Bulldogs Shut Down Park Hill Air Attack

During the previous two weeks, Park Hill scored 74 points on the prolific arm of quarterback Zane Thomas and his favorite target, Dante Dixon. The Kearney Bulldogs allowed only one touchdown as homecoming spoilers in a 14-7 win over the Trojans.

Coach Minnick and the Bulldogs put on a clock-management clinic as they ran time off the board and finished in the victory formation for a 14-7 win. Photo by Eric Stevens.

Thomas opened the Park Hill scoring early with a 45-yard strike to Dante Dixon. On Kearney’s follow-up drive, Bulldog quarterback Carter Temple powered his way behind the offensive line for two yards into the endzone. Drew Nelson tied the score at 7-7 with the PAT.

With 5:39 to go before the half, on 4th-down and eight, Kearney’s defense pressured Zane Thomas into an overthrown endzone pass intended for Dante Dixon. The Bulldogs took over on downs, eventually going to halftime with a 7-7 tie.

Park Hill couldn’t score on their first possession of the second half. The Bulldog defense held them to a missed field goal attempt, giving the Kearney Bulldogs the opportunity to capitalize on their ball-control, running offense.

Kearney’s offensive line became their best defense by keeping the explosive Park Hill offense on the sideline. Carter Temple and company drained the game clock by running over the left side of the offensive line for almost nine minutes in the third quarter and into the fourth when Temple broke free to the endzone for his second score of the evening.

With Kearney leading 14-7, Park Hill had a chance to score in the fourth quarter with a first-and-goal at the Kearney 8-yard line. Dante Dixon caught a Zane Thomas pass at the 3-yard line. On fourth down, Kearney cornerback Conner Reid batted down the scrambling Zane Thomas pass attempt and the Bulldogs took over on downs.

“I want to give a huge shout out to the offense on that touchdown drive there in the third quarter, when we took almost nine minutes off the clock,” said head coach Logan Minnick.

“We're always going to play really good defense. They're gonna keep us in every game we play. They gave up one touchdown early and then locked in when we made a couple little adjustments. Then it just comes down to physicality,” Minnick added. 

Coach Minnick and the Bulldogs put on a clock-management clinic as they ran time off the board and finished in the victory formation for a 14-7 win.

The Bulldogs are 4-0 for the season. They’ll face another Class-6 opponent next week at North Kansas City.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Bulldogs are 3-0 with 34-14 Win over Smithville

Kearney took another step forward in conference and district competition with a hard-hitting 34-14 victory over rival Smithville. The Warriors and Bulldogs are top-ranked teams in both Missouri Class-4 and the Suburban Blue Conference.

Kearney took another step forward in conference and district competition with a hard-hitting 34-14 victory over rival Smithville. Photo: Eric Stevens.

On a hot, 80-plus degree night in which both teams fumbled twice and turned the ball over on downs, it was a gritty performance that lived up to the hype of a long-standing rivalry.

“I’m proud of our kids’ effort. To be honest, I think we can play a little better than what we did, but anytime you beat a Smithville program, you're happy regardless of what the score is,” said head coach Logan Minnick. “That's a really good football team.”

Kearney linebacker Kale Tucking set the tone physically with a recovered Smithville fumble in the opening minutes of the game.

The Bulldogs scored first late in the first quarter on a Carter Temple 22-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Best.

Temple scored on a 3-yard keeper midway into the second quarter. A missed 2-point conversion attempt left the score 13-0.

Temple finished the game scoring three rushing touchdowns (19 carries for 80 yards) and two passing touchdowns (9 of 14 for 111 yards).

Smithville’s workhorse running back, Lincoln Roske had 97 rushing yards on 19 carries, but a stout Bulldog defense forced him into two fumbles and held him to one touchdown.

Roske scored on a 3-yard carry with two minutes to play in the first half. The Bulldogs answered with a Carter Temple goal-line blast into the endzone, giving Kearney a 20-7 halftime advantage.

Temple threw to running back Dryden Hendrix on a spectacular 40-yard catch and run with 4:28 to go in the fourth quarter.

Smithville came back with a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quinten Morse to Peyton Steffen with 9:22 remaining in the game.

“After they get that touchdown on fourth down – what a catch by (Steffen) – we had two guys on it, and he still comes up with it,” said Minnick. “I told our offense, (Smithville) is not getting the football back. We're going on a 7-minute drive here. We're closing this game out. We're going to play Kearney football, we're not going to put it in the air, we're going to run the football and win in the weight room.”

Kearney travels to Class-6 Park Hill next week. Bulldog linebacker Aiden Arellano, one of the team’s leading tacklers, sees room for improvement.

“We need to play better than we did tonight,” said Arellano. “We obviously did very well but that's not our best.”

The most satisfying story about this team so far this season is the Kearney Bulldogs just beat their state-ranked rival by 20 points and held them to two touchdowns. And according to the head coach and team leaders, this 3-0 Kearney Bulldog football team – with a nasty defense, a dual-threat, touchdown machine at quarterback, starter-level player depth across the roster, and a state-level, top-tier coaching staff – all recognize there is so much more to accomplish.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Secure Victory with Explosive Start and Solid Pitching

The Kearney Bulldogs softball team set the tone early with a commanding five-run rally in the first inning, paving the way to an 8-1 victory over the Park Hill South Panthers on Thursday, September 11.

Caroline Jury blasted a solo home run to center field, working a seven-pitch at-bat into a highlight-reel moment for the home crowd. Photo: David Haggart

Fueled by timely hitting, the Bulldogs wasted no time establishing their lead. Alyssa Quick and Morgan Pennington each delivered run-scoring singles, while Caroline Jury doubled in another run. Bailey Sharp capped off the rally with a two-run triple, giving Kearney a 5-1 edge after the opening frame.

Though Park Hill South struck first with a run in the top of the first—courtesy of a single by Kinsey Haley—the Bulldogs’ early surge proved insurmountable.

Kearney added to their tally in the fifth inning when Caroline Jury blasted a solo home run to center field, working a seven-pitch at-bat into a highlight-reel moment for the home crowd.

On the mound, Reghan Lueken was masterful, earning the win with a complete seven-inning performance. Lueken scattered six hits, surrendered just one run, struck out six Panthers, and did not walk a single batter.

The Bulldogs’ offense was relentless, racking up 15 hits in total. Pennington, Jury, Quick, Brooke Paalhar, Reese Narron, and Sharp all collected two hits apiece. Pennington, Jury, and Sharp each drove in a pair of runs. On the basepaths, Paalhar swiped two bases, further pressuring the Panthers’ defense.

Kearney’s defense was flawless, not committing a single error. Quick led the way in the field with eight defensive chances, showcasing the team’s sure-handed play.

For the Panthers, Kinsey Haley led the offense, going 2-for-3 with their lone RBI. Macie Booth and Jolie Jones also contributed two hits each, but Park Hill South was unable to string together enough offense against Kearney’s pitching and defense.

With this win, Kearney High School Varsity continues to demonstrate their strength both at the plate and in the field, building momentum as the season progresses.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.