Kearney, North Platte reach title games in Missouri high school football; Pius bows out
The Kearney High School football team secured its sixth trip to a state championship game on Saturday at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City.
And the Bulldogs did it in style.
Kearney rolled over host Jefferson City 42-7 in the Missouri Class 4 semifinals, returning to the Show-Me Bowl state championship game for the first time since the Panthers’ back-to-back trips in 2015 and 2016.
Jefferson City (9-5) scored first Saturday on a 1-yard run by Jacob Wilson. The hosts’ opening drive traveled 84 yards in six plays.
Kearney, 1-2 through three games this season, responded with 28 points in the first half to take a three-touchdown lead at the break.
Casey Rooney had an 8-yard run and then threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Manny Linthacum. Jeff City’s second turnover of the game, a fumble, led to a 2-yard touchdown run by Kearney’s Cameron Emmons with 3:30 remaining in the second quarter.
Emmons ran for a second touchdown with 22 seconds left in the first half and Kearney (12-2) piled on two long touchdowns in the second half to account for the final score.
Corbin Emmons scored on a 55-yard hook-and-ladder after fielding a lateral from Linthacum. Then, with 2:06 left in the third, Rooney connected with Linthacum for a 91-yard touchdown.
The Bulldogs will face Hillsboro in the Class 4 finals on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Faurot Field in Columbia. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
Kearney is 4-1 in its previous five trips to the championship game.
North Platte 54, Milan 34: Quarterback Colton Kirkham had a hand in four North Platte touchdowns as the Panthers returned to the state championship game for the time since 1998.
The victory in Dearborn is the 10th straight for this season’s Panthers, who will face Marionville on Friday, Dec. 1 for the Missouri Class 1 title in the Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field.
Milan (11-2) struck first, but three of the next four scores belonged to North Platte. That gave the Panthers control for good.
Liam Servaes put North Platte on the board early in the second quarter on a 2-yard run. Kirkham then connected with Chance Garber for the 2-point conversion. Dylan Armstrong’s first touchdown was followed by his 2-point conversion, which made it 16-7.
Kirkham’s touchdown and Garber’s 2-point conversion with 1 second left until halftime gave the Panthers a 24-14 lead.
North Platte got the ball to open the third quarter and scored to make it an 18-point margin. Kirkham capped that drive with a 6-yard run.
Later in the game, Kirkham’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Jaxson Armstrong culminated a 96-yard march. Finally, with 3:05 left, Kirkham scored his fourth and final touchdown via a 24-yard run.
Seneca 41, St. Pius X 17: St. Pius X may have struck first, but it was all about the hosts thereafter in a Class 3 semifinal at Seneca’s Campbell Stadium.
The Warriors opened the scoring on a field goal by Julian Abella. And then the Indians (13-0) scored 41 straight points to advance to the final.
St. Pius X didn’t score again until just 5:10 remained in the game. Jacob Manis ran for a 29-yard touchdown and Luke Tomc caught a touchdown pass from Hudson Bailey at the buzzer.
Bailey, a sophomore, set new school records for passing yards, completions and touchdowns for St. Pius X (11-3) this season.
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