Avon Lake receiver Aidan Stewart picks Air Force Academy

Avon Lake senior Aidan Stewart traveled across the world for the chance to play high school football. For the next stop in his football career he'll only have to cross the country. Stewart recently committed to play at the U.S. Air Force Academy, which is located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. "I put three factors into it: football, academics and how close I would be to family," he said. "I have family in Colorado, the academics is top-notch, on par with Ivy Leagues, and going to Air Force really sets your future up." Stewart, a first-team All-Lorain County and second-team All-Ohio wide receiver in 2024, came to Avon Lake to live with his grandparents prior to the start of his sophomore year. He spent much of his childhood in Australia. "When he moved here from Australia we knew he was a special talent and that there was a lot of potential there," Avon Lake coach Matt Kostelnik said. "He started for us as a sophomore and we knew he was going to continue to grow and thrive in our program." Stewart only found the end zone once in his sophomore year but as a junior he was one of the most productive receivers in the Southwestern Conference with 798 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. "Constantly working, going to T3, anything I can do to make myself better I am always trying to do something," Stewart said. "I have to stay focused and keep doing things that will help me." Although going to a service academy was not one of Stewart's original goals, he wound up getting recruited by all three academies that have FBS programs. "I never thought about them until they started recruiting me," Stewart said. "If you would have told me this is how it would wind up two years ago, I would have said you were crazy. It was never even a thought in my mind." With Stewart having only two years of high school football experience, Kostelnik feels he has yet to reach his full potential. "He still has a ton of upside," Kostelnik said. "His route running in just one year had gone from solid to exceptional, and we're looking for even more this year. He can command a lot of attention. He's going to have to rely on those skills in order to get open and have those playmaking opportunities." Stewart will be joining an Air Force team that has ranked last among FBS teams in passing yards each of the last three seasons. "I'll probably be playing slotback and they get the ball a lot of the times in their offense," Stewart said. "I'll still get the ball, but any way we can win that's all I care about. If I have to block I can block, winning is all that matters." Earning a Division I scholarship is a huge payoff for the sacrifices Stewart and his family made for his football career. "It's awesome. It means the world to me and my family. It's an awesome opportunity," Stewart said. "It was a hard journey but it ended up all right." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.