‘AK’ Among All-Time Best Trojans
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Aidan Kennedy sat at the end of the bench as his Southwestern teammates closed out an easy Section VI Class B2 prequarterfinal basketball victory over Medina last week.
But as happy as he was that the eighth-seeded Trojans would be advancing to the quarterfinals, the 6-foot-1 senior had one significant issue -- he was in some considerable discomfort.
His drive to the basket with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter resulted in a successful layup, but when he landed he stepped on a Mustang defender's foot, resulting in what appeared to be a pretty serious injury. After being helped off the court, Kennedy propped his left leg on a chair, a bag of ice perched atop his ailing ankle, and took a series of deep breaths.
I couldn't help but wonder if No. 2 had played his last game in a Southwestern uniform. High ankle sprains don't heal overnight, and the Trojans' quarterfinal game at No. 1 Roy-Hart was less than 72 hours away.
Well, guess what? Kennedy was feeling well enough to be on the court in the Trojans' blowout win on Saturday afternoon.
"You can chalk that up to how tough that kid is," Southwestern coach Aaron Emley said after the 60-34 victory. "He wanted to play for himself, but he wanted to play more for his team. He iced (the ankle) and did what he could to prep (for the game). He taped it up, (but) I'm sure he was in pain."
Yet it wasn't enough to keep Kennedy from scoring 14 points, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key early in the third quarter that pushed him past the 1,000-point mark for his career, placing him in a pretty select Trojans' fraternity, dating back decades. The significance of that accomplishment wasn't lost on Emley, who recalled playing against some of those Southwestern greats when he was a student-athlete at Randolph in the late 1990s.
"It's amazing (that Kennedy reached the milestone) with the shortened season last year and the team not getting to compete in the playoffs because of COVID," he said.
But Kennedy's talents during his time on the Hunt Road campus haven't been limited only to the hardwood.
A three-year starter on the football team, his most memorable performance was arguably the one he turned in at rival Fredonia last October. With the Trojans trailing 27-13 with under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, he willed his team to two touchdowns, only to be stopped on a potential game-tying two-point conversion run on the final play. For the game, Kennedy completed 15 of 31 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 133 yards and three TDs.
Despite the loss that night, the performance -- arguably the best of his decorated career -- helped Kennedy land a spot as a quarterback on The Post-Journal/OBSERVER all-star team and earned him a berth on the New York State Sportswriters Assocation Class C first team as a defensive back. He plans to play quarterback at Pace University in the fall.
"He's the ultimate competitor," Emley said.
Kennedy and crew will get at least one more chance to compete on the hardwood Tuesday night when they meet Tapestry (13-8) in the Class B2 semifinals at Buffalo State. Whenever the hoops season ends, the son of Pat and Amee will jump right into baseball where his impact on the diamond has been just as significant.
"It's awesome what he can do," Emley said.
No argument here.
Take a bow, AK.