Complete Box Score and Play by Play
Playing for the first time in 21 days, the Bulldogs quickly shook off any rust from their downtime and got right back to their winning ways.
After falling behind early, Kearney soon took control on the way to a 22-7 victory against Excelsior Springs during the first round of Class 4 District 8 play. The Bulldogs scored the final 22 points of the game to set up a rematch against Winnetonka in next week’s district semifinals.
Kearney coach Josh Gray said he was glad to see his team respond so well to the early adversity and open the postseason with a solid win.
“Obviously, a huge victory for us. The kids played well,” Gray said. “I thought we came back after a couple weeks off and really did what we needed to do to get back rolling.”
The Bulldogs (4-4) saw their previous two games canceled because of exposure to COVID-19 and soon fell behind against a motivated Excelsior Springs squad. The Tigers (3-5) used their running game to drive right down the field to open the game and scored on Tanner Phillips’ 4-yard touchdown run.
Excelsior’s first drive featured big plays from quarterback Chance Moreland, running back Ayden Dolt and Philllips. That trio, along with Amani Robinson, fueled the Tigers’ balanced running attack and helped put together several long drives throughout the game.
But Kearney’s defense quickly adapted their defensive approach after that opening drive, and didn’t allow Excelsior back into the red zone the rest of the way.
“That first drive, we made some mistakes. And we came back, went over film and we just adjusted,” Kearney linebacker Daryn Langford said. “We made some really good adjustments on the sideline, and then we just trusted our d-line to do their job.”
Kearney showed off the strength of its own running game on its first drive when junior KJ Smith punched it in for a 3-yard touchdown run to even the score at 7-7. And after two field goals from Braxton Breedlove, Smith turned in one of the plays of the game late in the third quarter.
With his team leading by just six points, Smith took a handoff near midfield, broke two tackles and sprinted 52 yards for a touchdown that gave Kearney a two-possession cushion for the first time. The junior running back finished with 122 rushing yards to lead the Bulldogs’ offensive efforts and said it felt amazing to be playing again after the two-week layoff.
“We’d been waiting for a long time,” Smith said. Most of our kids have been quarantined, and they were ready to get after it.”
Kearney quarterback Dawson Meinert connected on a few big passing plays to finish with 81 yards, while Carson Frakes led the team with 64 receiving yards. Breedlove also tacked on a 40-yard field goal to provide additional breathing room.
The Bulldog defense continued its strong play the rest of the way and clamped down on Excelsior Springs in the final three drives. Langford and Briggs Terwilleger closed out the game when they combined for a sack of Moreland on the final play, as Kearney allowed a season-low total of seven points.
Gray said the victory will provide Kearney with a confidence boost entering the district semifinal against Winnetonka, which won the previous matchup by a 20-16 score, and stressed the need to keep improving as the postseason continues.
“Momentum’s big, but we’ve got to stay grounded and make sure that we’re focused in on Tonka and doing the things we need to during practice to make sure we’re ready,” Gray said.
Moreland led Excelsior Springs with 73 rushing yards and also added 52 passing yards. Dolt also reeled off several big plays on the way to 65 yards and Robinson added 41 rushing yards.
