Athlete looks to letter in leadership

Jared Kennedy is leading the Post Falls High School football team in tackles this season, after finishing tied for the season honor last year.

At about 10 tackles per game, the senior strongside linebacker is on pace to easily break his 2008 total.

While that’s all good and well, there’s something he’s more proud of. He leads the team prayer before each game.

“That’s probably the biggest honor for me,” Kennedy said. “Football is a great sport, but my main focus is my faith.”

A first-team all-5A Inland Empire League selection last year, the 6-foot-2 ½, 220-pound Kennedy picked up this year where he left off a year ago. He had a team-high 10 tackles in the Trojans’ come-from-behind 23-20 win over Sandpoint last week. He also had a key interception, his first of the season.

Through four games, Kennedy had 39 tackles, four forced fumbles, four sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Kennedy wanted to be a team leader this year. He’s more than filled the bill as far as head coach Jeff Hinz is concerned.

“His leadership is by example,” Hinz said. “So many times you get a kid who thinks he’s a leader because he’s loud. Jared’s a role model for Post Falls High School. He makes good decisions on and off the field.”

If defensive coordinator Mike Lindquist could tweak Kennedy’s mild-mannered personality, he’d order up a touch of a mean streak.

“If I could get him to have a mean streak from 7 to 9:30 on Friday nights, I’d be pretty happy,” Lindquist said.

Kennedy laughed when told what Lindquist said.

“I don’t have a mean bone in me,” he said. “I play really calm, and usually when I get a tackle I help the guy up.”

There’s no doubt that Kennedy has had a huge influence on the team.

“He’s a good example of what a student athlete is supposed to be,” Lindquist said. “His personality has been passed on to a lot of kids on our team. When he’s on the field, everybody is pretty confident in what to do.”

Kennedy’s varsity initiation came midway through his sophomore season. He stepped up from junior varsity when a starter was injured. He immediately earned a spot and started the last four games of the season.

Last year, he took on the role as punter as well. One of the best plays he had all season didn’t come at linebacker but as punter.

Late in Post Falls’ final game against Coeur d’Alene, with the Trojans deep in their own territory and facing fourth down, Kennedy went in to punt. The snap was high and he had to jump to corral the ball. At that point he knew if he tried to punt it would be blocked.

So he took off. Even though he didn’t gain enough yards for the first down, he did exactly what his coaches wanted.

“He bailed us out,” Lindquist said. “Coeur d’Alene had punt block on and was sending everybody. A couple of their players came free and if he had tried to punt it would have been blocked. It would have put the defense in a bad spot. He saved the game for us.”

Hinz agreed.

“He’s a heady kid,” Hinz said. “That was an instant decision.”

Kennedy wants to go on and play in college, but interest so far has been lukewarm.

“He’ll play somewhere,” Hinz said.

The thing Kennedy is most focused on right now is helping the Trojans earn their first 5A state playoff berth.

“I’ve got some personal goals, but nothing is more important than going to the playoffs,” Kennedy said.