Friday Night Bulldog Football Returns

The Kearney Bulldogs showed promise Friday night as they hosted the Football Jamboree at Bulldog Stadium. Teams from Harrisonville, Liberty and Smithville came to play in the pre-season scrimmage.

The practice scrimmage gave fans a sense of Bulldog pride and displayed what the team has been working on during the off-season. Coach Josh Gray talked about getting the team prepared this summer on The Coach Gray Show on 102.7FM.

 “This summer was new for some of those kids as far as expectations and how we do things in the weight room, and they responded well,” he reflected. “That’s one thing as young adults they do a good of being flexible and do what we need to do to be prepared.”

Coach Gray is working with 24 seniors this year who are returning to face tough opponents in the Smithville Warriors and Platte County Pirates. He said the seniors are stepping up as leaders and preparing the younger players for what is expected daily and to prepare for a victory on game nights.

“Our seniors have done a great job of leading; not just talking the talk, but walking the walk,” Gray explained. “They help grow the younger guys, [to] be a true student of the game and in preparation of the games.”

The Bulldogs were slated to travel to Fort Osage for first game of regular play, however, Covid complications have pushed back the season start to September 3, where the Bulldogs will travel to Platte County to battle the Pirates. The first home game for Kearney is September 10 against the Smithville Warriors.

The radio voices of Kearney football, Jim Dickerson and Mike Davis, will be calling all the home games on the Bulldog Radio Network on 102.7FM and online at 1027KearneyMO.com. The broadcast begins with the Liberty Hospital Pre-Game show at 6:40pm. 

During the week, The Coach Gray show airs every Thursday at noon on 102.7FM, and is simulcast on the station’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Dickerson and Davis review the previous game with Coach Gray, and discuss the upcoming game. They also announce the Stables Player of the Game and the Bea’s Flowers and Gifts Play of the Game.

KPGZ Sports - Brian Watts contributed to this story