Bulldogs Take Down Fort Osage in Season Opener

The Kearney Bulldogs hosted Class-5, Fort Osage in an annual matchup that is assuming all the characteristics of a rivalry. The Bulldogs are 4-0 over their last four meetings, with Friday’s 36-8 season-opening victory. Rivalry or not, Kearney head coach Logan Minnick consistently schemes up wins against Fort Osage.

Carter temple scored three rushing touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 36-8 win. (Eric Stevens photo)

“You always worry week one, how your overall execution is going to look. We had very few penalties; I thought we tackled really well which is always an early-season concern and then offensively, we just executed. We moved the sticks and that's what we want to do – move the sticks and put points on the board,” said Minnick.

Both traditionally dominant defenses held each other scoreless until 9:40 in the second quarter when Kearney’s junior quarterback Carter Temple scored on a 5-yard keeper. Drew Nelson’s successful point-after kick put Kearney on the board 7-0.

“Our defense was lights-out all night. I'm so proud of their effort because Fort Osage is a super-physical team and you've got to match their physicality,” said Minnick. “When you get defensive efforts like that, you get a lot more possessions offensively.”

Second-year starting quarterback, Carter Temple made the most of those offensive possessions: 11 of 15 passing completions for 149 yards, 15 carries for 69 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, and a 2-point conversion pass completion.

“We knew we were coming up against a good team. You know that every single week. You always want to show that you have confidence and you're believing in your guys,” said Temple. “Every single guy on our wide receiver core could start. So, I trust every single one of those guys to go up and get the ball.”

Late in the second quarter, Fort Osage quarterback, Jonathan Ross hit wide receiver Nicholas Penamon on a 6-yard touchdown pass. The missed point-after attempt left the score 7-6.

With 47 seconds remaining, Kearney’s offense advanced the length of the field with impressive precision.  Junior running back transfer, Dryden Hendrix scored on a 6-yard run in his first game as a Kearney Bulldog.

Drew Nelson (14) with the 2-point conversion catch from Carter Temple. (Eric Stevens photo)

The Bulldogs topped off the score with a masterful 2-point conversion pass from Temple to Drew Nelson giving Kearney a 15-6 halftime lead.

“We feel like we can always score. Whether we have thirty seconds, two minutes or twelve minutes left, we can always score. That's how we look at it, no matter what the time is on the clock,” said Temple.  

Kearney took first possession in the second half. Carter Temple scored twice on quarterback keeper plays one for 16 yards, the other for 10 yards.

With a comfortable 29-6 fourth quarter Bulldog lead, Fort Osage had Kearney backed up on their own 1-yard line and forced a safety, making the score 29-8.

With 56 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Dryden Hendrix iced the game with his second touchdown run. Hendrix finished the evening with nine carries for 56 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“I saw a whole lot of blocking,” said Hendrix.  “The line really made it happen tonight. They opened up the holes and our guys made plays. It was a great night.”

Last year’s Kearney Bulldog 12-1 season ended on a sour note with their semifinal loss to Lutheran North. The state playoffs aren’t guaranteed to anyone, and this 2025 version of the Kearney Bulldogs is fully aware, the championship game isn’t a destination, it’s a process. 

“You know when you get a program rolling the way we have, it's not rebuild, it's reload. It's next man up,” said head coach Logan Minnick. “We graduate dudes every year and then it's another dude's turn. Our hashtag this year is “next level” and we're going to continue to take this program to the next level.”

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.