Kearney Bulldogs are State Champions

The emotions of football are not so much a spectrum as they are a contrast. Winning is the highest of highs. Losing is agony.

Senior Defensive Back Brad Doll Holds the State Champion trophy high after Kearney’s 21-14 win over Hannibal in the state final – Photo by Chrystan Ferrell

The Kearney Bulldogs won their sixth, class-4, Missouri state title Saturday afternoon at Spratt Memorial Stadium on the campus of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.

The Hannibal Pirates didn’t make the long bus trip across northern Missouri to lose 21-14 to the Kearney Bulldogs. With Saturday’s loss, the Pirates are 0-3 in state championship games. The ride home from St. Joseph back to Hannibal was surely agonizing.

In the week leading up to the Show Me Bowl, Kearney head coach Logan Minnick said, “You’ve got the two best teams in class-4 going at it for the whole thing. Their run/option quarterback (Wyeth Dorsey) is probably the most elusive quarterback we've played. He keeps you honest because he can pull that football at any time and go the distance.”

The Bulldogs scored in the first quarter on quarterback Carter Temple’s 57-yard run. Matthew Lindsey carried 17 yards to the endzone in the second quarter. Drew Nelson was perfect on extra-point kicks, giving Kearney a 14-0 advantage.

Hannibal got right back in the game on the ensuing kickoff with an 85-yard return for touchdown by Darrion Washington. A blocked extra point by Kearney linebacker Aidan Arellano held the score to 14-6 into halftime.

In the third quarter, Hannibal sustained a long drive, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Tre Hoskins, who carried his own 2-point conversion to even the score 14-14.

Kearney battled back on offense with a 13-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by Dryden Hendrix giving the Bulldogs a 21-14 advantage with 6:24 remaining in the fourth quarter.

With 4:45 to go in the game and Hannibal down 21-14, the Pirates had possession and a chance to at least tie the game. Quarterback Wyeth Dorsey fired a perfect pass toward his wide-open receiver, Reid Holliday.

Kearney Bulldog senior cornerback Brad Doll, in perhaps the most gloriously athletic move of his life, superman-leaped skyward and stole Dorsey’s pass. Doll’s interception assured the Bulldogs a late possession and an opportunity to put the game away.

“I know they've been running comeback routes all year and they scored on a comeback last week against Saint Mary’s South Side, so I knew he was going to break down,” said Doll. “I just had to make a play for my team.”

“Our kids are resilient,” said Kearney defensive coordinator Marcus Brinkley. “There’s no moment that’s too big, no light that’s too bright. Our kids executed when it came down to that situation, knowing it was going to be on our shoulders to put the game away for good.”

The Bulldog offense drove inside the 10-yard line only to fumble on a running play near the endzone where Hannibal would take over possession.

The Bulldog defense shut down Hannibal’s comeback attempt, forcing the Pirates into turning the ball over on downs.

2025 Kearney Bulldog Class 4 State Champions – Photo by Ray Weikal

The Kearney Bulldogs finished the season with a perfect 14-0 record and a state championship. Coach Minnick said it all begins with attitude. 

“Attitude and effort. Those are the two pillars of our program. As coaches, we're going to build this program around those two things,” said Minnick.

“For a lot of these kids, this was their last time ever playing football, and we hope we've instilled those things to turn them into great young men wherever they go.”

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.