AURORA | In the best way he knows how, Noah Karwacki is trying to give childhood cancer the boot.

Vista PEAK’s senior place kicker and punter has been putting his powerful left leg — one that has several Division I programs interested in him — to work in the fight for a cause that has become personal to him.

Karwacki attended the annual Nate Ekhoff Kicking Camp in the summer and the story of Eckhoff — an All-American kicker at Ponderosa High School who died in 2012 from complications with leukemia — really touched home with him. He’s grown closely connected with the Ekhoff family and wanted to do something to honor Nate’s memory.

“I wanted to follow Nate’s dream,” Karwacki said. “I met his family after he had died and went to his camp. The family is so good to me, Nate’s dad has helped me a lot with the recruiting process. It’s been amazing to me, they are really great people.”

Vista PEAK senior Noah Karwacki (92) follows through on a field goal attempt during the Bison’s 30-14 win over Aurora Central on Sept. 21, 2018, at Aurora Public Schools Stadium. The successful field goal attempt helped him in his campaign to raise money to fight childhood cancer. (Photo by Courtney Oakes/Sentinel)
Vista PEAK senior Noah Karwacki (92) follows through on a field goal attempt during the Bison’s 30-14 win over Aurora Central on Sept. 21, 2018, at Aurora Public Schools Stadium. The successful field goal attempt helped him in his campaign to raise money to fight childhood cancer. (Photo by Courtney Oakes/Sentinel)

Karwacki has pledged money raised from each of his field goals and extra points this season to go to research to stop childhood cancer through the Kick-It Champions program and Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a national organization that raises money to research and fight childhood cancer.

He is currently one of three Colorado kickers (the others are in Denver and Longmont) and 177 nationwide in the Kick-It Champions program.

So far, Karwacki (who gave up a successful soccer career to concentrate on kicking) has connected on two field goals — a third make was taken off the board by penalty to the opposition that turned into a Bison touchdown — and he’s 21 for 24 on extra point attempts thus far.

Karwacki’s goal is to raise $5,000 and he had picked up pledges for $500 through the first five games of the season, though he continues to pick up donors according to his father, Richard, who is managing his sponsorships. The family has set up a table at home games to take donations.

As a bonus, a leukemia patient from Children’s Hospital Colorado —a 12-year-old named Zack — will be on hand at Aurora Public Schools Stadium for Vista PEAK’s 7:30 p.m. game against Centaurus Oct. 12 and will conduct the opening coin-toss.

Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Sentinel Prep Sports

Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor and photographer with Sentinel Colorado. A Denver East High School and University of Colorado alum. He came to the Sentinel in 2001 and since then has received a number...