Kearney runs past Hillsboro to win Missouri Class 4 football title

Bulldogs rack up 508 total yards and season-high 68 points

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI – Logan Minnick didn't see it going like this. 

The Kearney football coach knew his team team was capable of scoring points and knew the Bulldogs would have to against Hillsboro in the Missouri Class 4 football championship game on Saturday. 

But Minnick couldn't have predicted the offensive explosion from his team in its dominant 68-28 turbo-clock victory over the Hawks on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. 

"To be honest with you, we didn't see it going quite the way that it did there," Minnick said. "We've been really efficient offensively all year, so we knew if we got into a game where we had to continue to score – because we knew offensively they were a very good offensive team – we were pretty confident we could move the ball. We wish we would have done a little bit better job of taking a little more time off the block between scores, but we'll take a 40-point win."

Kearney (13-2), which was making its first title game appearance since finishing second in 2016, has now won five Class 4 championships (2002, 2003, 2009, 2015 and 2023). 

The Bulldogs entered Saturday's game averaging 36.6 points and 421.4 yards of offense per game and broke out for a season-high 68 points and while racking up 508 yards of offense. Kearney scored on its first five possessions of the first half and then its first five series of the second half.

"They leaned on us with their O-line and it was hard for us to stop them all day," Hillsboro coach Bill Sucharski said. 

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Senior quarterback Casey Rooney completed 11 of 13 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 91 yards on six carries. Senior running back Cameron Emmons ran for four touchdowns and 93 yards on 20 carries. Senior wide receiver Manny Linthacum caught five passes for 96 yards and two TDs and added a 21-yard touchdown run on a reverse.

"It feels amazing," Linthacum said. 

The Bulldogs' offense was firing on all cylinders.  

"We've clicked a lot, close to that, but I think we surpassed every goal we had today," Rooney said. 

Juniors Theo Grace and Grant Noland led the Kearney defense. Grace, a linebacker, recorded a team-high nine tackles. Noland, a safety, had eight tackles – including three key stops to prevent Hillsboro scores – and added an interception and a forced fumble. 

"I think our defense played big when they needed to," Minnick said. "They have confidence in our offense as well that we're going to be able to move the ball if they do happen to score points." 

Kearney stops Hillsboro on fourth down near the goal line and then goes ahead on this fourth-down plunge. pic.twitter.com/g3mdVM25EI

— Nate Latsch (@NateLatsch) December 2, 2023

Hillsboro (12-2), which was making its first appearance in the Missouri football championship game, had 488 offensive yards.

Junior quarterback Preston Brown completed 12 of 23 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns (with two interceptions) and ran for a team-high 89 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Senior running back Payton Brown, who said after the game he has been dealing with some injuries, caught three passes for 91 yards and ran for 79 and a score on nine carries. He added a team-nine tackles on defense.

Chase Sucharski, a senior wide receiver and linebacker, caught four passes for 106 yards and a touchdown and added six tackles on defense.

"Before this game, we knew they were bigger up front and their running backs, you look on film, they run physical," Chase Sucharski said. "I think today they just did a good job at times exploiting it. ... They definitely came out and I think they played their style of football and we didn't handle it the greatest we could have."

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Photos from Nate Latsch

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- Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveMiz