Written by: Will Hoenike
You often read that a team has almost everyone back from a previous year’s team. In the case of the Kendrick Tigers, it’s a very literal thing.
The 1A Division 2 state champs - a team that averaged more than 50 points per game, a team that posted four shutouts on defense and held a fifth team to just one score, a team that won its three conference games by a cumulative score of 206-12 – graduated exactly one player off its roster.
One. Off the entire team. That’s it.
Now, to be fair, Mason Anderson wasn’t just a guy on the team. He was a first team All-Conference and All-State linebacker for head coach Zane Hobart and the Tigers. Those attributes along with his leadership will make him difficult to replace. But if there was ever a team that appeared to be in good position to absorb the loss of an all-state performer, it’s the 2022 Kendrick Tigers. Let us count the ways:
First, there’s the return of the Whitepine Offensive Player of the Year Ty Keopp. He had a hand in 46 touchdowns last season – and the quarterback is still just a junior.
Second, Keopp will be protected by a veteran offensive line of returning seniors, Tommy Stamper, Jack Silflow, and Dallas Morgan. That trio doubles as the heart of the team’s defensive line as well. Morgan, in particular, was a first-team All-State honoree along both the offensive and the defensive fronts last season.
Third, All-State performer Jagger Hewett returns, as do Sawyer Hewett and Hunter Taylor. Wyatt Fitzmorris and Lane Clemenhagen also return at the skill positions.
Fourth, and related to the first three, is depth. With virtually everyone back, Kendrick will field nearly the same team as last season, a team that won the state title but now is one year bigger, faster, and more experienced.
“We will have about 26 guys out this fall and there are a lot of guys that aren’t mentioned in this preview that will see significant time and we will have some great battles for starting positions in fall camp,” said Hobart, who is in his tenth season coaching the Tigers. “Either way, we will be deep on both sides of the ball.”
For a school whose enrollment is under 70 according to the most recent IHSAA classification numbers, to have nearly 30 participating in football is quite a statement. Hobart and his staff are excited to see where the program goes from here.
“I’m excited to see how hungry we can be throughout the season after a great state title run last year,” Hobart said. “We have had a great offseason and summer football camp and are a lot stronger and faster than last year so it will be fun to watch. I am also excited to get some JV games on the schedule because we have some tremendous freshmen and sophomore players that will be fun to watch in years to come.”
There remains opportunity for growth in Kendrick. Hobart anticipates added physicality from his offensive front to improve the team’s ground attack and added physicality from his linebackers, which would make the defense harder to run the ball against.
So the obvious question is this: can Kendrick repeat as 1A Division 2 state champions in 2022? The obvious answer to the obvious question is yes, the team should very much be in the mix to repeat. With all of the talent and experience returning, it would be silly to not consider the Tigers a strong front-runner. The team that Kendrick beat to claim the title last fall, Carey, has moved up a classification to 1A Division 1, which could also be a factor.
But being the returning champ puts a big target on your back. If the Tigers are able to stay healthy and absorb the best shots that they’re bound to get from everyone on their schedule, there is a good chance they’ll be hoisting another state championship banner in November.