When it comes to sports, consistency is key.

Joey Charlton has been nothing short of consistent for the Cape Central Tigers this season.

Charlton, a freshman. relishes the opportunity to produce for his team.

“It really means a lot,” Charlton said.

Tigers coach Kent Gibbs had high praise for Charlton.

“I’ve never had a freshman kicker come in and do that,” Gibbs said. “Much less, a guy that is consistent as he is. Regardless of his age, he’s just really consistent about how he goes about his business.”

Charlton began kicking his eighth grade year.

“My dad always told me he thought I would be great at it,” Charlton said. “I never really believed him, but my eighth grade year, I gave it a try, and it’s worked out pretty good.”

Perhaps the most important aspect of kicking is being consistent in your routine.

“No matter where I’m kicking, I always keep my steps the same,” Charlton said. “So, when I go out there, I always make sure I’m doing the same thing.”

Gibbs said Charlton’s consistency goes a long way for the mindset of the team.

“It’s big anytime you feel like you have automatic points,” Gibbs said. “It certainly changes your thinking on things, and so far he’s done a really good job of making those points. He’s been valuable, no doubt.”

Charlton has cashed in on all of his extra points this year, and his lone miss was a 37-yard field goal attempt in week 2 against Hillsboro.

While that has been his lone opportunity so far this season, Gibbs said they aren’t going to shy away from using him.

“There have been a couple of times in (last week’s) game where we were just a little bit out of his range,” Gibbs said. “We were working in that direction. We just couldn’t quite get to where we needed to be. I just want to be sure he’s got the confidence to be able to do it.”

As far as Charlton’s confidence, he knows where he’s comfortable from.

“I’m confident I can make a 45-yarder,” Charlton said. “That’s where I practice from a lot.”

Not only does Charlton contribute by putting points on the board, but he also leaves the opposition with a long field on kickoffs.

“The thing about Joey is he’s going to listen to what you want,” Gibbs said. “Whether we want something as a squib or we want something right or left, he does a really good job of trying to do what he’s supposed to do. If he doesn’t, he comes back and works and gets it where it needs to be.”

When Charlton isn’t at practice, he’s still working on his craft.

“I’ve gone to St. Louis to work with a trainer,” Charlton said. “I’m going to Tennessee in October to go to an academy, and then I also go to the field every few days to practice.”

Charlton and the Tigers are back in action at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, when they hit the road to take on Park Hills Central.