While he waits for his son, Bryn Renner, to take over as quarterback at North Carolina, former West Springfield coach Jack Renner can take pride in watching two of his former kickers thrive.
On Friday night, Tyler Bitancurt became the most poplar man in the state of West Virginia as he booted a 43-yard field goal on the final play as the Mountaineers upset rival Pittsburgh, 19-16, in the 102nd Backyard Brawl.
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After his fourth field goal of the game sailed through the uprights, the redshirt freshman was buried at the bottom of a pile, then took a joyous ride on the shoulders of teammates.
“I think I broke my sternum,” said the 6-foot, 180-pounder. “I know it was painful. But it was all my brothers dog piling on me, so it was worth the pain.”
Bitancurt has been nearly perfect, hitting 12 of 13 field goal tries and 35 of 36 extra-points this season. Four years ago, Bitancurt never imagined he’d be playing football. He was a basketball and soccer player at West Springfield when then Spartans kicker Josh Czajkowski — impressed with the leg speed of his soccer teammate — implored him to come out for the football team.
Czajkowski, now a kicker at North Carolina State, has made 10 of 12 field goal attempts this season, after making 16 of 19 in 2008. The redshirt junior was perfect in four extra-point tries Saturday, helping the Wolfpack to a 28-27 upset of North Carolina Saturday.
Czajkowski and Bitancurt were well schooled at West Springfield. Jack Renner was a former punter for Virginia Tech and the Green Bay Packers. His former West Springfield assistant, Paul Woodside, kicked at Falls Church, and was an All-America at West Virginia (1981-84), where he owns the school record for field goals (74).
