By Vince Teresi
The 10-4 final tally on the scoreboard at Volcanoes Stadium on June 1 looked mighty nice to Kennedy High fans. Historically, it recorded the school’s first state baseball championship. It was also the first state championship for any boys sport at JFK.
Coach Kevin Moffatt earned his 200th victory that day. He led Kennedy to back-to-back Tri-River Conference titles and is the Oregon 2A Baseball Coach of the Year.
Senior pitcher Franky Rodriguez was honored as Oregon 2A Player of the Year. His infield counterpart Gavin Shuman received Tri-River Conference and second team All-State honors for his performance behind the plate. The “Franky and Gavin” combo proved to be an awesome threat to any opponent over the course of the Trojans’ 27-4 season. Second-team All-Stater Daniel Hammer anchored the shortstop position and sparked up the snappy infield play that became Kennedy’s strongsuit.
The send-off to the championship game was impressive. The pep band played as players ran to the bus. Students and fans lined the street to wave the team on to victory. “Moffatt’s Men” will be long remembered.
