Memory of York High, Maine Maritime soccer player Brian Kenealy honored: 'Wonderful kid'

YORK, Maine — Known for his sense of humor and magnetic personality, Brian Kenealy had another side.

“The best part of Brian was he would do something devious, and then he would look at you and smile,” said Julie Johnson, head coach of the York High School boys soccer team. “My former players said you could never get mad at him the way you could get mad at the rest of us. He was so hard to get mad at. He was so likeable.”

Despite his young age, Kenealy touched many lives and over the past several months those representing several communities have shown just how much. He was one of four passengers killed in an SUV crash last December in Castine, Maine, where the three-sport athlete at York High was a popular member of the men’s soccer team at Maine Maritime Academy. He was 20 years old.

Maine Maritime held a ceremony Saturday afternoon at York High School to honor his memory and present the family that included his father Dan, his mother Beth Jimmo and siblings Peter, Laura and Molly with a framed jersey of his now retired No. 21.

“We’ve had such great support from all our communities,” Jimmo said. “It’s been very uplifting. It’s been so helpful over the past few months.”

“Anytime something like that happens it’s pretty hard on a community so I think being able to have these events gives everyone a chance to have those emotions,” said York athletic director Jeff Oliver.

With five of Brian’s closest teammates at MMA dressed in white regimental uniforms the team marched around the track before proceeding to the center of the field near where his retired No. 8 that he wore for York High School was painted.

“Brian was a wonderful kid, and we were really grateful to have him as part of our program,” said MMA coach Billy Shannon. “He’s sorely missed. Since the accident last December, we’ve been trying to find a way to appropriately memorialize him and find a way to have a significant majority of his teammates around to be able to do that and make a gesture toward the family that we felt they would appreciate.”

In a collaborative effort involving York High School and Maine Maritime the ceremony took place between games of a season-opening doubleheader between the girls and boys varsity soccer teams of York and visiting Cape Elizabeth.

“(Brian) was very sports-centric and really loved both schools,” said Dan Kenealy. “Wrapping those remembrances around sports and camaraderie is really great. That was everything to him.”

“It’s very humbling for all of us,” Jimmo said. “He was a humble guy, too. I think he would be surprised that this kind of support was shown for just little ol' him, but I think he’d be happy that all of his groups are coming together in his name.”

Johnson said the Wildcats attended Maine Maritime’s game against the University of New England last Friday.

“We wanted to have an opportunity to have Maine Maritime over,” Oliver said. “Obviously, they were a big part of Brian’s life as well.”

“Brian was really special,” Johnson said, “and it shows.”

York High School and Maine Maritime have both established scholarships in Brian’s memory and opening day of the soccer season provided a fitting tribute and the perfect backdrop for Saturday’s ceremony.

“We chose today as a way that I think Brian would appreciate,” Shannon said. “We wanted to come out and come out and really demonstrate the support we have for someone that we really appreciated and valued.

“He was always happy, upbeat and a really positive kid as part of our own program and so we just want to make sure that memory lives on,” he added.

Jimmo said her son was “fun-loving with a bit of mischief in there too.”

In addition to soccer, Brian was on the baseball and track teams at York. The Wildcats also retired his number in baseball.

“Retiring his number was a pretty easy decision,” Johnson said. “It was player-driven. To our program I think it means a lot. Brian had a huge impact on all of us and you can see that by the number of people who are showing up today.

“Everyone describes him as the best teammate,” she added. “He was just a member of a pack. It means a lot to try to honor him.”

Players on the boys soccer team debuted their uniform shirts Saturday with a black patch on the right shoulder showcasing the No. 8.

“We talked about if you’re going to wear that, what it means,” Johnson said. “It means being a great teammate, taking care of each other and taking care of your pack to preserve the legacy that Brian left.”

York also held a tournament in Brian’s memory over the summer in which 20 teams signed up, according to Johnson, that not only included boys and girls soccer players but also those from lacrosse and field hockey.

“He had an impact on a lot of people,” Johnson said. “In terms of the community coming together it was really cool to see. I think it means a lot to people to support his family as best we can but also to honor him.”

Brian Kenealy was a leader on and off the playing field. He once took part in virtual workouts with his teammates at York High as a senior even though the season had been canceled because of the pandemic.

“Our team and athletic department and the entire campus community was really rocked by the events of last December,” Shannon said. “Trying to find the good that can come out of something that wasn’t is really important to us.”

Brian Kenealy was in his second year at Maine Maritime when he died at the age of 20. He was a 2021 graduate of York High School.

“He was a character,” Shannon said. “He was always able to keep the guys smiling and crack a joke and make them laugh. He had a lot of endearing characteristics and qualities. He will be sorely missed.” 

“It’s beautiful, it really is, to know that in his short time here he had such an impact,” Jimmo said. “He was a happy, friendly person and easy-going, but I think his biggest contribution was that he was a great teammate.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine Maritime, York High School soccer pay tribute to Brian Kenealy