Bulldogs Defeat Tigers 47-13

The 1-2 Kearney Bulldogs traveled to play the 0-3 Excelsior Springs Tigers on Friday night. The Bulldogs, who have been plagued with injuries, were happy to see some critical starters return to the field.

Cameron Emmons had 5 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown in the 47-13 Bulldog victory

One of the notable returns was that of quarterback Casey Rooney. Rooney was injured in the first game of the season and missed the next two games.

Rooney took about two possessions to brush the dust off and get the offense into rhythm.  After that, Rooney wasted no time in re-establishing the powerful offensive schemes, which included the passing game with Manny Linthcum.

Rooney connected with Linthacum for a 29-yard touchdown pass and immediately followed in the next possession with a 69-yard touchdown pass, again to Linthacum. The Bulldogs lead 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw the Bulldogs distribute the offense among different offense weapons. This resulted in scores from Cameron Emmons and Cohen Jacobs as the Bulldogs went into the locker room at the half with a commanding 33-0 lead.

The Bulldog DEFENSE held the Tigers scoreless in the first half and only allowed 175 yards of total offense in the game

The Bulldogs defense welcomed Theo Grace back into the lineup for the first time this season and his appearance solidified an already cohesive defensive group. For the third game this season, the Bulldog defense did not allow their opponent to score in the first half.

The third quarter saw a continuation of Bulldog scoring with a 74 yard kickoff return from Linthacum and a 4 yard touchdown run from Corbin Emmons.  The Bulldog lead had been extended to 47-0.

Much of the second half saw playing opportunities for several Bulldog underclassmen. The Excelsior Springs Tigers were able to score 13 points in the 4th quarter, however, they would go on to lose the contest 47-13.

The 2-2 Kearney Bulldogs will return home on Friday night to take on the 1-3 Winnetonka Griffins. The game will be carried live on 102.7FM KPGZ, on 1027kearneymo.com and on the KPGZ Mobile App. Pregame coverage begins at 6:40 with kickoff at 7:00pm.

KPGZ Sports – Jim Dickerson contributed to this story