think sometimes there's a difference between a good kicker and a good athlete who kicks. We're lucky that J.D. is a great athlete who also kicks for us. If he wasn't playing soccer, he would be a position player somewhere for us on Friday night. It just so happens that he's also a great soccer player."

According to White, allowing an athlete to divide his time between football and soccer works mainly because of a good working relationship between the programs.

"This has worked out really well," White said. "It's helped our kids become bigger soccer fans. It's helped the soccer people become bigger football fans. It's been a win-win for everybody."

"Terry is obviously one of the best coaches I've ever had," Detmer said of boys soccer coach Terry Smith. "He's real tolerant about this. I'm pretty sure coach White and coach Smith have a pretty good relationship. Coach White understands that Terry needs me for the soccer team and Terry understands that it's important to have a kicker on the football team, so they manage it and it goes both ways. I think they appreciate both sides."

Detmer's success in football the past three seasons has inspired him to continue playing that sport at the college level. He has drawn interest from several schools, including the Illinois, which is emerging as his top choice.

Detmer said Illinois has yet to decide whether it will offer a scholarship to a kicker.

"Soccer was my sport at first, but football just took off and it seemed like the way to go," Detmer said. "There are a lot more scholarships out there and a lot more money for football."