Bulldog Standouts Earn Top Honors at Simone Awards

Two Kearney High School football players have been recognized among the elite athletes in the Kansas City metro area. At the 2025 Thomas A. Simone Memorial Football Awards ceremony, held Tuesday, December 9, junior quarterback Carter Temple was honored with the Frank Fontana Memorial Award, while senior defensive end Isaac Beaver received the Bobby Bell Award. These distinctions are presented to the top high school football players in the region, as determined by a vote of local coaches and select media members.

junior quarterback Carter Temple was honored with the Frank Fontana Memorial Award, while senior defensive end Isaac Beaver received the Bobby Bell Award. Photo by Ray Weikal.

The Simone Awards were established to celebrate athletes who not only excel on the field, but also embody the values of love, courage, and friendship. The Frank Fontana Memorial Award is given to the most outstanding player from smaller high schools in the metro area. Carter Temple earned this accolade after guiding Kearney to a perfect 14–0 season and capturing a state championship as a dynamic dual-threat quarterback. Temple carried the ball 146 times for 1,037 yards and 22 touchdowns, and completed 100 of 150 passes for 1,456 yards and 18 touchdowns, throwing just two interceptions. He also contributed on special teams, averaging 44 yards per punt.

The Bobby Bell Award, named for Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Kansas City Chief Bobby Bell, is awarded to the area’s top linebacker or lineman. Isaac Beaver anchored the Bulldogs’ defense, making crucial plays throughout the season, including a standout performance in Kearney’s Class 4 state title win over Hannibal. Beaver finished the season as the team’s sack leader with three, and also contributed offensively with a rushing touchdown. His influence extended beyond individual statistics, helping the Kearney defense limit opponents to just 154 points over the course of the season.

This recognition celebrates not only the individual achievements of Isaac Beaver and Carter Temple, but also the collective effort of their teammates, coaches, and supporters. These prestigious awards highlight the dedication, resilience, and character of the players, and shine a spotlight on the strength and unity of the entire Kearney Bulldog community.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

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.

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 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. CDT.

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 their 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.  

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. 

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.