WAIMEA — Conor Hunt remembers the day without hesitation: Jan. 1, 2016.
That was the date when Hunt decided to dip his toes — or rather foot — into the world of kicking and punting.
“For that first week of January, I went to the field every day,” Hunt said, mentioning it was somewhat of a New Year’s resolution. “I was absolutely horrible — not talented at all. I wasn’t even making PATs.”
Unlike most people, who let their resolutions fall by the wayside by the time February rolls around, Hunt kept at it. Four years of hard work later, he can laugh about those days as he weighs multiple scholarship offers from schools around the nation as one of the top specialists in the state.
The Hawaii Preparatory Academy senior has been a hot commodity, with full ride offers from Division I programs Army and Navy, as well as multiple other schools such as Georgetown, Claremont Mudd Scripps, McGill and Jacksonville. And there is confidence that other offers are coming down the pipe as well.
As his dad Steven Hunt pointed out, specialists aren’t the highest on the food chain when it comes to scholarships, so it takes some patience. Many times a kicker/punter could be the last offered as teams try to fill out other positions. However, the floodgates seem to have opened for the younger Hunt, which is a relief after all the work he has put in.
“For a while, I was stuck with four offers and those were really contingent on grades,” Conor Hunt said. “Then just this past week, three offers came in just like that. It feels good to know the hard work has paid off, both on the field and in the classroom.”
Hunt did both the kicking and punting for Hawaii Prep this year, excelling in both. He can boom punts — like the ridiculous 70-yarder he delivered this year against Kamehameha — and can also drill field goals from around the midfield logo if given the chance. The flexibility makes him an intriguing prospect for colleges, who could kill two birds with one stone with his talent. As for a preference between kicking and punting, Hunt has a team-first approach.
“I’ll do whatever I have to do for the school,” Hunt said.
Island hopping
It’s been a long journey for Hunt to pursue his passion. It started back on Kauai, where as a freshman he attended Island School.
The problem was that the private school did not have a football team and he couldn’t simply jump on a public school’s squad due to HHSAA rules. Students who are either home schooled or enrolled in charter schools are allowed to participate in public high school sports programs for the school in whose district they reside in. But that rule does not apply for a student enrolled in a private school.
Steven Hunt petitioned the HHSAA and even then Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. to get his son on the field, but it was to no avail.
“We were stonewalled,” Steven Hunt said.
With Conor Hunt excelling in the classroom, transferring to a public school just to play a sport did not seem like a logical move. So instead, the Hunts set their sights on the Big Island and HPA, to which Conor transferred as a sophomore.
Conor Hunt still looks back on those Kauai days fondly, as do his parents, both of whom went to high school on the Garden Isle. It was with the Kauai High program that he got his start booting the ball, picking up tips from Pete Dupee, who was coaching special teams for the Red Raiders at the time.
“He really took me under his wing,” Hunt said of Dupee. “He showed me the way and taught me all the basics and technical aspects. I owe him a lot.”
Steady progression
When Hunt arrived in Waimea to suit up for Ka Makani, the program was in the midst of a tough stretch where wins were hard to come by. In two years, HPA won just one game and Hunt was able to refine his punting skills as the Ka Makani offense struggled to move the ball.
“I got in a lot of work those first two years,” Hunt said with a laugh.
In three years at HPA, Hunt had three coaches. But he won’t soon be forgetting his senior season that saw former NFL linebacker and Hawaii native Kaluka Maiava take over the program. Maiava — a former fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns — orchestrated a huge turnaround, as Ka Makani finished runner-up in Division II with a 6-3 record.
“He completely turned the program around,” Hunt said. “He’s had the pro experience, knows what he’s doing and really helped us bond as a team. And he’s really supported all of us seniors.”
Maiava was equally complimentary of Hunt.
“HPA has been blessed to have a player like Conor Hunt,” Maiava said. “His work ethic on and off the field is unmatched. His dedication to wanting to be the best is inspiring.”
Most importantly though, Conor has impressed his parents, who have cheered him on every step of the way.
“When the journey began and he said, ‘I want to be a kicker’ we didn’t know what it would be,” Steven Hunt said. “He truly dedicated himself to the game and has continued to get better. It’s great as a parent to see the fruits of his labors pay off.”
Hunt is still weighing his offers and has some time to think about it. The early signing period for football is from Dec. 18-20, and the regular period for signing begins Feb. 5, 2020.