Luccho Maurizi knows fùtbol.

Getting a soccer ball on your first birthday can have that effect.

“That’s normal for Argentina, soccer rules there,” the 18-year-old Buenos Aires native and Powell High School foreign exchange student said. “You start kicking the soccer ball when you’re 1.”

But now, when Maurizi slips on his Powell football jersey, he is 14, in bright orange numbers, and has suddenly given PHS interim head coach Chanler Buck and the Panthers a consistent weapon they didn’t know they had two months ago.

Maurizi arrived in Powell three days before PHS began practice in August. The Argentinian’s plan coming to the states was to maximize his USA experience by engaging in activities he believed exemplified American culture. Maurizi said his knowledge of football was limited to American football movies he grew up watching in his homeland, but despite that, he was unwavered — he knew football was about as American as America gets.

“I knew nothing of football really ... I was a soccer player,” Maurizi said. “So coming in, I was scared. I was terrified. But I knew football was important here, and I wanted to try it.”

Maurizi had no idea where he’d eventually line up on the field, and neither did Buck. PHS’ interim head coach said the foreigner’s inexperience with the game was obvious, but that his determination to learn and improve was abundant.

“Coming in, I knew that Luccho didn’t know the game, so you teach him the fundamentals, you keep him out there and make sure he’s developing and having fun,” Buck said. “Three-fourths of what myself and the other coaches were saying during practice was football terminology, and from Luccho’s demeanor, you could see that he didn’t really understand any of it.

“But what’s great is that he is always asking questions. From the beginning he wanted to learn what he needed to do and wanted to help the team as much as he could.”

When Buck and kicking coach Nevin Jacobs learned of Maurizi’s soccer background, they decided to give him some reps with regular kickers Kalei Smith and Jeron Smith. Both coaches said that while Maurizi showed some promise early on, they opted to stick with their experienced kickers for the time being while Maurizi continued to learn. That was the plan, until Maurizi was inserted into a junior varsity game and showed he had been doing his homework.

“There’s a JV game earlier this year where Luccho goes out there and hits 6-of-6 PATs (point after touchdown), and just misses a 43-yard field goal that bounced off the crossbar,” Jacobs said. “He didn’t kick the ball very well and it still hit the crossbar from 43 yards out. The next day at practice I said to our coaches, ‘This is the guy we need to have kicking PATs for us.’”

Starting with Sept. 19’s Homecoming game against Riverton, Maurizi has been doing just that. And he’s been perfect.

Maurizi converted both Panther PATs against the Wolverines, four more against Green River a week later and all three at home last Friday against Star Valley. Maurizi has also flashed some leg strength, connecting on field goals of 21, 33, and 38 yards this season. For Maurizi, the success has come from making the adjustment from a round ball to an oval one.

“Kicking a football is way different, I had to change a couple of things with my technique,” Maurizi said. “And you have to be way faster as a football kicker too. You don’t have as much time to think, you have to just go.”

Although soccer can get physical in its own regard, it isn’t the contact sport that football is. But the increased physicality doesn’t appear to faze Maurizi.

“The interesting thing about him is that, when he goes out to kick, he doesn’t pay much attention to the fact that he could get lit up pretty good,” Jacobs said. “When he lines up to kick, it’s just another day in the park for him.”

Jacobs added that Maurizi’s accuracy has been a blessing for the Panther offense, and said that over the past few seasons, PHS’s PAT conversion percentage hovered around 50 percent. Plus, Maurizi’s ability to substitute touchdowns for three points has taken pressure off the Panther offense.

“Luccho can turn what appears to be a failed offensive drive into something positive,” said Panthers quarterback Carter Baxter. “We’re stopped on third down and you think you’ve got us, but out comes Luccho. It may only be three points, but that’s a successful possession for us.”

Kalei Smith, who starts at wide receiver for PHS, also handles kickoffs, and has no hard feelings about handing over field goal duties to his new teammate.

“Luccho has really adapted well to the whole program and became one of us. Plus, he kicks a nice field goal ... it looks good and sails through the uprights, and that’s what you want,” Smith said. “And it’s huge for the offense. We’re not forced to risk going for it on fourth down, and having momentum switch if we fail. Instead, Luccho gives us three and we keep the pressure on the opponent.”

Maurizi was described by his teammates and coaches as a funny kid who loves sports and gets pumped up during practices and games, in turn, getting his teammates amped up on the sidelines. It’s a far cry from the kid who knew nothing about football on Aug. 15.

“I knew practically nothing about football, I knew nothing about positions. I played soccer, so I thought maybe I could be a kicker, so I wanted to try the position,” Maurizi said. “If that didn’t work, maybe I could play wide receiver. But I’m definitely not a wide receiver, I’m a kicker.”