Kegan Smith is
committed to excellence

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Kegan Smith wouldn’t change anything about this year.
Smith, a junior at North Catholic High School, started the year by helping the Falcons’ soccer team make it back to the Catholic League Northern Division playoffs.
Now, with the baseball team, he’s a perfect 5-0 on the mound as the No. 2 pitcher on North’s staff.
That’s not to say the whole year has been perfect. There was that moment during soccer season when . . . well, Smith isn’t sure exactly what happened, but it cost him playing in six games between the pipes.
"We were playing (Archbishop Ryan) and I think I went to make a save and I got kneed in the head," Smith said. "I don’t remember a whole lot . . . I had a concussion and I missed most of the rest of the season. I came back with two games to go in the regular season. I was happy about that, but I was disappointed that I missed a few games."
Smith was instrumental in helping the Falcons’ soccer team get back to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus.
Now he’s hoping to do the same with North’s baseball team, which last appeared in the playoffs in 2004.
So far, it looks like Smith and company are on the right track.
The Falcons are currently 11-5, which is good enough for second place in the Catholic League Northern Division. Heading into the week, the Falcons were just one game behind first-place Archbishop Ryan, but they also were just one game ahead of Father Judge and La Salle. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.
In baseball, the Falcons were hoping to get back to the playoffs this season, but inexperience and pitching were two question marks coming in. Senior Adam Miller was a proven starter, but the team needed a second quality arm to emerge.
"I was real happy when I got the chance, and when I started to play well, I was even happier," Smith said. "This year has been really good. I get to pitch a lot. They usually DH for me, but that’s OK, as long as I get to pitch and as long as we’re winning. So far, we’ve been winning most of my games, so I can’t complain too much."
Smith is also glad he’s been able to help restore some glory to his two sports.
North prides itself on being competitive in every sport, but along with wrestling, the Falcons have fared well in soccer and baseball.
And even though Smith hails from Somerton, he knows all about the mystique of North Catholic athletics.
"I wasn’t even going to go to North, but my neighbor (and last year’s starting catcher) Mike Constantine went there and he liked it, and my grandpop went there and he liked it.
"I’m really glad I went there, especially after this year," he said. "Soccer was great — we had to win a pre-playoff game to get in — but it was great. And now baseball is going really well."
Last year, Smith honed his pitching skills while playing for the RBI Phillies team. This year he plans to do that once again, but he also wants to play for North’s soccer team in the Bensalem Summer Soccer League.
"I guess if you made me pick one, baseball would be my sport," Smith said. "But I really like them both, and if I want to continue to get better, I have to do both this summer."
At this point, he is pleased about the prospects for North’s team. "I think we have the talent, if we play well, to win the championship. It’s tough, but we have a really good team this year," he said.
Smith is just hoping he can help North win a title. After all, concussion or no concussion, that’s something he’ll remember forever.
"Yeah, a championship would be perfect," he said. "But either way, this was a fun year." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com