The Kearney Bulldogs were red-hot from start to finish in a dominant 49-2 win over the class-5 Grain Valley Eagles.
Kearney initiated the scoring on the opening kickoff as Senior Kale Tucking forced a Grain Valley fumble setting up a scoop-and-score by his twin-brother Luke who ran untouched to the end zone. The extra point was blocked giving Kearney a 6-0 lead.

Two minutes later, Bulldog quarterback Carter Temple pitched the ball to Kale Tucking on a halfback option. Tucking threw a perfect pass to a wide-open Luke Denston who outran two Grain Valley defenders for a 58-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked and the Bulldogs led 12-0.

*The Bulldogs hold the eagles back as senior running back Matt Lindsey trots in for a touchdown. Photo by Kale Davis, Backroads Designs.*

At the top of the second quarter, a 4-yard touchdown run by Kearney senior running back Matthew Lindsey set up a Carter Temple to Luke Denston 2-point conversion for a 20-0 Kearney Bulldog lead.

At the 7:50 mark in the second quarter, Senior linebacker and running back, Aidan Arellano blasted four yards behind the Kearney offensive line for a touchdown. Caleb Stevens made a rolling catch from Temple in the back of the endzone for the 2-point conversion and a 28-0 lead.

Grain Valley fumbled the snap on a punting attempt from their endzone, and the ball was recovered for a touchdown by Bulldog linebacker Aidan Arellano, giving Kearney a 35-0 lead at the halftime.

Kearney’s Kale Tucking scored twice in the third quarter – on a 1-yard touchdown run, and a 53-yard punt return for touchdown.

The Bulldogs led 49-0 in the third quarter and for the second straight week, Kearney’s defense prevented their opponent from establishing any meaningful rushing yardage, holding Grain Valley to 35 yards on 22 attempts – less than two yards per carry.

A mauling Bulldog defensive line and relentless blitz pressure held Grain Valley quarterback Cohen Morris to 6 pass completions for 47 yards, and forced one interception by Kearney junior defensive back, Max Parker.

“Hats off to both sides of the line of scrimmage, especially on that defensive side,” said Kearney Head Coach, Logan Minnick. “That's a really good division one tailback they’re handing it to, an athletic quarterback, and they ran a different offense we had to make some adjustments to.”

Kearney averaged 5.25 yards per carry on 184 yards rushing. “Up front, on the offensive line, we ran the ball at will,” Minnick added. “Number 52 (Grain Valley senior defensive tackle, Maui Sua) is one of the best defensive lineman in the city, and we doubled him and tripled him and just wore him down. I think the heat definitely helped us too because he had to fight off a double team every snap.”

Kearney’s second unit offense was backed up against their own goal line with less than two minutes to play. A high snap from center sailed through the endzone, giving Grain Valley two points for the safety and giving Kearney the 49-2 victory.

The 2-0 Bulldogs face their district rival, Smithville Warriors at Smithville next Friday, September 11.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.