When the RHS Football team takes the field, the Soccer team fills the stands. When the Soccer team takes the field, the Football team fills the stands. One player, however, takes the field in both scenarios, motivating the two teams to support each other.

Junior Matthew Giltner has played soccer for most of his life and continues to do so, but early this summer, at the suggestion of his friends on the football team, Giltner began to play football as well. He started attending summer practices with the team. Now, on Friday nights, Giltner kicks for the Revere High School football team.

Giltner had casually discussed the idea with his friends, but only this past summer did he consider it seriously. Talking to the coaches, Giltner found that they treated the idea with equal seriousness, and started attending practices. Over the summer, while the rest of the team would weight-lift, Giltner started to learn kicking. Quickly noticing that he only had to perfect one repetitive motion, he enlisted the help of his former club soccer coach and former Akron University kicker Jozsef Jakab.

RHS Men’s Soccer coach Nick DePompei voiced his confidence in his player’s ability to learn the new skill, explaining that Giltner’s experience with soccer will help him to master similar kicking motion.

Giltner tries to attend as many events on the two team’s schedules as possible but soccer is still his “main priority.”

Giltner’s participation in the two sports has united the teams, and the coaches have expressed their gratitude.

“[Giltner is] bringing together… groups of students. [It is] really cool to see how [he is] the middleman between the support both ways,” DePompei said.

People often undervalue the importance of kicking, but Giltner’s teammates value his contribution of field goals, extra points, and kickoffs. Senior linebacker Mason Wendland noted how the football team has felt the impact of Giltner’s contribution.

“[Giltner is] a really big part of the team. [He is] really important, and the guys love him,” Wendland said.

Giltner has appreciated the acceptance of the team members and the coaches’ willingness to understand scheduling conflicts.

“I feel like I’m part of both teams. The soccer team and the coaches have been really supportive,” Giltner said.

Giltner uses his new position on the football team to help raise money for Kick It for Cancer. The Kick It organization, which frequently works with RHS soccer players, has asked Giltner to help raise money for pediatric cancer research. At KickIt.org, donors can make a single donation or pledge a certain amount for each point Giltner scores. Giltner has just begun fundraising, but, by the end of the season, he hopes to raise upwards of one thousand dollars.

As of October 26, the football team has has a record of 3-6 with Giltner scoring seventeen points and raising $648 dollars for his cause. The soccer team, with Matt playing midfielder, has a current record of 15-1-2.