LORMAN &045; A year ago neither Jonathan Beard nor Jeremy Shea thought they’d be in this situation competing for a spot on the collegiate level.

And quite frankly, neither did anyone on the Alcorn coaching staff.

When kicker David McConnell told coaches he was leaving despite having one year of eligibility remaining, it created another hole the Braves had to fill heading into the 2005 season. So they found two freshmen candidates for the job &045; Beard, a product of small-school football powerhouse Weir; and Shea, a newcomer to football and native of Hawaii.

Let the strongest and most accurate foot win.

&uot;It may be a combination of both,&uot; said Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas, who oversees the team’s special teams. &uot;We might use one for extra points and one of field goals. They’re kicking about the same. I hate to say right now who’s ahead of schedule. We still have another week of competition.&uot;

The competition has been even with both so far through the first two weeks of fall training camp, and there’s still this week before the team starts next week with preparations for the season opener against Grambling.

Weir comes highly regarded out of Weir, but Shea came via the Hawaii pipeline with an extensive soccer background but only one year of organized football.

But when both of them can hit from 50 yards out, it’s hard for Thomas to make a decision.

&uot;It’s probably like the most competition I’ve ever had,&uot; Shea said. &uot;It’s pretty tough. We’re pretty much even in everything. It’ll be tough for Coach Thomas to decide. I think I have the stronger leg, but we have our on days and off days. It’s like when John has an off day, I have an off day, too. We haven’t really been able to see our best yet.&uot;

The objective is to fill the vacancy left by McConnell, who left after hitting a school record 13 field goals during the 2003 season and hit 11 of 18 last fall. His percentage was third in the conference, but his longest was 37 &045; the only one in the top eight whose longest was under 40 yards.

McConnell’s departure accelerated the Braves’ plan of recruiting kickers &045; basically one every four years &045; but now there’s two competing for the job.

&uot;It’s not tough &045; I think it’s very easy to recruit a kicker,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;You recruit one every four years, and there’s enough out there. We won’t have to recruit another kicker for the next four years, unless one of them quits. But both of them wouldn’t be in camp if David was still here.&uot;

At 5-7 and 143 pounds, Beard has the smaller frame of the two. But the little guy from Weir came to camp after turning down some junior college programs and private schools for the I-AA school.

It’s a nice reward for someone who really got into kicking a football through two uprights since the sixth grade when his dad introduced the idea to him.

&uot;This is a four-year program and a chance to play at a I-AA (school),&uot; Beard said. &uot;The starting kicker was gone, and it was a chance for me to start. You don’t know where you’re going to be after two years, and private schools cost too much.

&uot;I’ve never played soccer in my life. I’ve always kind of liked kicking. I’ve always liked it since I was little. My dad, when I was a baby, he’d put a little plastic football up and I’d kick it. It kind of went from there.&uot;

It’s a little different story for Shea, who came from the same high school as Alcorn teammates Oren Long, Bronson Carvalho and Barry Batts Jr. The 5-11, 183-pound Hawaiian got a taste of football at St. Louis High School but got in touch with Doris Sullivan of the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance after high school to get off the island and find a spot on collegiate roster.

It was a brief career on the gridiron, but he was valuable. Once St. Louis won by one point, and Shea hit all his PATs and field goals to keep his team in it.

&uot;My whole life &045; since I was in kindergarten &045; I played soccer,&uot; Shea said. &uot;It’s like second nature. I started kicking a football last year around this time. It was a football coach at my high school. A couple of my friends on the football team &045; they wanted to get me to go out and kick for the football team. I just thought it would be fun to go out there and see what I could do.&uot;

Both have nailed from 45 yards out in camp this fall, and Thomas said he may have an idea who may get a start Saturday when the Braves hold an intrasquad scrimmage at 3:30 p.m. The team also needs someone to do kickoffs, while Shane Phillips returns for his senior year as punter after being named second team Preseason All-SWAC last month.

&uot;(Beard) can kick it, and Shea can kick it,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;Both of them can kick it pretty well, although I know pretty much what each can do. But I’m not going to say it because I wouldn’t be giving both the benefit of the doubt. That could change. This time Saturday we’ll know.&uot;

It may be a dead heat until then. The two have become friends in the meantime.

&uot;I’ve got to keep at it,&uot; Shea said. &uot;I’ve got to improve my accuracy and be able to do al that stuff consistently. I know Coach Thomas will make the right decision &045; whomever that may be. John and I &045; we don’t even know.&uot;