Harfman kicks his way from Mt. SAC to USC

PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY: USC kicker Jacob Harfman kicks a 38-yard field goal during a game against Allan Hancock on Nov. 22, 2008. The Mounties won by a score of 52-14.

Once upon a sunny November afternoon during football practice, a 19-year-old Jacob Harfman stood focusing his eyes at the uprights, about 67 yards away from the field goal. He planted his worn-out cleats onto the ground, gazing at the two poles. Both of his legs were straightened, his 198-pound body positioned at a 45-degree angle slanted forward, arms hanging downward on his sides, his fingers jiggling.

The heat from the radiant sun glistened on his sweat-filled forehead. And within a second, Harfman approached, swung back his right leg as far back as he could and pummeled the dirt-filled pigskin high into the smoggy Southern California sky, going, going, going … his teammates all looking on.

Did he get it?

Harfman gazed as the football cleared right down the middle, easily over the horizontal bar. The players stared in amazement. Harfman’s Trojan teammate, (also a teammate at Mt. SAC) Hebron ‘Loni’ Fangupo stood beside the uprights jumping up and down in excitement.

Harfman kicked a 67-yard field goal on a routine day at practice on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College.

Joe Unga, an offensive lineman for Mt. SAC saw the kick and was in awe.

“You never have to worry about Jake,” Unga said. “He would always do that every time I see him kick a field goal.”

On Aug. 7, The Trojans will begin camp in preparation for their 2009 college football season. Like Harfman, many other incoming players will get down and dirty with the ‘official’ start of Trojan football.

For Harfman, being at USC is something that still surprises him.

“It still seems surreal being here practicing at USC,” he said. “But I’m enjoying it and doing what I wanted to do and that’s help in anyway I can.”

With teammates Joe Houston and Jordan Congdon kicking alongside, Harfman is competing to start for all the kicking jobs.

“I’m kicking good right now,” he said. “I’m looking to get more accurate and also focusing on punting a lot more.”

Harfman spent most of his time at Mt. SAC kicking field goals last year. The longest Harfman kicked during the season was a 56-yard boot that took place during a night game against Riverside.

Harfman hopes to take the position in kicking field goals for the Trojans but will have to perform above his two teammates.

“I know I have a bigger leg and get a lot of height with the ball, but I just need to be more accurate,” he said.

With assistance from former Raiders special teams coach Brian Schneider as well as head coach Pete Carroll overseeing progress, Harfman finds himself in good company in improving his performance.

At Mt. SAC, luck wasn’t always on Harfman’s side. On a number of occasions, he had the misfortune of missing some easy field goals, a few of his missed kicks coming from touchdown field goals. In one instance, he had missed from 20 yards.

Harfman said that the reason for his misses came from being too comfortable.

“It was more me being too relaxed and taking it for granted,” he said. “I wasn’t focusing and working on my fundamentals.”

But Harfman’s progress improved as the season went on. Harfman helped Mt. SAC make it all the way to the state championship game despite losing to Butte 17-9.

With his football season completed at the junior college, Harfman proved to be good enough to get looked at by Carroll and later signing on to play for the Trojans for the 2009 season.

Harfman said that his time at Mt. SAC was worthwhile and a great experience.

“The coaching staff treated me well most definitely,” he said. “I loved being at Mt. SAC, I’m really glad I went there.”

Harfman is one of the many Mt. SAC football players who will be playing for key division I schools.

Including Harfman, Fangupo (his teammate) played defensive tackle for the Mounties last year and will be doing the same this year at USC. Offensive lineman Eddie Williams recently was signed and is currently playing for UCLA. Mt. SAC’s quarterback last season, Nick Lamaison, is at the University of Tennessee this year playing under former USC assistant coach Lane Kiffin. Mt. SAC’s defensive end, Bruce Irvin is currently verbally committed to also play for Kiffin at Tennessee next year and is rumored to be headed that way after he completes his season with Mt. SAC this year.

Harfman recognizes the success that Mt. SAC has provided him and the other players and commends the program for their job well done.

“I think it says alot about Mt. SAC football to be that successful and get all the athletes out to bigtime D1 schools,” he said.

Harfman said he hopes that his former teammates all perform well at their respective schools.

“I’m happy for Nick and Bruce (if he goes to Tennessee) and I think they’ll fit in and do great, especially with the big-name coaches they got over there,” Harfman said.

The Trojans will start their season Sept. 5 when they host San Jose State with the game starting at 12:30 p.m.

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