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As Ike Riemenschneider stood near midfield before the coin toss of Rouse's Oct. 22 clash against Hutto, an official took him by surprise.
"All the referees know you, they always talk about you," the 6-foot-6, 270-pound senior was told. "They always talk about you, like ‘Have you seen that guy from Rouse? He's huge.'"
Riemenschneider doesn't just stand out because of his stature. He's also somewhat of an anomaly within high school football. Riemenschneider converted from tight end to offensive line this season, and now serves as the left tackle for an offense averaging 31.6 points per game. What is unique is that he also handles punter and kicker duties for the Raiders, a role that is stereotypically held by a slender specialist or skill position player.
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Riemenschneider, who dubs himself the "Biggest Kicker in Texas" on social media – a fact the Statesman could not verify with certainty – has thrived this fall on the line and with his booming boot. Both aspects of his game will be crucial again Thursday as Rouse (4-5, 2-3) aims to claim the final playoff spot in District 24-6A in a must-win game against East View (4-5, 2-3).
"Every week he's getting better," Rouse head coach Mark Hopkins said of Riemenschneider's performance as the team's blindside blocker. "He's grown not just into a guy that's out there trying to figure out what to do, but telling other guys and making sure the calls are right and understanding the big picture of things. So he's doing a really good job."
An injury leads to a new passion
Before Riemenschneider put on pads and a helmet, he was a soccer-loving kid who idolized Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, an uber-confident star who suited up for many of the sport's European giants, such as FC Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United.
But as Riemenschneider grew into a larger frame in middle school, football coaches took notice and swayed him to try the sport. In seventh grade, he ended up breaking his arm, limiting his chances to get on the field.
"To combat that, I started to learn how to punt and kick, and it's just stuck ever since," he said. "I really like it, and I'm pretty decent at it."
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Riemenschneider established himself on Rouse's varsity squad last year, serving as the team's punter and kicker, as well as getting snaps as a primarily blocking tight end. He caught two passes for 17 yards and a touchdown.
When Hopkins, previously the offensive coordinator at Katy Tompkins, arrived as the team's head coach ahead of the season, he initially told Riemenschneider he'd be remaining at tight end. As the coach evaluated the needs of the roster, he determined Riemenschneider would be better served on the offensive line.
"He was a little hesitant at first," Hopkins recalled earlier this season. "That's a big transition. But as you can see, he's a huge kid, and he's got a lot of upside at the next level as far as tackle goes. So he embraced it."
Early concerns in a new role
Riemenschneider, who also plays basketball and throws discus at Rouse, had learned many of the fundamentals of being a left tackle as a tight end. Still, he had to learn how to play with a new stance. When he first went to football camps, he was overwhelmed by opponents in pass blocking drills.
"They used to bull rush me into the ground," Riemenschneider said. "I was still figuring it out."
There's also the fact that being an offensive lineman – especially in a run-centric offense like Rouse – is physically demanding. He worried that it would be difficult to punt after a minimum of three, but often more, blocking snaps.
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Hopkins was less concerned. When he was at Tompkins, offensive lineman Erben Birkhoff, who is now at Rice, had done this. The new Raider coach connected the pair.
"By the time I get back there with the punt, I'm breathing real hard," Riemenschneider said. "(Birkhoff) told me how to calm myself down, and get set to go punt. I've hit some good ones."
Despite his early uncertainties, Riemenschneider has found success as both an offensive tackle and a punter and kicker. His longest field goal of the year is 37 yards, although he said he has made kicks from past 50 in practice. Additionally, he's had multiple punts go at least 45 yards, as well as stay in the air long enough that dynamic opposing returners have to settle for a fair catch.
The tackle is also one of the mainstays in the trenches for an offense that is effective running and passing the ball.
Rouse quarterback Chase Whitten has completed 67.2% of his passes for 1,625 yards, 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Rouse's top two rushers – Amauri Dickson and Aubryn Davis – have combined for 1,414 yards and 14 touchdowns. The duo is averaging 6.6 yards per rush.
"(Riemenschneider's) been nothing but great with his size and speed," said Dickson, who is in the midst of a breakout sophomore campaign. "He's just been amazing. I could always trust him that he's going to block the dude in front of him."
College interest, a huge game
Riemenschneider's performance has led to college interest as both a tackle and a specialist. The senior said he'd prefer to be a kicker or punter at the next level but is open to being an offensive lineman as well.
For now, he will play a pivotal role Thursday as Rouse takes on East View. The winner of the game will take the district's final postseason spot.
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The Raiders narrowly missed out on the playoffs last year, ending a six-season streak of being one of the top-four teams in its district. While Rouse is 4-5 this season, it has battled with top competition like undefeated Cedar Park, Hutto (7-2, 4-1) and Vandegrift (6-3, 4-1).
Rouse has dealt with its defeats, and grown from them. To ensure that East View does not end its season, the Raiders will need Riemenschneider at his best.
"He has done a phenomenal job of being able to slide inside and play tackle, and then go punt and kick off," Hopkins previously said. "I mean that's pretty impressive."
This article originally published at The 'biggest kicker in Texas?' Meet 6-foot-6 Ike Riemenschneider, Rouse's standout K/P/OT.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/biggest-kicker-texas-meet-6-120100804.html
