Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar, Jan. 23, 2016 ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Why we love bombing ... City plans for potential flooding ... Ashland Calendar, Jan. 23, 2016 ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Why we love bombing ... City plans for potential flooding ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Former Ashland quarterback Kaegi takes D1 dream to Montana Former Ashland High QB aims to earn playing time at Big Sky school Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports Posted Jan. 5, 2016 at 2:00 AM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports Posted Jan. 5, 2016 at 2:00 AM » Social News Connor Kaegi doesn’t know what to expect at the University of Montana, but as a junior college transfer quarterback from an unheralded football program who also happens to be less than a year removed from his Mormon mission, he should have no trouble flying under the radar in Missoula. The good news for Kaegi is that playing the underdog role happens to be something that the 2013 Ashland High graduate excels at. “So exciting,” he said. For Kaegi, the move represents only his latest opportunity to overcome the odds after doing so twice before, first at Ashland High School and more recently at Feather River College in Quincy, Calif. Kaegi arrived in Ashland when his family relocated here from Florida prior to his junior year of high school. The tall, thin pocket passer was different in every way from the incumbent quarterback Danial White, a dual-threat QB who finished as one of the Grizzlies’ most prolific signal callers, but Kaegi ended up supplanting White as a senior in 2012 and led the Grizzlies to the playoffs. After getting his diploma the following June Kaegi shoved off for Kentucky for his two-year mission, during which he woke up daily at 5 a.m. in order to hit the gym for an hour and a half and beat the strict 7 a.m. workout curfew. Without access to a gym and limited equipment, he had to improvise his workouts. He borrowed some dumbbells, which represented the bulk of his weight training regimen. He also ran a lot and did push-ups and sit-ups — basically anything he could to stay in shape. It was a sacrifice, but one he says was well worth the time away from the game. “It really helped me mature,” he said of his mission. “I think that was the big thing, giving time for my body to kind of catch up. I grew a few inches on my mission, gained lot of weight and I think really it just helped my body. It feels like I caught up with myself and got my feet under me and went to Feather River prepared instead of going undersized, small and unathletic.” His tentative plan was to resume his football career, but how and where were still mysteries until about a year ago, when he was contacted by Feather River head football coach Scott Brade. By that time, Kaegi had grown to 6-foot-7 and had filled out somewhat to 205 pounds, but he had not thrown a pass to a moving target in more than two years and the rust showed during Feather River’s fall camp. Kaegi entered camp fourth on the Golden Eagles’ depth chart and looked like a fourth-stringer, something that took him somewhat by surprise. He had worked out with a quarterbacks coach in Florida over the summer in preparation for his comeback, but when it came time to hit receivers in stride rather than a static throwing partner, Keigi quickly realized he had a long way to go. “I was throwing with (the quarterbacks coach), and I was like, man, I didn’t’ lose anything — I’m doing great,” he said. “And then once I got thrown into a situation with receivers instead of just throwing to somebody standing still, I was terrible. My accuracy wasn’t there, my arm strength wasn’t there, my footwork wasn’t there. Everything was gone.” Consequently, Kaegi saw very little action early on, throwing a combined seven passes in Feather River’s first five games before finally seeing his first extended action Oct. 17 against Butte. Just like at AHS three years prior, Kaegi did not let the opportunity slip away. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, a performance that earned him consistent playing time the rest of the season. It wasn’t a banner season, numbers wise, for Kaegi or the Golden Eagles. He finished the year with 630 yards passing and four touchdown passes in seven games for a Feather River team that went 1-9, including 0-5 in the tough National NorCal Conference. But it provided Kaegi exactly what he was looking for – an opportunity to get his feet wet at a junior college so that he could earn a shot at a four-year school. That four-year school turned out to be Montana, which has been in contact with Kaegi since last January. Halfway through his season at Feather River and before he earned his first start, Kaegi contacted the Montana coaching staff, explained his situation and asked if they were still interested. They were, and soon thereafter Kaegi flew to Missoula for an official visit. “They saw me and their quarterback is 6-foot-7, so I just fit right in with the offense and the program,” Kaegi said. Montana, a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision team which competes in the Big Sky Conference against the likes of Portland State and Eastern Washington, did not offer Kaegi a football scholarship, but he knew that was a long shot. “It’s more of a walk on and see what happens type of thing,” he said. “With my situation it was pretty hard trying to earn a scholarship, only starting the last few games of the season. I knew that I wasn’t going to have any big-time scholarship (offer) from a big school, but my goal was to go to a (junior college) first semester and get out, whatever that took. “I’ve had to prove myself my whole life and nothing’s ever been given to me, so why not try for it.” Kaegi, who still has three years of eligibility, says he’ll likely redshirt in 2016 and go all in for 2017 and beyond. He knows the odds are stacked against him, but he would love to earn his way into a football scholarship. To do that, he’ll probably need to earn some playing time, which is part of the reason why he’s transferring mid-year — he starts classes at Montana in two weeks. That’ll allow him access to Montana’s facilities and an opportunity to learn the offense during the team’s spring camp. He may try to make the Montana basketball team as a walk-on, too, but football is Kaegi’s top priority. And he can’t wait to see where his next journey takes him. “They told me that I have a really good chance,” he said of Montana’s coaches. “They really like the way I throw the ball, the way I make my reads and just really the way I run the offense and play football. “To think a year ago about now, I was drooling, I was ready for football. I had been away from it for so long and I was just ready for it. It had been my dream my whole life and it as finally coming up and it seemed like it was coming so slow, but now that it’s finally here it’s one exciting journey.” By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports Posted Jan. 5, 2016 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501