By Dave Morrison
Independence made history last year when Judah Price won the Kennedy Award.
Coming on the heels of Atticus Goodson winning the award in 2021, it marked the first time a Class AA school had back-to-back winners of the award that represents the state’s top player. It was tonly the second time its happened in the award’s storied 75-year history.
The only other school to have different players win it back-to-back was Class AAA Martinsburg when Brandon Barrett and Nate Sowers won the award in 2003 and 2004. Barrett actually won the award in 2002 as well.
Independence coach John H. Lilly has likely lost count of the number of times he has been asked if the Patriots can repeat after the team captured the school’s first state championship beating Herbert Hoover 42-7 Dec. 2.
The next is can the another of the Patriots capture the Kennedy Award?
“It’s so hard to to win and I’m not sure anybody would let you win three in a row,” Lilly said in an empty Patriots fieldhouse Thursday, days shy of fall camp opening.
If so, who might have a shot from Independence, which has to replace most of its line, along with Price and several key skill players from the state championship team.
“I’ll tell you what, Trey Bowers could be the man,” Lilly said of his quarterback, who finished 101 rushing yards short of being a 1,000 passing, 1,000 rushing man last season. “And (running back Tyler) Linksweiler, too. I think that once people see them (I’d be surprised) if they weren’t in the mention. I’m not going to say they are the best players in the state. I’ve seen everybody so far, with the camps and everything. But I think they are (two) of the best players.”
Bowers, a rising senior, threw for 1,622 yards (a school record) and 11 touchdowns and completed 64-percent of his passes (73 of 114) and he also scored 15 rushing touchdowns. He had 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the state championship victory on the same night Price set the Super Six standard with 376 yards (and four touchdowns) rushing.
Linksweiler, also a rising senior, has waited for his chance behind both Goodson and Price, a starter on defense and often in the slot but still managed to rush for 736 yards, including 154 and a touchdown in the playoff win against North Marion. He had an 86-yard touchdown run in that game.
In two seasons he has rushed for over 1,158 yards on 109 carries (and average of 10.6 yards per carry)and 11 touchdowns in a backup role.
Lilly said he is most proud of the fact the Patriots standouts are “home-grown” players.
“It’s special,” Lilly said. “They are home-grown Patriots. They went through the youth league. They played in the middle school. They played here. We went to the state championship game in 2021 with all home-grown Patriots. We won the state championship with all home-grown Patriots but one (Chandler Johnson, a starting linebacker was a transfer from Wyoming East). We haven’t lost a regular season game since 2020 with all home-grown Patriots but one guy. I think that Patriot Nation is pretty special and I think people want to be a part of it now. And that is OK too. But I think it’s special that (Price) and (Goodson) were home-grown guys.”
