Barrington's LeCompte picks N. Dakota State

Ben LeCompte wasn't getting as big of a kick out of soccer as he would have liked in the seventh grader.

“Everyone was always yelling at me because I could never kick the ball into the net,” LeCompte said. “One day my dad (Barry) suggested I try kicking (in football).”

It turned out to be a great switch for the Barrington senior. The Daily Herald All-Area pick gave a verbal commitment Sunday morning to accept a scholarship to North Dakota State.

LeCompte was 5-for-7 on field goals with a long of 43 yards and punted for a 36-yard average this season. Forty-five of his 55 kickoffs (81 percent) were touchbacks, which Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said could have been even higher because of times LeCompte was asked to make directional or squib kicks.

He also set single-game school average records for punting (51.0) and kickoffs (56.9) and interceptions (3).

LeCompte chose North Dakota State over Eastern Illinois, Drake and Hillsdale College. He said Iowa State also expressed interest as a walk-on.

“All the other schools were saying I could try out but they weren't guaranteeing anything,” LeCompte said. “This (North Dakota State) was better than anything else I had.”

LeCompte also warmed up to the idea of playing at North Dakota State after visiting the Fargo campus and seeing the facilities. He said he'll have a chance to compete for the punting job next year for a program that was 9-5, finished ninth in the final Division I Football Championship Subdivision coaches poll and lost in overtime in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Eastern Washington.

LeCompte said he could have a chance to be the place-kicker in a few years. He also kicked 9 field goals for Barrington's sophomore team.

“After that my dad and I thought college football could be in my future,” said LeCompte, who has a 3.0 grade-point average, scored 24 on the ACT and plans to study business administration.

He also credited going to Kohl's kicking and punting camp in Iowa since his freshman year and the help from Sanchez.

“I wouldn't be where I am without him,” LeCompte said.