TEENAGERS are pushing back the frontiers of science to design their own throwing machine which they hope to test out against Stoke City's legendary Rory Delap.

Physics A-level students at St Thomas More Catholic College, in Longton, have been trying to unlock the secrets behind the star midfielder's amazingly long throws.

Now they want to produce a full-scale prototype of their catapult device to see whose football can travel the furthest – man or machine.

St Thomas More has taken up the challenge as part of The Sentinel's and Barclays Class Act competition.

If the school wins a £5,000 prize, it will pay for an engineering firm to make the 7ft model using the students' designs.

Headteacher Nick Finnigan said Delap is a hero to pupils, especially as many of them support Stoke City.

By combining their sporting interests with physics, he hopes it will inspire many more teenagers to continue studying science after their GCSEs.

He said: "They will see a real-life appliance of physics. There is a shortage of people wanting to study the subject nationally."

A-level students have already made a small model of the catapult machine and have been perfecting the throwing angles using a tennis ball.

The larger version would be made from springs, steel and wood, with the football released by pressing down on a lever.

The teenagers reckon the secret rests in getting just the right amount of backspin. The ball would also have to travel at up to 100 miles an hour.

They hope to either take the machine to the Britannia Stadium or invite the footballer into school to join their experiment.

Afterwards, the catapult could be used for charity events and school competitions, with teams of pupils being sponsored to try their throwing skills out against the machine. It could also be used in lessons to help students understand scientific concepts.

The school has been in talks with Fenton-based Barker's Engineering and students could go along to see the model produced in the factory.

Adam Wootton, aged 17, said: "The design is all about energy forces and Newton's laws. Using a machine eliminates a lot of the error. But we don't know if it would match Rory Delap – he is superhuman."

The Stoke City player has achieved international fame for his throws. So far this season, he has provided the assists for seven of Stoke's Premier League goals.

Delap, who also competed in the javelin as a schoolboy, said: "It is not something I really practise. It just comes to me."

He added: "If my throw is going as far as helping these students, then great. I didn't think I would ever have a hand in anything to do with A-levels."