By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
MOUNT ANGEL, Ore.– The bodies up front on the line for the Kennedy football team have always been filled with some tough, quiet individuals that just put their heads down and work.
They helped the Trojans be who they have been through the years. An athletic and tough, small-town squad that did what they were supposed to and did it well.
For Creo Walker, one of those lineman, he remembers his freshman year of those upperclassmen like an Isaac Berning that just led by example and let their game speak for them. It is something that has inspired the now-junior in Walker going into this next season.
“You got to be tough. It’s a leadership thing, starts Walker. “I remember a bunch of guys when I was a freshman, like quiet dudes like Isaac Berning. They were super tough. They were super tough. Whenever we needed a team to be led, I always thought of those guys because they always did it right. They were always here.”
It’s just been the Kennedy Standard. Baseball, Softball, Basketball or Football, there’s always been a high standard with Trojan sports. Entering 3A in 2022 in Football, the standard was there to perform well as a 2A team playing up.
And after reaching the 3A State Title game that first year, they saw first round exits the last two years that has now been a driving factor for Kennedy during the Summer and with them wrapping up their last week of Summer training before official practices start on Monday.
“Our standard is to be a well-rounded team and try to make it to the playoffs every single year, but I hope we go farther than the first round this year,” said Trojan Quarterback Brody Panuke. “It’s driving us a lot. No one likes losing in the first round, I feel like that’s the worst oke.
“So everyone’s been working hard in the weight room this Summer and workouts to make sure we don’t do that again.”
Kennedy opens the season with a jamboree at Scio on August 29. The Trojans’ first game of the year will be on September 5 at home against Taft.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
