The Branson Lady Pirates saw their season end on Saturday with a loss in the State Quarterfinals. A season that saw more wins (25) than ever before in program history. It’s a loss that brought an end to the Branson basketball careers of Five special ladies including Amanda Kearney.
I have known Amanda since, I believe, she was in third grade. She is a classmate of my youngest son, Daniel. By now, most everyone knows that Daniel suffers from Autism and Neurofibromatosis. Her dad worked with Daniel for a couple of years. And, Amanda would go out of her way to make sure Daniel was “part of the group”. It’s amazing how much difference a caring person can mean to him. While he may not have much contact with her, these days, there is no doubt he knows who she is. He will act shy and deny it if anyone asks him, but when he sees her highlights on television he still refers to her as “My Manda”.
On the court Amanda has been nothing short of amazing. She surpassed the 2000 point mark in a game at Republic late this past season. And, according to my numbers, she ends her Lady Pirate career with 2166 points. Her grit and determination to win is overshadowed, only by her smile and obvious love for the game. Many times a player that scores in droves, like that, can easily become selfish and develop a “me” attitude. That has never been the case with Amanda. Anyone that has ever seen her knows how much she cares about her teammates.
We had heard about her ability to score before she ever reached high school. And boy did she ever deliver. I remember a program in elementary school where the kids were supposed to dress like someone from Missouri or a person that made their impact while in the state of Missouri. I can remember Kearney in a Jackie Stiles jersey. Little did we know at that time that she would develop into a scorer like her hero.
When next season comes Kearney will be wearing the Black and Gold of Harding University. She will be missed at Branson without a doubt. Is she the greatest player to ever wear a Lady Pirate uniform? That is a judgement question that everyone can answer for themselves. There is no doubt she is the most prolific scorer. She holds every record to that effect. But, it’s not the points that, this guy will miss. It’s that smile and the overall incredible young woman that is AMANDA KEARNEY.
