Perhaps running back Robby Feeney’s greatest asset is being a team player willing take on any new assignment for the greater good of the Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale football team.

Feeney will likely play a key role when the fourth-ranked Ramblers (6-3) travel to Maine’s heartland to face top-seeded Foxcroft Academy (8-1) in a Class D semifinal game, beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday.

“I think my greatest asset is being able to do what I am told,” he said. “Each game, I normally have different assignments, different plans for the game. I am normally good at doing what they tell me.”

For Feeney, it is like being being a utility player who makes his appointed rounds on game day. He has played on many of Winthrop’s special teams, especially his freshman year — where he earned his first varsity letter.

“Whatever they need me doing, lining up on someone, that’s what I do,” he said. “That’s honestly for all my sports. I play everywhere. Like in basketball, I can play anywhere on the court.” 

“He is also our snapper on punts and field goals,” Winthrop coach Dave. St. Hilaire, who has been coaching the Ramblers since 2014, said. “He gives you his best effort every time. He will do whatever you ask. He will run through a brick wall for you. He was a first-team defensive player last year. He has good hands. He blocks very well.”

The running back’s offensive statistics are also a telling story of his success. At this point, he has rushed the ball 87 times for 522 yards, which ranks second on the team. He has caught a team-high 19 passes for 117 yards. He also shines on defense — where he has made 50 solo tackles and assisted on 16 others and has pulled down a team-leading three interceptions.

“Defensively, he does so many things for us,” St. Hilaire said. “We can basically say, ‘You need to go cover this guy.’ He may be a quick guy. He may be a physical guy. He will give you everything to fight that guy tooth and nail. He is not the biggest kid in the world.”

There are plenty of regular-season highlights of Feeney’s exploits on offense and defense. During games against Poland and Oak Hill, Feeney demonstrated his tenacity on the gridiron.

In the fourth quarter against Poland, St. Hilaire watched in amazement as Feeney opened up a 14-3 game with a 42-yard interception for a touchdown. A few plays later, Feeney scooped up a Knights fumble at the Poland 14-yard line and returned it for a another TD.

Feeney was also a force in a game against Oak Hill. He rushed for a score, returned a Raiders fumble for a another touchdown and collected an offensive fumble and it into the end zone.

But Feeney said he enjoys playing offense more than defense because he gets to run with the ball.

“I like having the ball in my hands, making moves and doing what I do,” he said. “I can’t do what I do without (my team). Football is pretty much a team sport. Having people block for me is one of the most important things.”

St. Hilaire describes Feeney as an even-keeled player who goes about his business quietly.

“He is the same person no matter what the score is (or) no matter what happened,” St. Hilaire said. “He is just a (level-headed) kid. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like Robby Feeney. He is just a good kid. He is quiet. He likes to have fun. He respects everyone. He is humble. He is everything you want to see in a young man.”

The quiet, reliable Feeney’s versatility extends beyond the football field. He also is free-spirited and drives around town in a 1968 Nova muscle car that features a 350 Chevy small block engine under the hood with a four-speed manual drive.

“Very fun to drive,” Feeney said.

He not only goes with the flow, he has flow — growing his hair long during the football season.

“It is kind of a football thing. I did it last year so I did it this year. But then for basketball, I always cut it down,” Feeney said.

Feeney also is a sprinter for the outdoor track team, competing in the 400- and 200-meter events. But football remains his favorite sport, and his father, Darrell, was one of the best linebackers in school history. His father’s interest in the game became Robby’s passion as well.

He is mulling going to a trade school to become a plumber or a lineman. He thought about attending to college to play football, but he is opting to earn a paycheck.

“Football will be the one sport that I will miss,” he said. 

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