By Steven Brien

HIS SPEED AND SIZE are unmatched as he soars down the field, slicing through
defenders like wind from a category five hurricane. He approaches the goal and strikes
the ball like his boot is steel-toed, sending the ball into the net to complete a hat trick
against rival South Kingstown.

North Kingstown High School freshman Brayden Jenison, a second team all-state selection, has become one of the most dangerous scorers in Rhode Island soccer.

“It’s really his physicality and his commitment,” head coach Paul Fanning said. “He's
addicted to the commitment part. I mean he’s addicted to the competition; he wants to
beat the other team in a fair way.”

That competitive streak took root years ago, shaped by his father, Jeff, who coached
his son from the time the younger Jenison first stepped onto a field.

“He was always onto me, ever since I started playing for my town when I was a young
age,” Jenison said of his father. “Last year in middle school, he was my coach, and we went
undefeated and lost in the state championship. That was a big motivation for me going
on and playing high school soccer.”

The backyard became their unofficial training ground.

“There are times when, instead of sitting on the couch playing on the phone, he’ll go
outside, and we’ll shoot on the net,” Jeff said. “We have a soccer net in our backyard,
and we’ll play different variations of games in the backyard to just keep the skill.”

Growing up in Burrillville, Jeff won back-to-back state titles in middle school and high
school. He hoped his son would have those same experiences.

“He was always telling me how in high school that they went undefeated and won the
state championship,” Jenison said. 

“You’ll need to play soccer, it’ll be really good. And you’ll have a lot of good memories
from it,” Jeff told Jenison for most of his childhood.

However, high school soccer wasn’t always Jenison's first priority. He started with an
MLS NEXT program when he was in middle school.

“I wasn’t a fan of (MLS NEXT). We actually switched clubs and he went and did Bayside
by Surf,” Jeff said. “Just the stories and the experiences you’re going to have in high
school, I don’t think he’d get that playing for MLS versus the high school.”

Jenison told his father that he wanted to do high school soccer after his high school
orientation. He was in awe of the athletic accolades of former North Kingstown
athletes, and fell in love. Jenison then asked his coach if he still had a spot on the team,
and the answer was a resounding yes.

“We really wanted Brayden to play high school sports cause we knew he would enjoy it
and it would be some of his greatest memories looking back at his childhood,”
Jenison's mother Dawn said. “We kind of let him choose what he thought was going to
be in his best interest. Instead of them choosing him, he chose them.”

In his freshman year with North Kingstown, Jenison scored 10 goals and led the
Skippers (13-8-2) to the state championship game. However, North Kingstown was
ultimately defeated by Barrington (16-3-3) in penalty kicks 4-1, after being tied 1-1 at the
end of regulation.

Jenison added two assists on the season and has become a leader on the team, with how he trains and motivates his teammates to be better.

“He’s definitely a kid that has an ‘eye of the tiger' very competitive edge to him,” Dawn
said. “Always taking it the next step to compete and stay at the top of his game.”

“Even at practices, he always strives to be the best. He doesn’t slack off,” senior keeper
Ethan Ford said. “He’s definitely one of the hardest workers on the team.”

“His work ethic really shows, he’s always trying to get better, especially since he’s still
young,” senior forward Tyler Cross said. “Before practice, he’s the only one out there
that’s just shooting. It’s all he’s doing, he’s juggling and then he’ll shoot.”

“He just pushes the other players. They see how hard he works,” Fanning said.

Jenison’s intensity is matched by compassion, something teammates and family say
defines him as much as his scoring.

“He’s very sensitive and he has a lot of empathy to being a good teammate, a good
person,” Dawn said. “His ability to just be kind to others shines through. He’s a good
friend that a lot of people look up to.”

“Brayden’s got a smile from ear to ear, and he’s pointing down at Zach [Oatley],” Jeff
said. “It didn’t have to be Brayden, he was just happy that his teammate scored the
goal. That’s a good photo to depict how Brayden’s personality is.”

“He goes in hard for every tackle, he’s always working his butt off. There’s not a time
where he’s on the field, and he’s not working as hard as he can to help the team,” Ford
said. “He’s passionate and trying to get better, and he always wants to win. He always
wants to play his absolute hardest, and he cares so much about the game.”

Ford added, “He’s like that fourth captain, or an assistant captain role. If they make a
mistake, he’s always there to lift them up. He’s not letting the negative sides to a game
get into someone’s head for the full 80 minutes. He’s always there to support.”

On the field, Jenison’s physical tools make him a nightmare to defend.

“When he scores a goal, there’s no chance for the goalie,” Fanning said. “His ball
striking is really impressive and that gives him a chance to score when he has a clear
look. He’s going to be very dangerous.”

Jenison is not done yet, as he wants to capture NK that elusive state title for the first
time since 2014, and work his way up to playing at the college and professional levels.

“We will be very motivated, especially after working so hard in the postseason to beat
Hendricken, East Providence, and showing that we really belong there,” Jenison said.
“Falling short of that (state title), we’re going to work really hard in the off season to train
and get better, and be able to grow together, and be able to beat our opponent.”

From backyard penalty-kick battles to high school hat tricks, Jenison’s journey
has always been fueled by his relentless drive. The freshman who slices through
defenders with ease grew out of the kid who refused to sit on the couch, choosing
instead to shoot on the net until daylight faded. Now, as he continues to rise in Rhode
Island soccer, that early passion still propels him in his career, towards the next goal
waiting to be struck like iron.

By Steven Brien

SOUTH KINGSTOWN-–North Kingstown High’s leading scorer, freshman Brayden Jenison scored three goals to lead North Kingstown to a 4-2 victory over rival South Kingstown on Thursday night at Curtis Corner Field. The win was the Skippers’ fourth straight against the Rebels.

In just under five minutes, Jenison sent the ball soaring over multiple defender’s heads and goalkeeper Matthew Clark’s outstretched hands into the top right corner of the goal, scoring his second goal of the contest, giving the Skippers a commanding 2-0 lead early in the match.

 “It felt awesome,” Jenison said.  “As soon as I scored the second one, I was like, this is my game to score a hat trick.”  

He did just that with a high-powered boot that soared the ball into the top right of the net in the 61st minute. Jenison has now scored seven goals in 13 games this season, setting a blistering pace for a freshman striker. Yet, he is still focused on winning the state championship at season’s end. 

“He’s a very skillful player, he’s got good size for a freshman and he really strikes the ball well.”  North Kingstown head coach Paul Fanning said. “If he just hits (the ball), it moves all over the place, so it’s tough to stop.” 

Even Alex Armstrong, South Kingstown’s head coach, was in awe of the performance put on by Jenison tonight.

“I’ve been coaching eight years and I can’t remember a time where one player scored five goals on us in a season," he said.

Armstrong mentioned how Jenison scored twice in the most recent matchup between the two rivals on Sept. 16, where the Skippers ended up winning, 3-1. 

North Kingstown’s defense held firm behind seven saves from goalkeeper Ethan Ford to stop any momentum that the Rebels tried to build. Late in the second half, after an Enzo Yamanaka corner, Skippers defender Parker Webber helped make a save by launching the ball out of the goal post with a header to the right side of the field. 

The Rebels, however, were able to utilize the talent of senior midfielder Sebe Kostrzewa, to score their second and final goal of the contest early in the second half. This cut the deficit down to 4-2 and was Kostrzewa’s second goal of the season. 

North Kingstown’s high-octane offense was on full display as Matia Bender added the Skippers' fourth goal midway through the second half by powering the ball into the top right of the goal post, just grazing the fingers of goalie Clark.

“We’ve been mentally tested. The guys are really fired up and I think they were just looking to attack,” Fanning said.

With the win, North Kingstown snapped a three-game losing streak, improving to a .500 record of (6-6-1). The Skippers will face Portsmouth (2-7-2) on Tuesday.

South Kingstown (4-5-1) has not won since Sept. 18, when it beat Central Falls. The next match will be against Dartmouth on Saturday.

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