No Laughing Matter : Mission Viejo’s Keneley, an Intimidating Pass Rusher, Takes His Job Seriously

Matt Keneley stands 6 feet 6 and weighs 265 pounds. His footsteps rock the trailer that serves as the Mission Viejo High School football office.

He is so strong that opposing teams sometimes use three players to keep him from crushing their quarterback. Even his coach refers to Keneley with respect, calling him Mr. Intensity.

This is not a guy to poke fun at.

Yet, once a week, his own teammates tempt fate and laugh at the expense of this mammoth senior defensive tackle--to his (gulp) face.

Every Wednesday, one of the Diablo players must tell a joke. If it’s funny, the team doesn’t have to run sprints.

Five weeks into the season and there have been five jokes about Keneley.

“It’s their chance to get even for the way he plays in practice,” Diablo Coach Mike Rush said. “I mean, I worry that he’s going to hurt one of our players someday.”

Keneley is a handful, whether it’s a game or practice. From his point of view, there’s no difference between the two, so he pummels friend and foe alike.

That drive, coupled with his ability, has made Keneley one of the best and most feared defensive linemen in Orange County. It has also made him the butt of a few jokes.

Where does a 265-pound lineman sit?

Anywhere he wants.

“It’s a conspiracy,” Keneley said. “I’m really not that bad.

“I do get a lot of emotion built up during the day and I can’t wait to get out on the football field to let it out. The intensity starts about 2:30 p.m. and I carry it through practice. If it’s a scrimmage, I play like it’s a real game.

“A quarterback is a quarterback, even in practice. If he takes a seven-step drop, I’m going after him . . . “

Easy, big fellow. Somebody get some raw meat.

Keneley was born to play defensive tackle. From his mentality to his size, he’s perfect for the position.

Through four games, he has six of the team’s 12 sacks, something of which Mater Dei quarterback Billy Blanton should take note.

Blanton, who has passed for 1,302 yards and 15 touchdowns, will be in Keneley’s sights tonight, when the Diablos (4-0), ranked No. 1 in the county, play the No. 3 Monarchs (5-0) at Santa Ana Stadium.

Uh, that’s six sacks, Billy.

“I’m really looking forward to going against the best quarterback in the county,” Keneley said. “They throw a lot and he’s really dangerous back there. It’s my job to put pressure on him and force him to make a mistake.”

Where does a 265-pound lineman sit?

Usually on top of a quarterback.

The best example of Keneley’s pass-rushing abilities came last week against Laguna Hills.

“Their quarterback was standing in the pocket,” Rush said. “Then, all of a sudden, Matt made him disappear.”

Keneley is not one-dimensional, he plays all aspects of his position well. But if there’s one thing he dearly loves, it’s separating quarterbacks from their senses--if not the football.

He didn’t get to use this talent much last season, when he was a “puny” 235-pound linebacker. His pass rushing was limited to the occasional blitz and he wound up with no sacks.

During the winter, Keneley decided to beef up, with the idea of becoming a defensive tackle. He worked in the weight room and at the dinner table, once eating 10 steaks at one sitting.

The result was 30 more pounds to go along with linebacker-type speed. Keneley has been clocked at 68 seconds in the 400 meters--not fast enough to get him to Barcelona next summer but plenty quick enough to get at a quarterback.

“The thing I try to do is beat the guy off the ball,” Keneley said. “My speed will make up the difference. If I get that step, I can blow past him. Then it’s one-on-one with the quarterback.”

At that point, the quarterback should check his medical coverage.

“When he hits someone, you know it,” Diablo defensive line coach Bill Denny said. “A quarterback will remember him.”

Other teams try to avoid those meetings.

Keneley got a sack in the season opener against Loyola and was double-teamed the next time out on the field. Still, he got sack No. 2.

On the Diablos’ next possession, Keneley found three Loyola players blocking him--the tackle, tight end and a running back.

“We weren’t ready for someone that good,” Loyola Coach Stephen Grady said. “He nearly decapitated our quarterback.”

Where does a 265-pound lineman sit?

On the sideline, coach, PLEASE.

Early in the season, Denny pulled Keneley aside.

“I told him if he didn’t ease up, he’d be the only defensive lineman left,” Denny said. “He’s just so intense, I’m afraid he’s going to literally hurt someone.”

Keneley takes practice seriously--very seriously. It’s one of the reasons he’s so good.

Most kids practice how they play, Keneley plays how he practices.

“He really wants to learn,” Denny said. “When you talk to most kids about technique or situations, you see this blank look come over their face. Not Matt. He listens, asks intelligent questions and understands.”

Which helps explain why he has a 3.5 grade-point average in the classroom.

“You can picture Matt reading poetry in the library,” Denny said. “Of course, on a football field, he will try to shove that poetry book down someone’s throat.”

Keneley smiled, then ducked in his awe-shucks manner at the mention of his on-the-field presence. He realizes his style on the field is rather extroverted, but what’s a guy to do?

“I just get excited the moment I step on a football field,” Keneley said. “If we’re doing drills, I do them at full speed. To me, the game is just an extention of practice.”

Diablo coaches have managed to convince him that maybe half-speed isn’t a bad thing once in a while. Denny will motion with his hand and Keneley will downshift.

“Otherwise, he would dominate the whole practice,” Denny said.

Of course, his teammates do get the last laugh. Every Wednesday on joke day.

“I think they do it because they know Matt won’t do anything while the coaches are around,” Rush said.