It’s Kearney vs. Hannibal for State Title

Years from now, Bulldog fans will tell the story of a blustery-cold, 5-hour journey across the entire state; destination – Festus, Missouri, to sit on icy-wet bleachers in a freezing, wintery mix of rain and snow to watch their Kearney Bulldogs beat the daylights out of the Festus Tigers 52-24 in the state semifinal game.

Junior quarterback and team captain, Carter Temple led the charge with 314 combined offensive yards – 16 carries for 237 rushing yards (14.8 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns, and 8 of 10 completions for 77 passing yards.

Corbin Emmons ran for 147 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns. Photo by Eric Stevens.

“Carter Temple is one of the best football players in the entire state of Missouri regardless of what position he plays,” said head coach Logan Minnick. “It doesn't matter. That kid is a winner, he's a gamer, he's super competitive. An absolute leader of our team, there's a reason as a junior he got more votes than anybody for captain.”

Temple’s 14.8 yards per rushing attempt against Festus earned him a place in the Kearney High School record books, breaking the Cameron Emmons record set in 2023.  

“Last year we lost in the semis, and I think about it absolutely every single day,” said Temple. “I think the entire team did. We wanted to win this one.”

The sting of last year’s semifinal loss lingered with the 13-0 Bulldogs throughout their state championship playoff run, and a reckoning was about to be hammered out on the Festus Tigers. Senior running back, Corbin Emmons ran for 147 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns. Dryden Hendrix had 70 yards on 8 carries with two touchdowns, while Matthew Lindsey added to the carnage with five carries for 30 yards.

The Tigers struck early as junior quarterback Parker Perry hit a wide-open Jackson Frank for a 79-yard touchdown blast in the first quarter. Luke Wacker was accurate on the point after, giving Festus an early 7-0 lead.

Bulldog junior running back Dryden Hendrix and the offensive line in front of him wasted little time responding with a 5-yard touchdown run. Kearney senior Brad Doll skipped his placeholder duties by running the ball across the goal line for the 2-point conversion giving Kearney an 8-7 lead.

Kearney Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator Steve Backes said, “The Bulldog offense refused to let the Tigers pull away and answered with touchdowns of their own after every score.”

The Bulldogs’ ground effort rolled over Festus, eclipsing a 25-year, single-game rushing record with 472 total yards. “Such domination does not happen without a great team effort, starting up front with the offensive line of Nyk Belabre, JD Romero, Travis Jarrett, Cohen Dray and Kalan Bomar,” said Backes.

Festus scored again on a 60-yard Perry to Braydon Wilkes pass and a Luke Wacker PAT giving the Tigers a 14-8 lead at 3:38 in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs took a 15-14 lead following a Carter Temple 22-yard score and a Drew Nelson PAT, with two minutes to go in the first quarter.

Luke Wacker was accurate on a 22-yard Tiger field goal giving Festus a 17-15 advantage over the Bulldogs midway through the second quarter.

Kearney answered with a Dryden Hendrix 6-yard touchdown run and Temple threw a perfect 3-yard pass to Matthew Lindsey in the endzone for the 2-point conversion, giving the Bulldogs a 23-17 halftime lead.

The second half was all Kearney. “We ran our bread and butter play and they really couldn't stop it in the first half,” said Temple. “We kept on running until they stopped it and they couldn't stop it.”

At 8:46 in the third quarter, Temple spun and twisted 25 yards through Festus defenders for the touchdown and the Bulldog special teams added another 2-point conversion on a Matthew Lindsey carry, pushing the Kearney lead to 31-17.

Two minutes later, Temple ran for a 23-yard score. Corbin Emmons scored from 10 yards out near the end of the third quarter and would score again in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard dash to the end zone.

The Bulldog defense adjusted and locked down the explosive Festus offense for the entire second half. The Tigers scored late in the game on a Kamden Yates 1-yard run which was their only score since midway through the second quarter. Final score: Bulldogs 52, Tigers 24.

“Hats off to Coach Brinkley and the defensive staff of getting those couple of little things corrected and then going to work,” said Coach Minnick.

“You know, offensively I don't think we punted all night, we wanted to be super physical,” said Minnick. “I think we established the line of scrimmage, we had a few new wrinkles in there that were big for us tonight so, hats off to Coach Backes and our coaching staff of putting that plan together.”

The Kearney Bulldogs play for the Missouri class-4 state championship this Saturday, December 6th at Spratt Stadium on the campus of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph to face the Hannibal Pirates. Kickoff at 11:00 a.m. CST.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Kearney Quiets the Tigers 49-7

The Kearney Bulldog faithful rolled into the Warrensburg Activities Complex parking lot Saturday morning and gathered for a tailgate party. Intent on another Bulldog victory, they crowded into the stadium together, filling every available seat on the visitor-side bleachers – and they were loud.

Before the end of the first quarter, disappointment silenced the Warrensburg side of the stadium. The Warrensburg Tigers were on a roll, winning five straight behind a promising sophomore quarterback, a 2,000-yard rusher, and an exceptional wide receiver. For the second time in 12 months, the Tigers would face the Kearney Bulldogs – at home – for the right to move ahead in the state playoffs.

Kearney linebacker Kale Tucking stole a soft lob from Tigers sophomore quarterback Camden Mannering and ran it back 54 yards for the pick-six.  Photo by Eric Stevens.

The Bulldogs broke Warrensburg’s bracket. Dryden Hendrix ran 15 yards to the endzone to cap a 96-yard drive in the opening salvo. Kearney’s offensive line pushed the Tiger defense all over the field, clearing the way for four more touchdowns in the first half, but not before Kearney linebacker Kale Tucking stole a soft lob from Tigers sophomore quarterback Camden Mannering and ran it back 54 yards for the pick-six.  

With a 14-0 lead, Bulldog quarterback Carter Temple sprinted 29 yards behind the downfield blocking of Kearney’s running backs for the touchdown at 8:44 in the second quarter. Drew Nelson was a perfect 7-of-7 on PAT kicks.

With 3:48 to go in the first half, Bulldog senior running back Corbin Emmons scored on a 5-yard push pass from Temple. The Bulldogs got busy in the waning minutes of the first half as Temple threw a perfect strike to Emmons who took it 53 yards for the touchdown.

Emmons recovered a Warrensburg fumble on the ensuing kick-off return, and with 1:35 left, Kale Tucking scored on a reverse handoff that went 22 yards, closing the half with the Bulldogs overwhelmingly in charge at 42-zip. 

“What an unbelievable effort from our kids,” said head coach Logan Minnick. “We came out hot which was huge you know, but anytime you score on defense and you have a turnover on a kickoff return, the score could get a little bit lopsided.”

Kearney scored midway in the third quarter on a Carter Temple 45-yard run on fourth down with a yard to go. Coach Minnick turned the reins over to the second unit for the remainder of the game.

Warrensburg’s only score was on a fourth-quarter 40-yard carry by AJ Smith and successful point-after kick by Anton Wiederhoeft for the final 49-7 Kearney win.

“At the end of the day we played the game like Kearney football,” said Minnick. “The defense was absolutely lights out against a team that's averaging 40-plus points a game and likes to spread us out and throw it all over the field at times, but I think our kids have learned to play that kind of defense.”

The 12-0 Bulldogs travel to Festus, Missouri to face the 10-2 Festus Tigers next Saturday November 29, for the semifinal round of the playoffs.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Shut out Savannah to Claim District Title

In a gritty battle for the district championship, the number one ranked Kearney Bulldogs shut out the number two ranked Savannah Savages 24-0. The 11-0 Missouri Class-4, District-8 champion Bulldogs are slated for a state quarterfinal rematch with Warrensburg on Saturday, November 22. Kearney won last year’s matchup at Warrensburg 49-14.

Kale Tucking pushes a Savannah Defender out of his way before running another 10 yards, slipping a tackle and then declared down at the 12-yard line. Photo by Eric Stevens.

“An absolute huge shout out to our defense and our defensive staff,” said head coach Logan Minnick. “That's a team that averages over 43 points a game and you come out in the district championship when it really matters, and you hold them to zero – that’s an unbelievable effort from the defense.”

The Bulldog defense slammed the door on Savannah’s prolific ground attack, holding them to 64 yards on 32 attempts – two yards per carry.

“The plan was to just condense the pocket so much that they couldn't run and have to bounce outside,” said senior defensive lineman Mason Beaver. “Then, let our outside linebackers make the play. Our team was really physical. When I was running to the ball, I saw big hit after big hit.”

“Our defense was locked in all week,” said Minnick. “We had kids out there calling plays where it's going, playing great leverage, playing team defense. We took on so many blockers to free up guys to make tackles that just shows you how unselfish they are.”

The Bulldog offensive line was dominant in the trenches as Kearney’s offense racked up 181 rushing yards on 36 carries. Quarterback Carter Temple was 7 of 9 in passing for 124 yards.

“I think we did pretty good,” said junior offensive lineman JD Romero. “There are definitely some things we can get fixed for next week, but right now, we’ll celebrate a little bit and then get folks ready for the next game.”

“I think our running backs did an amazing job,” Romero added. The blocks weren't always the cleanest, but they found ways to get amazing yards.”

Bulldog running back Corbin Emmons imposed his will on the Savannah defense, breaking tackles and powering his way to 115 yards on 12 carries. He recorded the first of his three touchdowns early in the first quarter on a 55-yard carry.

Drew Nelson kicked a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter to put Kearney ahead by 10. Emmons tacked on another rushing touchdown before the half, giving the bulldogs a 17-0 lead at the break.

Emmons scored his third touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldog defense tightened their grip on Savannah’s offense as the clock ran out for the 24-0 district championship victory.

“I’m so proud of our kids because we haven't really been in a huge physical game like this for four or five weeks now,” said Minnick. “We talk all the time about how important that weight room is and it shows in a game like tonight.”

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Bulldogs to Face Savannah in District Final

The Kearney Bulldogs extended their post season playoff journey with a 67-20 drubbing of the Van Horn Falcons in the Missouri Class 4, District 8 semi-final round.

Kearney’s junior running back, Matthew Lindsey glided to the endzone on a 5-yard touchdown run for the opening score – his first in a prolific, breakout game consisting of four rushing touchdowns and a 2-point conversion reception from Brad Doll.  

Matthew Lindsey glided to the endzone on a 5-yard touchdown run for the opening score – his first in a prolific, breakout game consisting of four rushing touchdowns. Photo by Eric Stevens.

As a first-season transfer player, Lindsey has been building confidence with his Kearney teammates and still learning Head Coach Logan Minnick’s playbook.

“The first couple of games, I was nervous and didn't know the playbook as much as I do now,” said Lindsey. “I’m feeling more and more comfortable and running behind my pads now and couldn’t be more proud of the offensive line. They did a super job tonight.”

The Bulldogs racked up 290 rushing yards on 35 carries spread liberally among a stockpile of talent in the Kearney backfield: Corbin Emmons, Dryden Hendrix, Matthew Lindsey, Cruise Emmons, Hudson Best, and Kendahl Davis.

Quarterback Carter Temple was 3 of 5 passing for 53 yards and a touchdown. With Kearney’s 340 yards of total offense, this game was never close.

For five minutes in the second quarter, Van Horn controlled the clock on a sustained drive that culminated in a 1-yard score by Edarrius Scruggs who was stopped at the 1-foot line, but still able to extend his arms and the football past the goal line. Kearney was unable to score on their ensuing possession.

“We had a little adversity there, we've got to clean up some penalties, you know, especially the unsportsmanlike penalties,” said Head Coach Logan Minnick. “That's not Kearney football and that's something we will get corrected.”

With Kearney leading 14-7, the Van Horn offense was at midfield, second down and ten, as quarterback Bordy Gray’s pass attempt was picked off by Bulldog linebacker Luke Tucking and returned to the Van Horn 30-yard line.

In a dominating momentum shift, the Bulldog varsity completed their evening’s work at halftime with a 51-7 lead. The second and third units finished the second half with two Cruise Emmons touchdown runs. Van Horn’s varsity stayed on the field, scoring twice in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

“I thought last year in this game we came out a little bit flat, so that was something we preached all week: coming out strong,” said Minnick. “Anytime you put 50 points up in a half, you know you’re doing things pretty well. I’m proud of the way that once we imposed our will, that it was kind of the end of this game.”

The 10-0 Bulldogs host the 10-1 Savannah Savages for the district championship game Friday, November 14, at 7:00 pm.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Undefeated Bulldogs are Conference Champs – Again

The Kearney Bulldogs took care of business on a chilly Thursday night with a 63-6 win over the Excelsior Springs Tigers. In their final game of the regular season the Bulldogs rushed for 283 yards and passed for 158 more, emerging as the Suburban Blue Conference champions and establishing themselves as the one-seed with a first-round bye in the Class-4, District-8 playoffs.

Senior starting quarterback Carter Temple was 4 of 8 for 80 yards passing. Photo by Eric Stevens.

“I'm so happy our district moved the game up a day,” said head coach Logan Minnick. “What an unbelievable weather night for football and for senior night for all the activities involved.”

“I think we had seven or eight different people score touchdowns tonight,” said Minnick. “That's always fun. I'm so proud of our kids, you know this is three undefeated seasons out of four, and you know those are hard to get. You've got a senior class with three of them. I’m so proud of the kids’ effort and glad we got to honor them tonight.”

Kearney got the entire roster involved in this senior night blow-out. Twelve different players contributed to the rushing total, including some underclassmen and senior defensive players, who throughout the season, had limited opportunities to touch the ball on offense. Senior running back Kendahl Davis carried the ball 11 times for 61 yards and led the team with two touchdowns. Senior defensive linemen Isaac Beaver and Jackson Leigh-Kent both scored rushing touchdowns on short yardage plunges into the end zone. Senior cornerback and backup quarterback Brad Doll scored on a 6-yard carry to the end zone.

Dryden Hendrix ran for 68 yards and a touchdown. Lindsey Matthew had one 20-yard carry. Freshmen, Colt Weymann had two carries for 37 yards and Landry Parks ran for seven. Senior running back Corbin Emmons had 34 yards rushing and a 51-yard touchdown reception. Sophomore running back, Cruise Emmons carried for 18 yards.

Senior starting quarterback Carter Temple was 4 of 8 for 80 yards passing and stepped aside in the second half for Brad Doll who was 3 of 3 for 66 yards. Later in the game, sophomore Caden Webster was 2 of 2 for 12 yards.

On special teams, Drew Nelson was 7 of 7 on point-after kicks. Kale Tucking had a 56-yard punt return for touchdown. Defensively, sophomore Byrom Braxton had two interceptions.

“We were very excited that we got every single healthy kid that was on the sideline in the game tonight,” said Minnick. “And that’s including we dressed six freshmen tonight.”

District playoffs begin next Thursday, October 30. With their first-round bye, the Bulldogs will face the winner of Van Horn vs. Excelsior Springs on Friday, November 7. District playoff brackets can be found at MSHSAA.org.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.