Sacred Heart High School (SHHS) Senior Saints field goal kicker Robert Okeny was also recognized for his talented toe at the Sask. Football Association (SBA) East Central League awards at Martensville.
Okeny won the award for Best Special Teams Kicker. In warning to the rest of the league, this was an off year for Okeny, claims Senior saints head coach Trent Senger. "We went through a lot of technical issues with his kicking and soccer really ate into his time. He didn't really have the year he had hoped for himself, which says a lot about his abilities when we have a year that isn't our best as kicker and he's still recognized as the best kicker. To me that says a lot about the abilities of this young man," Senger declares.
Okeny is doing well academically, Senger says.
There are several coaches from Eastern Canada expressing an interest in taking a look at him, Senger reports. "We're quite thrilled about that and we'll be quite interested to see how that turns out," he adds.
The hard part for Okeny will be his love of soccer and his love of football. "One's going to win and one's going to lose," Senger predicts.
Okeny made an impact when he played. "When you kick the ball off from your own 35 (yard line) and it goes through the end zone in our last playoff game, that's a heck of a leg," Senger points out. He's a field position changer, Senger states. "That's the bulk of why he got the award. Everybody in the league knows that he'll kick the ball from our own 20 and they're still going to have to receive it on their own five yard line. So he can change the position on the field and in high school football that's absolutely huge," Senger elaborates.
Senger predicts Okeny will score a 50 yard or 55 yard field goal next year. "We're going to make sure that he's going to get his opportunity to kick that one and set a league record," he promises. Okeny tried a 58 yarder this year and hit the upright on the goal post.
"We know he's got the leg. We just need to give him the opportunities. I think that's what people see in him, is just how strong his leg really is," Senger closes.
Okeny, who learned of his award the day after it was awarded, says he was surprised when Senger informed him of his win. He says he was happy to win because he believes the East Central Division has the two best kickers in the league.
Okeny started the season as punt returner and safety and defensive back as well as handling the kicking duties for the Saints.
A multi-sport athlete, Okeny excels at both football and soccer. He plays soccer on the Sacred Heart school team as well as on a club team with the Yorkton United Football Club.
While he says he prefers soccer because he's played it all his life, he also enjoys football. "I just don't like the morning practices," he admits.
He would like to continue playing either sport at university. "I would rather be playing a sport at university than just be taking classes alone. It makes classes less dull and gives me something to aside from my studies," Okeny closes.
