Three of a kind

By Chris Geinosky

Good things do come in threes.

Members of the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association had no choice but to take notice of Kearney High’s recent success, and the organization extended all-star invitations to three Bulldogs. Seniors Beau Brinkley, John Hinchey and Matt Massey have been offered roster spots in the annual Metro Classic senior all-star game, scheduled for Thursday, June 19, at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kan.

“This just shows how hard we work in Kearney,” Hinchey said. “And now it’s showing that the hard work is paying off.”

Not only does this mark the first time Kearney coach Greg Jones has had as many as three of his players receive invitations to the Missouri vs. Kansas all-star event during his tenure in the metropolitan area, it is believed to be the most in a single year for the Bulldog football program.

“Being on the northern end of the suburban area, I think people forget about us sometimes, but to have three guys picked for this game says a lot about what people think of our program,” Jones said. “You’re talking about the best 45 football players in the city, and to have three guys from our program in one year, that may never happen again. This is a special deal. There are a lot of Class 6 teams that don’t get three guys.”

Under Jones, Kearney has turned into one of the top Class 4 programs in the Kansas City area. The Bulldogs posted a 10-2 record last fall, with both losses coming against eventual state champion Lee’s Summit, and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs.

Brinkley and Hinchey turned out to be one of the top receiver tandems in the metropolitan area this past season. The duo combined for better than 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns, offensively and on special teams. Massey, the Suburban Small Six Conference defensive player of the year, finished with nearly 100 tackles and was later named a finalist for the Bobby Bell Award, which is given to the Kansas City area’s most outstanding small class defensive player.

However, Massey may be the only Bulldog to dress for the game next month. Hinchey is currently recovering from an injury suffered during track season, while Brinkley has decided to pass on the opportunity to play and instead focus on summer school to get a head start on his quest to walk on at the University of Missouri.

“I’m looking to do what’s best for the future,” Brinkley said. “It’s really hard not to play, but I have bigger priorities I want to take care of. But don’t get me wrong, it still feels great to be picked as one of the top players in the city.”

Sports writer Chris Geinosky can be reached at 389-6654 or cgeinosky@npgco.com.