Only 18 seconds had ticked off the game clock. From the opening kickoff, Kearney had forced and recovered a fumble, perfectly executed a halfback reverse for a touchdown, split the uprights on a Grant Bogert point after kick, and taken a 7-0 lead – the first of five Kearney Bulldog touchdowns in the first quarter.
Moments later, Bogert recovered his own onside kick at the Winnetonka 49-yard line where Bulldog running back Matthew Lindsey would arch a deep spiral to a wide-open Caleb Stevens for a catch and run to the endzone.
Kearney’s 14-0 lead following the point after kick was about to boil over and spill on the Winnetonka Griffins. The Kearney defense had Winnetonka pinned deep in their own territory when a high snap from center sailed through the endzone. In slightly over three minutes, the Kearney Bulldogs recorded a safety, secured a 16-0 lead, and maintained possession of the football. It almost felt unfair to the hapless Griffins. Eventually, it would get worse for Winnetonka.
Matthew Lindsey carried the ball 36 yards, slicing arcs through the Griffin defense for Kearney’s third touchdown at the 8:53 mark. Bulldog quarterback Carter Temple helped himself to the endzone with a 9-yard carry and Ian Sheller punched in a one-yard touchdown with 2:51 to go in the first quarter. It was 37-to-nothing and it was all Bulldogs.
By halftime, the Griffins were assured this game had fallen desperately out of hand. On this crisp, glittering homecoming evening, the Kearney Bulldogs cruised close to effortlessly on their own home turf with fresh memories of a hard-fought 22-13 win at class 6, Rockhurst one week prior.
Early in the second quarter, Kearney linebacker Kale Tucking returned a Winnetonka punt 69 yards for a touchdown. Matthew Lindsey added his second touchdown on an 11-yard scramble and the scoreboard points on the home side rolled like a slot machine.
Kearney wasn’t finished. For the Winnetonka Griffins – at every level, from every position – Kearney’s absolute and utter dominance was unstoppable.
With a 51-0 lead, Kearney defensive back Braylon Burnside picked off a Khilan Allen pass and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.
Just over two minutes remained in the first half as Kearney running back Cruise Emmons tucked the football and raced down the sideline cutting, spinning and slipping tackles. Collared by a defender and breaking what looked to be a sure tackle, Emmons ran free and tight-roped the sideline with skilled footwork and crossed the goal line on a magnificent 20-yard touchdown run.
The Bulldogs rumbled into the locker room with an astonishing 65-0 halftime lead.
“That's the most points I've ever scored in a game as a head coach,” said Kearney head coach Logan Minnick. “You try at times not to let it get that lopsided, but at the same time, you know when you score 65 in the first half, you know what it is. And when you score on special teams, you score on defense, you score on offense – and I think we had three offensive drives that were one play – the score can get a little more out of hand.”
Kearney Running back Braiden Feurer carried a Caden Webster handoff three yards for a touchdown on a nice drive by the second unit offense at 5:34 in the third quarter.
Griffin quarterback Khilan Allen saved himself and his Winnetonka teammates from a 72-0 shutout on a 3-yard keeper to the endzone in the fourth quarter.
The final 72-7 score is reflective of two teams going in completely different directions. Even as conference opponents, the Bulldogs (5-0) and the Griffins (1-4) can’t reasonably be categorized as rivals. Kearney leads the matchup historically 18-2 going back to August of 2010. Rivalries aren’t built on one team completely dominating the other. Ideally, every game would be a nail-biter to the finish, and each team would accept the outcome and shake hands after. Reality is that high school football sometimes teaches hard lessons.
The 5-0 Kearney Bulldogs face the 5-0 St. Pius Warriors next Friday, October 2, at St. Pius X High School.
KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.
