O'FALLON — Austin Barnes, a senior punter and kicker for O'Fallon Township High School, has been chosen as the first alternate punter for the East squad in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
The game will be held Jan 5 in San Antonio, Texas, and will be broadcast live on NBC.
Barnes is ranked as one of the top punters in the nation in his 2013 class. His athletic achievements include: 2012 first-place NCS national punter; back-to-back 2012 first team all-conference punter; 2012 first-place NCAA Auburn University punter; 2012 first-place NCAA Auburn University kick-off.
He has scholarship offers from Florida Atlantic, Southeast Missouri State and Texas Southern universities, as well as interest from several other colleges.
Last season, Barnes organized Kickin' for Cans, a campaign to encourage metro-east businesses, school groups and others to donate cans for every successful kick he made for O'Fallon during the regular season.
Barnes landed 32 successful kicks and netted a donation of 3,756 cans and a $250 check to a local food pantry.
