STATE 1A FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS: Coeur du Christ can't stop five-time champion Kendrick

LEWISTON — After a disastrous start, the fourth-seeded Coeur du Christ Saints showed they could score on the top-seeded Kendrick Tigers. 

But stopping the winners of five straight state titles was another story. 

Kendrick jumped out to a 30-point lead in the first quarter en route to a 76-32 victory over Coeur du Christ in a state 1A football semifinal Friday night at the P1FCU Sports Complex at Lewiston High. 

"They are a very well-coached team; they are big, strong and fast and they understand angles," third-year Coeur du Christ coach Kellen Clemens said. "We got caught with our eyes in the backfield too often and against a team like that, if you get out of position it’s curtains." 

Coeur du Christ, in its third year as a program and in the playoffs for the second straight year, finished 10-1.

Kendrick (11-0), which scored on all six of its first-half drives, will play Rockland or defending 1A champion Carey in the state championship game next week. Kendrick won the 2A title the past two years. 

The Saints turned the ball over on each of their first three possessions— two interceptions, and a snap that bounced off the motion man — and all led to scores. One was a pick-six. 

"They were new concepts that I thought we needed, but didn't have enough time to rep fully during the week," Clemens said. "Coaching error."

Kendrick led 30-0 late in the third quarter before Grant Clemens connected with Beckett Beyer on a 33-yard touchdown. That was the first of three straight scoring drives for the Saints, who trailed 54-20 at halftime.  

Clemens, a junior, was 15 of 24 for 222 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. Beyer, a junior, had eight catches for 163 yards and two scores. Liam Anderson ran for 50 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. 

"I was proud of how resilient our guys were," Kellen Clemens said. "We got punched in the mouth early, but we regrouped and were able to put some drives together." 

Kendrick scored on all nine of its possessions. 

Senior Orion Stewart ran for 208 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries. Senior Maddox Kirkland completed all eight of his passes for 168 yards and two scores. 

It was the most points a team had scored on Kendrick all season. The previous most the Tigers allowed was 16. 

Coeur du Christ played without star running back linebacker Jon Denke, who suffered a broken collarbone in last week's 22-18 win over Council in the quarterfinals. 

Coeur     6    14    6     6    —    32 

Kendrick     30    24    16    6    —    76 

First quarter  

Ken — Kasch Littlefield 40 pass from Maddox Kirkland (Orion Stewart run), 10:39 

Ken — M. Kirkland 1 run (Hank Heimgartner run), 9:06 

Ken — Stewart 3 run (M. Kirkland run), 4:52 

Ken — Stewart 55 interception return (pass failed), 4:38 

CdC — Beckett Beyer 33 pass from Grant Clemens (pass failed), 1:50 

Second quarter 

Ken — Stewart 39 run (Hudson Kirkland pass from M. Kirkland), 10:19 

CdC — Be. Beyer 65 pass from Clemens (run failed) 

Ken — H. Kirkland 30 pass from M. Kirkland (Stewart run), 6:58 

CdC — Clemens 2 run (Liam Anderson run) 

Ken — Stewart 3 run (M. Kirkland run) 

Third quarter 

CdC — Clemens 3 run (run failed) 

Ken —Brandon Duggan 8 pass from M. Kirkland (H. Kirkland pass from M. Kirkland) 

Ken — Stewart 26 run (Heimgartner pass from M. Kirkland) 

Fourth quarter 

CdC — Anderson 20 run (run failed) 

Ken — Heimgartner 11 run (run failed) 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — CdC, Anderson 12-50, Clemens 4-40. Ken, Stewart 14-208, M. Kirkland 6-33, Duggan 4-37, Heimgartner 4-26, Littlefield 1-4, Clemenhagen 2-50. 

PASSING — CdC, Clemens 15-24-2-222. Ken, M. Kirkland 8-8-0-168, Heimgartner 0-2-0-0. 

RECEIVING — CdC, Be. Beyer 8-163, Br. Beyer 2-27, Junkin 2-27, Zember 2-4, Anderson 1-1. Ken, Littlefield 3-52, H. Kirkland 3-44, Kimberling 1-64, Duggan 1-8.