Riverside, CA — It is said that Chaucer, in 1734, was the first to say it. “All good things must come to an end.” Today we apply that phrase to Kennedy’s 2019 baseball season. Something that was truly good in every way now has come to an end. Saturday night the Fighting Irish took the field for the last time in 2019. They had pursued their dream to the final moment. They were playing for the ultimate prize a Southern California High School team could play for, the CIF championship! The Orange County Register had picked four teams that were believed to have the potential to play in the final game. Of those four teams, Sonora was the only one who made it to championship night. Nobody had picked Kennedy to be there. But there they were, the familiar green, gold and white sprinting on to the field to begin the final battle. If the Irish went down to defeat this night, no-one would have said that they fell short. After all, they had gone all the way. They had played their hearts out to the last out! In their wake lay a long line of opponents who had been deemed their superiors, only to fall in their presence. But it quickly became apparent that these players had no intention of simply battling to the last inning. They had come to show that they were, indeed, champions. Throughout the year, the Irish had found a myriad of ways to win ball games. Sometimes they would blow teams away with their bats. Other times they would shut them down with fine pitching. Then there were the times that they stole games with spectacular defense. This night, they put it all altogether. To say that Wyatt Johnson’s performance on the mound was dominating would be an understatement. The big right-hander didn’t allow a runner to reach first until there were 2 outs in the 3rd inning. He didn’t allow the second runner to reach first until the 7th. Along the way he allowed only 3 hits and struck out an astounding 12 batters, including the final out of the game. In the meantime, the Irish batters were unleashing an assault on the Sonora pitching staff that was invigorating to watch. In the 2nd inning, Tyler Beckler and Jaelyn Edds hit their way aboard in front of Jason May who lashed a drive down the right field line bringing home the first 2 Kennedy runs. After Chase Leonard was hit by a pitch, Albert Munoz doubled May home and Leonard followed shortly thereafter. When the dust had settled, the Irish had a 4 run lead. In the 3rd, back to back doubles by Sebastian McSherry and Beckler increased the lead to 5-0. Then, Evan Anderson drove in Beckler and Leonard drove in Anderson. The Irish now had what would prove to be an insurmountable lead of 7-0. But let us not forget the defense. Chase Leonard backed up Johnson with several fine defensive plays at short and Beckler, whose 3 hits led all Kennedy batters, capped off an outstanding night by turning in one of the most spectacular plays of the year. With two outs in the 5th, he dove to is left to grab a groundball headed for left field, scrambled to his feet and threw a strike to nip the runner at first and end the inning. Although Sonora made some noise in the 7th, leading off with a single followed by a triple to the right field corner, Johnson put the ribbon on a masterpiece of an outing, forcing a weak popup and striking out two of the last 3 batters to clinch the 7-1 victory and begin the celebration. In addition to Beckler’s three hits, Munoz and Anderson collected two, and Leonard, McSherry, May, Edds and Johnny Soto all collected one hit. Soto and Anderson’s hits both came in their final high school at bat. On Sunday, the whole Kennedy baseball family will gather one last time for their annual season ending banquet. As always, it will be an opportunity for the coaching staff to draw attention to the performances that brought about the tremendous success of this team. It should be a joyful time. After all, this was a group of players that had fun and was fun to watch. They had a team spirit that was evident both on and off the field. Decades from now, these players will remember with warmth the spirit of brotherhood that grew among them. It was a team who had stars, but this was not a team built around just a few individuals. In the course of the season there were many players who stepped up at different times. They waited for their moment, and were ready to make important contributions when their opportunity came. At the banquet, however, there is one topic that the coaches will probably not mention. But it should be mentioned. It was a crucial factor in this team’s success. This season was a story of coaching excellence. In one of the game-ending videos posted on Blast, you can see the team mobbing each other, exulting in a walk-off victory. But to the side you see one of the coaches, beginning to jog quietly off the field. His job is done for the day. He gets no glory. Indeed, he seems to be already concentrating on the next task, the next game, the next opponent. It is a symbol of the quiet effectiveness of a devoted group of coaches charged with the cultivation of younger men, molding them into something greater than themselves. After the first Cypress game, when Kennedy had come so close to upsetting the perennial powerhouse, only to fall short, Coach Monahan released his team from their after game field chores. He went out to do their work himself, all alone, the head coach on an empty diamond. It was his way of saying to them that he was proud of them, that he still believed in them, that their journey wasn’t over yet. And that he had their backs. Those are just two examples of how this coaching staff did what many staffs strive vainly to do. Yes, they had provided quality training to their team and had coaxed from them the highest level of performance that they were capable of. But they did much more than that. They instilled in these boys a “never say die” attitude. They cultivated their hearts, ….. hearts that kept them believing and fighting when their hope was strained and their strength was low, ……. hearts of Champions. Before the first playoff game, Coach Monahan told the team that if they could get past Mayfair, they had a chance to go all the way. Was he just trying to instill hope in a team destined to fall short? Or did he really believe it? There is no question about one thing, they believed him! He had earned their respect and confidence. They took him at his word. So they went out and fulfilled his prophesy. They beat Mayfair, …… then they went all the way! There is another subject that should be mentioned. It was an occurrence that became more and more common as the season progressed. It happened in the stands at the end of each game, when friends, relatives, parents and grandparents would turn to one another in frank amazement, as if to seek reassurance that what they had just witnessed had really taken place. In modern times, there are very few players who reach the high school level without the support of dedicated parents who drive them to endless practices and games year round, sit in wobbly lawn chairs or splintery bleachers and brave searing heat and bone chilling cold ….. to give their young players an opportunity to pursue their dreams. For them it is enough to see their charges fulfill the utmost of their potential. Sure, they would all love to see a championship. But most will settle for seeing their young have fun and do their best. But every once in a while, they hit the jackpot. Every once in a while they see a team gel into a level of accomplishment that is both exciting and rewarding. Every once in a while, they must turn to one another with looks of incredulity and joy, amazed at what they are seeing and experiencing. There is not a parent who would disagree with this next sentence. This year made it all worth it. For those who played, for those who watched, for those who lived and died with each pitch, …… Irish Baseball 2019 was a journey that was a joy to be a part of. It is a memory that will never be forgotten. It is a tale to be told again and again. To the players, to the coaching staff, to the parent support teams that gave of themselves in selfless labor above and beyond all expectation …… we say one more time …….. Thank you! You gave us a great year. You gave us excitement and joy. You gave us memories to cherish. And along with all of that ….. you gave us what very few will ever get to enjoy. You gave us the 2019 CIF Championship! Amazing! We loved every minute of the ride!