Staff Report
Coaches love to say that the best ability is availability, but have athletes who are versatile and can succeed in many different roles can be a huge blessing, especially on the football field. Even on the deepest Group 5 rosters there are guys who play both offense and defense, and when a player can provide big plays on both sides of the ball — well, you get a couple guys like that and you’ve got yourself a pretty good football team.
Mainland Regional went just 7-5 this year, but the Mustangs turned it on late in the season, winning three of their last four games and reaching the South Jersey Group 3 championship game. Now an annual sectional and state championship contender, a couple years ago the Stangs were 4-6 and got routed by rival Ocean City in the opening round of the state playoffs.
Then Liam Kennedy and this year’s group of seniors stepped foot on campus, and things changed quickly. As freshmen, the group helped lead Mainland to the state semifinals before a tough 18-14 loss to Millville. Then, as sophomores, they won it all as Mainland went 14-0, taking down Millville, Winslow and Ramapo in succession to win the Group 4 state championship.
The following year saw a return trip to the state title game before a loss against Old Tappan, and in four years Kennedy helped lead the Mustangs to a 41-11 record, including 14-3 in the state playoffs.
Kennedy has played all kinds of positions — running back, wide receiver, wing back, kick returner. Whatever coach Chuck Smith needed, he knew No. 1 could probably do it — and do it well — on a football field. Kennedy finished his career with nearly 200 rushing yards, 200-plus receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, and on defense he was just as valuable, adding 67 tackles and three interceptions returned for touchdowns.
A big, physical defensive back at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Kennedy could handle covering the other team’s best wide receivers while also coming up and pounding running backs in run support. His Jack-of-all-trades talent, plus the physicality he brought to the Mustangs’ secondary, is going to tough for coach Smith to replace in 2026.
— Dave O’Sullivan, Staff Writer
