Kendrick's Hewett finds new home in C of I
Jul. 19—Kendrick earned its second straight Idaho Class 1A Division II football title and its first boys basketball crown in 33 years this past season, and that big run paid off in a scholarship for one of its star players.
Jagger Hewett played a vital role during each team's run at the chip, and now, his hard work is paying off.
The receiver will continue his football career at the College of Idaho, he announced Monday.
"They're getting a good person," Kendrick football coach Zane Hobart said. "Before you talk about football, you have to mention how good of a human being he is. He would be a good fit at any program."
The 5-11, 160-pounder earned several individual honors throughout his senior campaign, including a nomination for the North Idaho Hall of Fame's 1A-3A athlete of the year. The C of I signee was also an All-Whitepine League first-teamer in football and basketball.
Hewett's best traits are speed and consistency, and they show up in the stat sheet. He finished last season with 50 receptions for 1,049 yards and 16 touchdowns.
His numbers on defense were just as impressive, finishing with six interceptions, four of which came during the state tournament.
"I think his athleticism speaks for itself," Hobart said. "He can run and jump, but I also love how smart he is. He has a great mind for sports."
Hewett's high school success can't be denied, and he was ready to leave it at that. The receiver had his mind made up — he was going to attend Boise State in the fall and be done with sports.
That was until College of Idaho football coach Mike Moroski gave the three-sport athlete a call in the eleventh hour, offering him an opportunity.
"I just thought, you never want to look back and not do it," Hewett said. "I figured, I love football, and I might as well give it a shot."
Hewett, like every incoming freshman, will have to adapt to the speed of the next level. But he will have the unique challenge of adapting to how many players are on the field.
Coming from an eight-man football background, the transition from eight to 11 players could take time, but not for Hewett, who credits Hobart's offense with preparing him.
"It'll take some getting used to at first," Hewett said. "But Hobart always liked to use more of an advanced playbook, you can say, so that'll help the transition."
The receiver is also considering walking on to the Coyotes NAIA national championship-winning basketball roster, a decision that he will make based on how the football season goes.
"My focus now is to get bigger and faster," Hewett said. "Obviously, they're pretty good, so I'm definitely focusing on football now, and maybe I'll make that decision later on."
Hewett finished his basketball career with 1,192 points. The guard scored his 1,000th point after dropping 21 in a 48-40 win over Orofino on Jan. 10.
He averaged 6.2 steals per game last season, which ranked 11th in the country according to MaxPreps.
His most clutch moment came during the Idaho Class 1A Division II state championship game, where he drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 52, ending an 11-0 Richfield run.
Hewett looks back at his time at Kendrick High School as a time of growth. From placing third at the Idaho Class 1A Division II state football tournament as a freshman and a sophomore to helping build a dynasty in his junior and senior years.
"It felt good to finally clear those hurdles," Hewett said. "It's cool to see not just how much I grew but really the entire team."
Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks
