Wall’s Levi King Sets State Championship Record With Punt

ARLINGTON, TX — Lost in the excitement of the Wall Hawks’ first state title in football last week was a record-setting punt by Levi King.

The Wall senior uncorked a 67-yard punt in the Hawks’ 25-24 win over Newton on Thursday in the Class 3A Division II state final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The punt is a new record across all classifications at the state championships. The previous record was a 65-yarder in Class 4A by Stephenville’s Reece Elston in 2021.

The punt was particularly impressive, because Wall was backed up on its 2-yard line late in the third quarter, and King was having to kick with little room from the back of his end zone.

It flipped field position and helped Wall hang on to win its historic first state title, completing a perfect 16-0 season.

King had other memorable punts in Wall’s last two games, including one that pinned Newton on the 2-yard line in the third quarter. He also had a punt in the final minute of the 28-25 win over Gunter in the state semifinals that helped the Hawks finish off the victory.

Wall didn’t punt much this season, but King was a difference-maker when called upon. On 32 punts, he totaled 1,340 yards — an average of 41.8 yards per punt — and had six of them downed inside the 20-yard line.

King made an impact on defense as well with 40 tackles and five interceptions as a defensive back.