2026 Hall of Fame Inductee John Hennigan

Inductee John Hennigan Sr is a typical old East Baltimore soccer player in that

he grew up and learned to play soccer in the Canton-Highlandtown-Patterson Park

area, attended and played soccer at Patterson High School on some great prep teams

and graduated from high school, worked in the community and played unlimited and

semipro soccer with some great amateur teams. John started to play soccer in the

Highlandtown Exchange program with the 8-10 Highlandtown Booters. He then moved

on to play for the 12-14 St. Elizabeth’s team and then back to the 14-16 Highlandtown

Outlaws before finishing his youth career with the 16-18 Elmo Walters SC.

At the same time, John entered Patterson High School in 1963 and helped their

Junior Varsity to a 9-1-0 record and a MSA championship. The next three years,

playing midfield, John would be a part of one of the greatest high school teams around.

Patterson’s Varsity booters would amass a 43-win, 1 loss and 1 tie record and win two

MSA championships where the only blemish would be losing to Mt. St. Joe in the 1965

MSA title game. In 1966, Patterson would make school soccer history by achieving a

16-0-0 record, score 116 goals, allow only 8 goals and win back the MSA crown. John

would lead the team in assists and gain MSA Honorable Mention. Patterson had many

outstanding players on the 1966 team including Fritz Scardina, Tom Wall, Harry

Koukides, Leroy Wilner and Ty Smith, many of who are members of the Maryland

Soccer Hall of Fame.

After high school, John played unlimited ball in the Maryland Majors with the likes

of St. Gerard’s, Baltimore Kickers, Dnipro, Casa Bianca and Tom’s Produce. He

played semipro with the Baltimore Bays in 1969 and Baltimore Stars in 1972. While

playing with Dnipro, he was a member of the 1970 team which won the Maryland

Majors First Division as well as the State National Open and Amateur Cups, Rowland

Cup and Stewart Cup. Dnipro is the only MMSL team to accomplish that achievement.

John was inducted into the Patterson High School Soccer Hall of Fame in 1997.

John is very proud of his sons John Jr. and Patrick who have excelled themselves as

players in high school, college and in unlimited soccer.