Cover story

Tigers own the jungle

Kendrick returns almost all of its title team. Now, the players are hungry for more

By STEPHAN WIEBE

SPORTS STAFF

Wander into a Kendrick football practice, nestled in the woods of north central Idaho, and you’re not likely to hear any talk of last year’s heroic run to the Idaho Class 1A Division II state championship.

The Tigers return all but one player from their banner-hoisting bunch and more than likely are sure-fire favorites to win it all again this year. But that’s not how Kendrick wants to see itself.

They’d rather stick to calmly throwing their long balls and quick routes at their field along the Potlatch River and preparing for their Week 1 opponent, Notus. “I don’t like using the word ‘carry over’ because it’s a clean slate,” 10th-year coach Zane Hobart said.

“It doesn’t matter what we did last year, it doesn’t matter that we’re older. “It’s a whole new year, so we told the guys that we don’t want to put any pressure on ourselves or pressure on our athletes.”

At this point, the players know what they need to do. They’re used to it.

Junior quarterback Ty Koepp has started for the Tigers since the first snap of his freshman year.

Senior Jagger Hewett is one of the best two-way players in the state and is the favorite target of Koepp. There’s also Jack Silflow and Dallas Morgan on the offensive and defensive lines, there’s Wyatt Fitzmorris and Sawyer Hewett in the offensive backfield and more than a dozen other Tigers who know what it feels like to lift a championship trophy.

Most of them last year were underclassmen. “We started a lot of sophomores (and) a lot of those guys started both ways,” Hobart said. “We started a freshman running back in the state title game.”

Those Kendrick young guns dispatched Carey 30-24 to claim the state championship, avenging a loss to the Panthers in the semifinal round the previous year.

Koepp accounted for all four touchdowns in the win, passing for two and rushing for another pair.

The Tigers finished with a 9-2 record and a 9-0 mark against teams in their own classification. But Kendrick’s rise to the top of small-school football was several years in the making.

It was about five years ago when the Kendrick high and junior high coaching staffs took a step back and decided “Hey, we’ve got to teach these (junior high) guys exactly what we’re teaching the high school kids,” Hobart said.

The two teams already were running somewhat of the

August Frank/Tribune Kendrick players practice drills during an Aug. 12 practice.

same offense, but they doubled down on it when the school’s current upperclassmen were seventh- and eighth-graders.

The switch has resulted in players grasping the system quickly and being more game-ready by the time their time in varsity rolls around. “We’re not teaching them the basics anymore,” Hobart said. “They come in with great experience after two years of junior high football. It’s helped immensely.”

The offensive style mixes deep passes with quick throws and utilizes speedy running backs to keep defenses on their toes. The Tigers spread the ball around more than many of the state’s power-rushing teams.

Kendrick hopes its recent success will inspire the next generation of Tigers too.

Hobart recalled a moment he shared with some young fans before the state championship game. “I remember before kickoff at the state title game, looking over at the kids in the stands and a couple of the kids are fifth- and sixth-graders that hang around practice,” Hobart recalled, “and I said, ‘In a few years, you’ll be out here doing this.’ “The look on their faces was like ‘Holy cow.’ So the program, it’s headed in a good direction for sure.”

Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@ lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.

TOP: Kendrick players sprint across the fi eld during warm ups before practice in a photo taken at a slow shutter speed Aug. 12. FAR LEFT: Kendrick’s Ty Koepp, left, kisses the Idaho Class 1A Divison II state championship trophy after defeating Carey at the Kibbie Dome on Nov. 20, 2021. LEFT: Kendrick’s bench celebrates their victory against Carey in the Idaho Class 1A Divison II state championship game. Photos by August Frank and Zach Wilkinson/ Tribune and Daily News

August Frank/Tribune Kendrick coach Zane Hobart, bottom right, watches his players work on tackling and running techniques during an Aug. 12 practice. 20, 2021. LEFT: Kendrick’s bench cel- “I don’t like using the word ‘carry over’ because it’s a clean slate. It doesn’t matter what we did last year, it doesn’t matter that we’re older. It’s a whole new year, so we told the guys that we don’t want to put any pressure on ourselves or pressure on our athletes.”