While the junior varsity Ajax-Pickering Dolphins of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) is looking to win more consistently, with a current record of 2-2, there is one player on the team that has been nothing but consistent.
Kenan Clarke, a 16-year-old wide receiver, has crossed the goal line in every game so far this season. He scored the lone touchdown for the Dolphins against the Toronto Thunder in a 21-7 loss on Saturday. Clarke, who’s been playing with the Dolphins since Tyke, currently has five touchdowns, and averages 28.6 yards per catch this season.
“He’s the most dangerous player in the league,” said junior varsity Dolphins Head Coach Jeff McConkey. “Other teams hear about him, but they are always surprised when they see him.”
Clarke echoes the dangerous moniker.
“The other teams hear about me, but they quickly find out that they need to keep up,” said Clarke.
Clarke has accumulated 372 yards in 13 catches. He has also gained 13 first downs, which means he has gotten at least a first down on every catch. It’s this ability to turn up the field that impresses McConkey.
“He gets a lot of yards after the catch,” said McConkey. “He tends to score on hooks and slant patterns.”
Clarke had four catches for 90 yards against the Thunder on Saturday. With the touch down coming off a 20 yard catch and run.
“I caught the ball low, then saw an opening and cut to the sideline,” said Clarke.
He also thanks his relationship with his quarterback, Justin Aliberti, for his success.
“He’s one of my closest friends,” said Clarke. “We’ve been playing together ever since tyke. The connections are just there.”
In the fall, Clarke, a grade 10 student at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Pickering, Ont., suits up for his high school team, the Monarchs of the Lake Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association (LOSSAA). Last year, Clarke and the Monarchs won the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Northern Bowl, 20-13 over the Westgate Tigers of the North Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association (NWOSSAA).
Clarke plans to continue helping his Dolphins score touchdowns this summer and hopes to one day go down south to play college ball.
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