SPOTLIGHT: Shrine Catholic Soccer Player Scores a Fall Fan Choice Award

Ben Plunkey voted Favorite Junior

Ben Plunkey (2019)
  • Plays basketball
  • Plays soccer
  • Runs track

Shrine Catholic High School – It was formally announced on Local 4 News that Ben Plunkey was the favorite junior on his soccer team for the 4Frenzy Fall Fan Choice Awards. The 16-year-old told us why he believes he earned the award, “I get along with everyone and am a good teammate on the field as well.”

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Ben says that he started playing soccer around the age of six. Ten years later, his love for the sport has only grown. “Soccer is a sport I’ve always had a passion for and when I can make a positive impact on a team, it’s fun for me,” he says. “Being with my friends playing a sport I love is fun too.”

Speaking of teammates, Plunkey says his relationship with his team is very close and they mesh together very well. “We have good chemistry and my teammates are fun to be around every day at practice or in games,” he says.

Along with his passion for soccer, his skills on the field have grown as well, allowing him to win many other acknowledgments and accolades. “I have been named to an All-League Team and an All-Catholic Team,” he says, just to name a few. But in order to gain all these achievements, Ben says that he had to come face to face with adversity.

“My biggest challenge was making the starting lineup my freshmen year. It took lots of hard work, but it paid off,” he says. “My biggest achievement would be just playing a big key role on the team the last two years.”

Over the years, Ben has also become versatile with his athletic ability, from playing the positions of forward, midfield, and outside mid to playing other sports, like basketball and running track.

As far as his goals for the future, they’re more focused around soccer and the upcoming season. “My goals are to be a leader for the team and to take the team to multiple championships,” he says.

To wrap things up, we asked Ben one final question: What advice would you want to share with aspiring high school soccer players? He responded, “My only advice is to really strive to be the best by working hard every day in practice and in school, because it will pay off, even if you think it won’t.”

Congrats to Ben on his Fall Fan Choice Award! We’d like to thank our 4Frenzy sponsors for their support: DMC Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Hungry Howie’s, Meijer, Southeast Michigan Ford Dealers, and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.