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ORDER GAME PHOTOS
All year long, the Kendrick Tigers (12-0) have run roughshod over any opponent who foolishly chose to stand in their way.
For the first time this season, though, someone fought back, as Dietrich (11-1) pushed the Tigers to the brink in a thrilling 1AD2 state championship game at Holt Arena. Ultimately, though, a goal line interception by freshman Jack Tweit as Dietrich was trying to tie the game gave Kendrick the hard fought 42-34 win.
The heavyweight bout featured exciting plays throughout. Just two plays into the game, Sawyer Hewett took a handoff and ran outside. Contact was made after a five-yard gain, but Hewett was never officially ruled down. Hewett kept running, and a stunned Dietrich defense stood and watched as the sophomore scored on a 65-yard run and an 8-0 lead.
Dietrich answered with a 30-yard touchdown run from quarterback Cody Power to tie the game at 8-8 with 10:24 to play in the first quarter of action. Power then scored again from 25 yards out and the Blue Devils held a 16-8 lead.
Kendrick answered just before the end of the first quarter on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ty Koepp to Jagger Hewett, and after one, the Tigers trailed 16-14.
Each team traded scores in the second quarter, as Payten Sneddon scored on a four-yard run for Dietrich and Koepp scored on a 38-yard run for Kendrick. That left the halftime score at 22-20 in favor of Dietrich.
Dietrich held the ball for much of the third quarter, but ultimately came away empty-handed. Kendrick struck quickly, as Koepp found Sawyer Hewett for a 57-yard touchdown on a screen pass for the first Tigers lead of the night at 28-22.
Then came the wild fourth-quarter finish.
Koepp hit Sawyer Hewett for a 42-yard touchdown to extend the Kendrick lead to 34-22, but with 2:55 to play, Power threw a screen pass to Sneddon, and 69 yards later, Sneddon was in the end zone for the touchdown. Trailing 34-28, Dietrich went for two but couldn't convert.
As quickly as Dietrich had re-established momentum, Kendrick snatched it right back, as Sawyer Hewett ran for a 54-yard touchdown to put Kendrick ahead by multiple scores at 42-28 with just over two minutes to play.
Undeterred, Dietrich marched down the field and got a quick score when Power found Conner Perkins for a 41-yard touchdown. Power's pass was originally intended for another Dietrich receiver, but the receiver and the Kendrick defensive back both fell down, allowing Perkins to snag the pass to make the score 42-34 with 1:04 remaining.
Trailing by eight with only one timeout remaining, Dietrich went for the onside kick. The kick drilled Tweit in the chest, bounced off, and was recovered by Dietrich's Brody Torgerson.
Power moved the Blue Devils down the field, as Case Robertson hauled in a 24-yard reception to the Kendrick 21-yard line and a 12-yard grab to the nine-yard line. With 16 seconds to play, Power was hit as he threw, and Tweit snared the interception at the goal line to secure the win for Kendrick.
Hewett was named the IdahoSports.com Player of the Game after scoring four touchdowns in the win.
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