Top 11 to Watch
When Ethel’s Izik Stewart takes the field, he is what an on-the-ball wide receiver is supposed to look like, as he stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 180 pounds.
It is one of the reasons that Stewart is one of The Star-Herald Eleven Players to Watch for the upcoming football season. The Eleven To Watch highlights players in the Star-Herald coverage area featuring Kosciusko, Ethel, McAdams, French Camp Academy, Central Holmes Christian School and Winona Christian School. Antonio Harmon of Kosciusko was the first player announced last week.
Stewart was one of the players who made an immediate impact on Dave McCrory when he took over the football program at Ethel.
“He is, from the moment I walked in a year ago, a kid that has been here every day,” McCrory said. “He is a hard-working kid. He is a three-sport athlete here at Ethel and made it to the state the last two years in hurdles. He played basketball and jumps well. He’s really athletic.”
Stewart led the Tigers in receiving last year with 18 catches for 352 yards, an average of 19.6 yards a catch. He had a long of 63 yards and had three touchdowns. He also played safety for the Tigers as well.
McCrory said Stewart does not have an offer yet but he does expect that to happen.
“Holmes, Coahoma, East Central, East Mississippi and Jackson State have all come by and the coach at Southern Miss called about him,” McCrory said. “He has a huge upside. He has only been playing football for two years. That’s one of the things that Holmes hit on with him was his upside. Because he has only been playing for two years, he is still learning what his body can do.”
Stewart is also a standout in the classroom. He made a 22 on the ACT and has made all As and Bs.
“When the coach at Southern Miss asked about him, he was glad to hear that he had made a 22 on the ACT,” McCrory said. “I think as the summer progresses and we get into the fall and he starts to make plays, I think the interest in him will rise. The fact that he made a 22 on the ACT is huge. That’s one of the first things that colleges are going to ask about. It’s really big when you start talking about a potential offer from a four-year school.”
McCrory said he expects for Stewart to be even better in his senior year.
“I expect him to be targeted a lot,” McCrory said. “I think we threw him the ball about 40 times last year. I feel like seven to 10 times a game, he is going to get the ball thrown his way. He has a big enough body that we can drop him down to tight end and possibly get him the ball that way. Basically, we have to get the ball to him any way we can.”
McCrory said Stewart’s physical attributes are not his best quality.
“He’s a yes-sir, no-sir, kind of guy,” McCrory said. “He’s a guy that the locker room respects and tries to do the right thing all the time. He makes time to come up there, even on the days that we may not have anything scheduled. He will text me and ask if I’m going to be around so he can throw the ball around or get in an extra lift. He’s just one of those kids that is going to do extra and is going to work hard to make himself better.”
Stewart realizes that as he enters his senior year, he has to be more of a leader for the Tigers.
“I am a senior and the captain of the team and have to keep everybody in line and doing what they are supposed to be doing,” Stewart said. “This is my first time to be a leader because there has always been somebody ahead of me. I am going to try my best and will do anything for the guys on this team. I’m going to try my best.”
Stewart is also a standout on the basketball court, where he starts for the Tigers as a power forward. He averaged 9 points a game and double-digit rebounds. He led the Tigers in rebounding and blocked shots. He is also on the track team for the Tigers, specializing in the hurdles. He won the district in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles and advanced to the Class 1A meet in the 110 hurdles where he finished sixth with a time of 19.19 seconds.
“I have always played sports and love sports,” Stewart said. “But there is something about football. I really fell in love with the sport last year. Basketball was my first love but I have really learned to love football. I’m either playing basketball or I’m playing football. If I’m not at school playing, I am usually at Northside Park in Kosciusko playing basketball. I just love to play.”
Stewart said no matter what happens on the court or on the fields it won’t affect his grades.
“My momma has always been on me about my grades,” Stewart said. “That’s the one thing I can’t do is let my grades slip. A 70 is not acceptable to me. I want to go into sports business and I would like to be a sports agent. I want to be around sports. I want to go to East Central. I know I have to figure it out because it’s coming up really fast.”
