CCS Freshman of the Year
KENNEDY SCHOENNAUER, LINCOLN
Lincoln coach Dave Meyer already knew going into the season that his team was going to be young. What he did not know before the season was type of talent level a young group would produce. That question was quickly answered on the first day of tryouts, when he laid his eyes on freshman Kennedy Schoennauer.
“We ended up starting four freshmen, but we knew right away that she was going to be a top player for us,” Meyer said. “She was coming in off her fall sports season, and right away we could see that she was a phenomenal talent, very athletic with an incredible work rate.”
Schoennauer’s fall sports season was a story unto itself, as the freshman competed in both football and cross country. She converted 35-of-39 extra-point attempts as the kicker on the junior varsity football team, and also ended up as the Lions’ number-two runner on the varsity cross country team by the time she competed at the CCS Championships.
It did not take long for Schoennauer to round herself into soccer form, despite moving from the wing to the center striker position. She notched four goals in her first high school game, a 5-0 win over Del Mar, and just continued produce at a high rate for the remainder of the season, finishing the year with a section-leading 39 goals scored. And her individual success paid huge dividends for the Lions as a team, as they improved from five wins the year before to 11 wins this season. As the year progressed, she also learned how to use the attention she was getting as a way to set up her teammates for success.
“Kennedy was getting double and triple teamed as the year wore on,” Meyer said. “So she started feeding her teammates. That was a big key for our six-win improvement this season.”
Interestingly enough, Kennedy was not the only Schoennauer freshman to contribute to the team’s success this season. Her twin sister Landry started in goal for the Lions, after also running on the varsity cross country in the fall. Landry notched 54 saves in her first high school season.
“I’m always confident with her in goal, and I’m used to us playing together like that from our club team,” commented Kennedy Schoennauer. “I was a little surprised by my own success at first this season. I’m a lot smaller than most other players out there. But after I started to do well, I just tried to stay and humble and focused for the rest of the season.”
Schoennauer certainly remained focused for the rest of the year, scoring in 17 of Lincoln’s 18 matches this season. League champion Branham allowed just five goals all season, and just two in league play, but one of those came courtesy of Schoennauer. She also scored in both matches against runner-up Prospect, who allowed just five goals during league play. It’s fair to say that Schoennauer exceeded her own set of expectations coming into the season.
“I just wanted to see myself grow as a player and get to know my new teammates,” said Schoennauer, who competes at the club level for Santa Clara Sporting and had also started competing on the Lions’ track and field team before the spring sports season was suspended. “This year has definitely been a great experience in all of my sports. And seeing the more difficult competition later in each season makes me want to just work harder.”
Even though she will still only be a sophomore next season, it’s also fair to say that the role of a leader will now become an expectation, one which Meyer believes will fit the rising standout.
“Kennedy has a low-key personality, but she is not shy. She’s not afraid to speak her mind, but does so while leading by example. She makes the players around her better,” Meyer said. “Even with her high level of talent, she is very coachable. Obviously, she is an incredible finisher, but she also has incredible ball skills, is creative with the ball and has deceptive speed with an extra gear when needed.”
For her efforts this season, we are pleased to recognize Lincoln’s Kennedy Schoennauer as the Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Freshman of the Year.
Other players considered for this award include Seaside’s Jacky Vazquez, Carmel’s Nikki Benak, Prospect’s Esmeralda Flores, Ann Sobrato’s Tea Reyes, Woodside’s Angeni Garcia, Pioneer’s Annalyce Upton and Alisal’s Miriam Hernandez.
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