Kellen Connors, this year's 'Good Kid Award' recipient, stepped up as a leader on the field and in the classroom

There are many scholarships awarded to Anaconda Junior/Senior High School graduating seniors for academics and athletics, but the AHS Class of 1966 "Good Kid Award" is a bit different:

It's about recognizing a student who exhibits strength of character, kindness and compassion, thoughtfulness, respect and "good old fashioned manners." 

And this year's recipient, AJSHS Class of 2025 graduating senior Kellen Connors, has done exactly that both in the classroom and on the field for the Copperheads.

While this is explicitly not an athletic scholarship, any discussion of Connors in relation to it has to begin with the fact that he was the only senior to play on the football team. That, Anaconda historian Jeff Frank – who went back through the football program's rosters over the years to verify it – has confirmed this is something that has never happened before.

And as that lone senior, it was up to Connors to set a good example for his younger teammates.

"I felt like I really had to step up a lot more," Connors said of his time on the gridiron this year. "I really had to take a step and use the leadership skills I have been educated on throughout my high school career."

The coaching staff certainly made it easier to do that, he said. 

"Dan [Lacey], he's a great coach and the team has a great staff. It made it a lot easier," Connors said. "They're trying to create a winning culture."

Mentioning his teammates, especially the soon-to-be seniors of the Class of 2026, Connors said "all those fellas are going to do great things. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next season." 

"I'm excited to see them beat Deer Lodge by 30 to 40 points," he added.

As for the Good Kid Award, Connors said "it was a big surprise." 

"Joe Casey [AJSHS counselor] showed it to me and I just thought it was great," he said. "Our school is filled with kids who are involved, who are athletes and who do all this stuff. [But] I do think we have a cultural issue with how people are treated. Some people can be really mean, can be bullies, and technology, all the social media stuff definitely doesn't help. I definitely tried to be kind to everyone and give everyone a chance to be my friend. I've always been open to most if not all people. And I think it's great that ..." 

Here the student/athlete/musician – who intends to study engineering at Montana State University – paused to reflect before adding: 

"I feel it's getting more common with the freshman and sophomore classes, seeing athletes who are getting involved in music, especially with the guys. For girls it's different, but with boys it's easier to get shot down doing both music and sports," he said. "I see boys like Tytan Jovanovich doing all this stuff, seeing all these people being open to doing anything, and to being kind. I think they'll have some hard decision-making for this scholarship in the years ahead because there are a lot of great kids in the years below me."

In the words of one of those decision makers for the Good Kid Award, John Stevenson of the Class of '66, after presenting Connors with the $500 scholarship: "What a positive role model he is."

Indeed.