KEARNEY, Mo. (Oct. 24, 2025) – The regular season finale for the Tiger football team ended with a 63-6 loss to the top-ranked Kearney Bulldogs last Thursday night. The Tigers managed to accumulate a total of 147 yards of offense, with 111 of those coming on the ground, while the Bulldogs amassed 397 yards in the win.
A 29-point first quarter set the tone for the 9-0 Bulldogs. The lead extended to 57-0 at halftime with three touchdown runs and a punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Suburban Blue Conference matchup.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run by senior Gaige Carr, but the two-point conversion failed, putting the final score at 63-6. The win for Kearney solidified the conference championship, giving the Bulldogs the No. 1 seed in the Class 4 District 8 Tournament to start the playoffs.
Carr led the Tigers in rushing with 85 yards on 18 carries. Sophomore Marques Shouse ran for 28 yards on four carries, and freshman Nick Mubanga gained 12 yards on 11 carries. Sophomore quarterback Landon Marcum completed five of 12 passes for 36 yards on the night. Senior Marquez McCant caught two of those passes for a total of 17 yards, with junior Owen O’Dell and sophomore Dalton Guy each grabbing a catch for seven yards, and Carr adding one for five yards.
Sophomore Logan Bates led the Tiger defense with seven tackles. O’Dell collected six tackles, and McCant added four. The loss ended the Tiger’s regular season with a 2-7 overall record and a 2-4 conference mark.
The Tigers will open district play this week with a trip to Independence to take on the Van Horn Falcons in the opening round on Thursday, October 30, at 7:00 p.m. The fourth-seeded Falcons enter with a 6-3 record and a three-game winning streak. The winner will advance to face the top-seeded Bulldogs the following week. The Savannah Savages are the No. 2 seed in the district and will host the Northeast Vikings in the opening round, while the winner of that matchup will face the victor between the third-seeded Smithville Warriors and sixth-seeded Benton Cardinals.
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