Written by: Will Hoenike
Fans of 8-man football from around the state may look at the Kendrick Tigers’ roster this fall and think, “finally.”
Finally, the loaded class that has helped carry the team to back-to-back state championships is in its senior year. Finally, dominant players like Ty Koepp, Dallas Morgan, and Lane Clemenhagen are almost graduated. Finally, a weakness in the armor may appear.
But teams in the 1A Division 2 Whitepine League know better.
It’s true that the Tigers have a star-laden senior class that has won 27 of 31 games during their high school careers, including 15 in a row. It’s also true that the program’s junior high team hasn’t lost a game since 2017.
Translation – Kendrick’s window is still wide, wide open with plenty of talent in the pipeline.
“We have a great core with depth behind them in a lot of positions and some athletic youngsters,” said veteran head coach Zane Hobart. “But like every 8-man team, we will need to stay relatively healthy to make another run.”
Hobart and the Tigers welcome back the reigning 1A Division 2 player of the Year in Idaho, quarterback Ty Koepp. As a junior, Koepp threw 32 touchdown passes and ran for ten more, all while rarely playing more than half of the game due to lopsided scores. The performance has attracted the eyes of college recruiters, as he’s already holding offers to play college football.
Of course, it’d be tough for Koepp to flourish without a strong supporting cast. The Tigers return powerful, two-way lineman Dallas Morgan along with juniors Brock Boyer and Carson Hogan upfront. Juniors Caleb Bryant and Evan Simpson provide depth along both fronts for a team that scored 608 points on the field (there was one forfeit) and pitched six consecutive shutouts on defense last season.
Thousand-yard receiver Jagger Hewett is gone, but Kendrick still boasts a wealth of talent in the skill positions. Lane Clemenhagen, Wyatt Fitzmorris, and Sawyer Hewett all return and will be supported by seniors Hunter Taylor and Mason Kimberling, juniors Xavier Carpenter and Wyatt Cook, and sophomores Nathan Tweit and Tanner Clemenhagen.
“Our offensive strength is the ability to be diverse, we run a variety of sets and schemes and have the ability to run or throw and it can vary week to week by opponent,” Hobart said. “We will have great team speed on the offensive side of the ball.”
The speed translates to the defensive side of the ball as well, with Clemenhagen (1st Team) and Fitzmorris (2nd Team) coming off of All-State caliber seasons last fall.
But before we hand Kendrick a third straight 1A Division 2 state title trophy, challenges lie ahead – especially during the non-conference portion of the schedule. The Tigers will open the season with games against Council, and Oakley. Then, the team will play neutral-site midseason games against Butte County and Grace. Each of the five qualified for the state playoffs last season with Oakley (champion) and Grace (runner-up) playing in the 1A Division 1 state championship game. The September 1 game against Oakley will be played at Boise State’s Albertson Stadium on the storied blue turf.
Throw in Whitepine rivals Deary, Lewis County, and Timberline, and it is shaping up to be one of the toughest 8-man football schedules in recent memory.
“I think the X-factor for this group will be how hungry can they stay week to week and focused knowing we will be getting every teams best shot and are playing a tough schedule,” Hobart said. “I am looking forward to see the progression of the athletes and watch their hard work in the weight room pay off. We had a great year lifting and getting bigger, faster, stronger with multiple guys gaining 20-plus pounds while being more explosive.”
Hobart’s team is clearly willing to challenge itself on the field. The question may be this: which of its opponents will challenge the Tigers?