KEARNEY – A memorable season ends at the hands of the Millard South Patriots as the Bearcats fell 35-21 at Foster Field Friday night. Click here to listen to the broadcast replay.
Kearney entered the evening at 7-2 on the season sitting at #5 in the Class A PowerPoints. With impressive wins over playoff bound teams Lincoln East, North Platte, and Bellevue West, the Bearcats were hoping to begin a postseason run and escape the first round. As one of the top seeds, Kearney was able to host the contest against Millard South at Foster Field.
Millard South had a more back-and-forth season, ending the regular season at 5-4. With stellar athlete Camden Kozeal returning from his Team USA Baseball trip, the Patriots rallied to end the regular season on a high note and working themselves into the postseason.
The #5/#12 matchup at Foster Field opened up as Kearney won the coin toss then deferred to the second half. Millard South received the ball and opened the contest emphatically, moving the chains quickly on a third down spot pass to receiver Lance Rucker converting a big gain. Immediately after, a gap in the Bearcat defense allowed Kozeal to spot Gavin Nunnaly for a huge play into Kearney’s goal-to-go, as the Patriots would stomp in on a three yard touchdown run by junior running back Noah Feller. The Patriots would convert a two-point conversion, leading 8-0 with 10:05 in the first quarter remaining stunning the Kearney home crowd.
The Bearcats first offensive drive was halted by a second down sack, bringing up a three-and-out as the Bearcats defense stepped up and shut down Millard South’s chances for another score on their own three-and-out.
Kearney’s best offensive series of the night began at their own 20 yard line, trotting down 9 plays and 80 yards for a score. Mixing the run and pass, Kearney heavily relied on short runs and quarterback Treyven Beckman’s legs. The Bearcats finished the series with a 13 yard touchdown pass from Beckman to Lee as Kearney trailed 8-7 with 1:44 left in the first quarter.
Treyven Beckman attempts a pass // KGFW Sports
Millard South appeared ready to respond, as the Patriots marched into Kearney territory but stalled after a false start and incomplete pass closed out the 11 play series with a punt. Kearney proceeded with a three-and-out after a 7 yard completion fell short of a first down.
Following the Kearney punt, the Patriots’ Kozeal found room to roll and run, sprinting for a first down on the second play of the drive while later completing a 46 yard catch-and-run to senior receiver Brock Murtaugh. Murtaugh powered through potential tacklers and avoided a pass breakup by senior Jack Dahlgren on the play to elude defenders for the score, putting Millard South in control at 16-7.
A series of unfortunate events continued for Kearney as the high-flying aerial attack threw two pick-sixes on back-to-back drives – first to Murtaugh from 22 yards out and the second to outside linebacker Caedon Olin – to push Millard South’s lead to 29-7 in the second quarter.
Kearney would roll eight plays into midfield, but then sputtered by turnover on downs. After a failed drive by Millard South, the Bearcats stared at a 29-7 deficit heading into halftime.
Life was breathed back quickly into the Bearcats’ with a short methodical drive that unfortunately ended with another punt. However, Kearney’s defense began to step up in a big way early in the third.
Kozeal escaped for a potential short gain on a second down run, but Kearney’s defense was opportunistic and pounced on a chance to bring the ball back to their offense. Forcing a fumble and recovering on the Millard South thirteen yard line, Beckman fired a play-action pass into the endzone as the jump ball was won by senior Jack Dahlgren, scoring to bring the game to 29-14 in the third.
After giving up a first down run, the Bearcats’ defense shut down Kozeal and the Patriots in three consecutive plays forcing a punt. An initial block attempt missed, but the second wave of Quinn Foster connected for Kearney as Foster found the football in the endzone to bring the game one score closer, trailing 29-21 after the huge special teams connection.
Zander Reuling looks for room to run // KGFW Sports
Millard South began to sweat further after a thirty yard carry by Feller. Sophomore linebacker Sawyer Schilke forced a tackle for loss, then a big pass play to Murtaugh was coughed up again as Kearney pounced on their third consecutive fumble. Kearney’s offense would not keep the juice, going three-and-out.
Millard South began to close out the contest on a methodical drive, closing out the third quarter and continuing the pounding into the fourth as three consecutive first down runs allowed the Patriots to set up a four yard touchdown pass to Murtaugh from Kozeal. Patriots led 35-21 with 9:12 remaining in the contest.
As their season laid on the line, the Bearcats could not get into offensive rhythm and never saw the football after their final three-and-out, as Millard South milked the entirety of the game clock away on a 12 play drive which converted two fourth downs. The Patriots earned their road playoff victory 35-21 over Kearney at Foster Field.
The Bearcats closed out the season at 7-3. Millard South improves to 6-4 and faces Grand Island in Hall County next week in the quarterfinals.
