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September 10, 2003PREP SOCCER: Comets keeper climbing state shutout listBuddyBall: Kenney powers LelandByRecord-Eagle staff writer LELAND - It's hard to slip anything past Buddy Kenney, even if the senior goalkeeper has to use his face to stop it. Kenney, Leland's last line of defense, made his return to the net on Tuesday against Traverse City Christian, just one week after biting through his tongue and receiving some 20 stitches.
Leland coach Rob Boynton witnessed the injury, and says Kenney's response to the situation is emblematic of how he has become one of the state's all-time best netminders. "The player for Suttons Bay came down on a breakaway and Buddy slid down to challenge," Boynton said. "The ball, the player and Buddy all arrived at the same place at the same time. When I got out there, his tongue didn't look good. There was a puddle of blood and a ring of blood around his mouth. But he cleared it off and said he wanted to play. "That just shows his heart right there. He had to come off to get the blood off, and when he lined up to go back out on the field, he started feeling dizzy and the doc said 'no.' " While the injury cost him two games, Boynton says it's the result of playing the position in an aggressive manner. "He's got great heart and determination," said Boynton, who led Kenney and the Comets to the Cherryland Conference championship last year, and is 4-2-1 overall in 2003. "He's a good leader, and at 6'4" has those long arms, good hands and can get up. He also makes good decisions on when to come out for the ball. You can't second-guess yourself or you'll get caught in no-man's land, and that's the decision Buddy made against (Suttons Bay)." Kenney's success over his four years on the varsity roster has landed him in elite company. He has 26 career shutouts, which ties him for sixth on the state's all-time list with Auburn Hills Christian's Ryan Chevrier (1992-94). The state record, according to the Michigan High School Athletic Association, is 50, set by Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett's Dan Ferrien (1996-99). While Ferrien's mark is out of reach - the Comets have just 12 regular season games left plus postseason contests - Kenney can finish the year in second place on the list with seven more shutouts. "That's something I'd really like to get, but at the same time, the team goals are the most important thing," Kenney said. "My brother is a freshman playing behind me, and we have junior John O'Connor there, and I like to see them get some time, too." "Buddy can stay in as long as he wants," Boynton said. "Even if we're ahead by four or five goals. He's more than welcome to play every minute. He doesn't really talk about it in front of his teammates, but he's chasing something pretty special." Kenney, whose given name is Christopher, was born genetically-predisposed to success on the pitch. His grandfather, Gene Kenney, is the second all-time winningest coach in NCAA history, posting a 120-13-13 record (an .866 winning percentage.) in his 14 years at Michigan State, and winning two national championships along the way before becoming the school's assistant athletic director. His father, Michael Kenney, was a standout for the green and white as well, starring at center midfielder and being named team captain two years in a row. "We're a soccer family all the way," Buddy Kenney said. "My dad's been coaching me as long as I can remember. There's no added pressure from that - I really don't think about it. I realize I'm following in their footsteps, but not when I'm out there competing." Michael Kenney, who coached Buddy and many of his current teammates from youth soccer through middle school, was also a head coach at Leland in the mid-1980s. He led the Comets to the state semifinals in the pre-class era, and has observed his son's progression from an interested youth to an elite goalkeeper. "The philosophy is that when they're young, you play them at as many positions as you can, then start to zero in on one in middle school," he said. "You let them find their position. When Christopher was in his late elementary school years, he really stepped up his play in net. You could see the ball sense and quickness a lot of good goalies have. "Of course, I'm a biased dad, but I think he's a goalkeeper through and through. He's athletic, has a great pair of hands and anticipates well. The other thing is that shutouts are a bit deceiving. You have to have good teammates around you to get them, and Buddy knows he has that." Boynton says that despite his netminding acumen, he could easily have succeeded in the field. "Before the season, Buddy was running drills with the team and I told him, 'You're killing me. I could put you out in the field and you'd be one of our best midfielders.' He told me, 'Coach, if that makes the team better, I'll do it.' That just shows his team-first attitude." Naturally, Buddy is heading to Michigan State in the fall. A 3.8 student, he plans to major in international business. He says he isn't planning on trying out for the Spartans soccer team, but his coaching skills are already starting to show. Boynton's brother, an assistant coach for the Comets, recently left for New Zealand, and during his two games away from on-field action, Kenney jumped into that role. "I used Buddy as my sounding board," Boynton said. "Because he's usually out there, he sees the game very well and we always seemed to be on the same page in evaluating what was going on." Before a collegiate or coaching career, however, Kenney is focusing on team goals. The Comets are battling for another league crown and hoping to make a deep postseason run. "We're in a pretty even conference," Kenney said. "And that's the first goal - to win the Cherryland and try to work hard from there. Then there's the district, and it's a pretty tough one. Everything after that is icing on the cake." But can Kenney envision Leland playing for a state title? "I can," he said. "There has gotta be a lot of good defense, but I know if we dig deep, we can get there."
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