Dylan Joyce saw action in all 13 games as a punter for University of Miami last year after being a star for Moama in Murray Football League. Photo: Miami Hurricanes
Three Kyabram footballers have continued to build on the town’s reputation for producing American college punters by starting the 2024 season in spectacular fashion.
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Makenzie Ryan debuted with the University of Louisiana Monroe as a Freshman for its 30-14 Thursday night opening round win against Jackson State.
Former Tongala footballer Ryan, now a ULM Warhawk, had five punts in his first match, putting four of them inside the opposition 20 yard zone and finishing with 195 yards (a longest punt of 47 yards).
The game was played in front of 11,000 people, but Ryan had to wait two hours due to bad weather to get onto the field. His first game against Jackson State was at his new home, Monroe’s Malone Stadium.
His successful debut has been somewhat overshadowed by the announcement that another Kyabramite, Dylan Joyce, has been nominated for an elite Augusta Sports Council award.
Joyce was among 59 athletes included on the 2024 Ray Guy Award watch list for the top punter in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
His season started with a 41-17 win in front of 90,544 people in Florida. Joyce was required to punt only twice, but did so for 97 yards with a longest punt of 53 yards.
Ray Guy was an All-American punter for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders. The award takes into account punts inside the 20 yard line, percentage of punts not returned and other statistical data.
The award is among 23 presented at the National College Football Awards, and semi-finalists will be announced on November 6 and finalists on November 26.
Nathan Torney, who is now with the Univeristy of Louisiana Lafayette, is due to play his first game with the college tonight and Joyce (University of Miami) started his new season on Sunday.
Former Kyabram and Tongala footballer Makenzie Ryan as he appears on the University of Louisana Monroe’s football website.
In the next three months ULM will play two of their biggest games — on September 21 at Texas (against the Longhorns) and on November 19 at Auburn. Both games are expected to attract in the vicinity of 100,000 people.
The Warhawks return to Austin for the first time since the 2022 season and are 0-2 versus the Longhorns in history.
ULM is set to travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time since 2017. Auburn has won all 11 match-ups versus the Warhawks in the series history.
Torney crossed to the Ragin Cajuns from the Southern Illinois Salukis, where he has spent the past two years.
He was not, however, required to punt in the opening game for his new college as his team won 40-10.
Joyce is now a Sophomore with the Hurricanes after a celebrated start to his American football career.
He saw action in all 13 games last season, having a 43.8 yard average on 43 punts, landing three inside the 20-yard line and with a longest punt of 60 yards.
Nathan Torney has changed universities this season and will now play with University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Photo: University of Louisiana, Lafayette.
Torney’s Ragin Cajuns played on Sunday night at Iowa and he has been featured prominently on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s website.
The site explains Kyabram’s connection to the sport, having sent punters previously to North Carolina and Central Michigan.
“It’s a pretty tight brotherhood, because we all play the same position,” Torney said.
Former Ragin Cajuns punting star, and fellow Aussie, Rhys Byrns has offered encouragement to Torney upon visiting the Cajuns.
Torney is almost surprised about how well his experience has gone in Lafayette.
“I love the culture here and the manners and the politeness of everybody here,” he said.
“It kind of reminds me a bit of home. I come from a country town and this has the country feel. The people are so friendly.”
Torney hopes to improve on his initial seasons in America, when he averaged 36.8 yards on 35 punts with a long of 58 two years ago and 39.8 yards on 54 punts last season with a long of 64.
University of Louisana at Lafayette was previously home to basketball star Shaquille O’Neale.
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