BDS season ends in semifinals at Kenesaw

KENESAW, NE — Bruning-Davenport/Shickley’s underdog run in the Class D-2 football playoffs is over.

#14 BDS tested #7 Kenesaw but succumbed to 36-6 to the Blue Devils on Friday night. The Eagles defense held Kenesaw to its lowest point total of the season and limited star quarterback Tyson Denkert to his lowest yards-per-carry total (5.2) of the season.

The Blue Devils opened the game with a hard-nosed touchdown drive. They traveled 51 yards on 13 plays, converted on three 4th downs and took 7:12 off of the clock. Denkert scored it on an 11-yard run to make it 6-0.

BDS tied it up with a three-play 44-yard scoring drive capped by a 40-yard Easton Weber run. The Eagles took the maximum time between each play attempting to limit the number of possessions for the explosive Kenesaw offense.

Kenesaw retook the lead on their next drive. The Blue Devils survived a fumbled snap on 3rd and goal to punch it in on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line. The two-point conversion effort made it 14-6.

The BDS offense struggled to hold onto the ball the rest of the half. The next three Eagles possessions ended in a pair of fumbles and an interception.

Kenesaw scored on a 35-yard pass from Denkert to Lane Kelley with 2:42 left in the first half. Another converted two-point try made it 22-6 at half.

BDS moved the football in the second half but all three Eagles drives ended on failed 4th down attempts in the red zone.

Denkert and I-Back Trey Kennedy finally broke free for a couple of long runs in the second half to help add two touchdowns to the board for the Blue Devils.

Weber led all players with 236 rushing yards on 42 carries.

Kenesaw is heading to the state championship game for the first time since 1990. They will try for the first state title in program history on Monday, Nov. 22nd at 2:45 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. Their opponent is #1 Sandhills-Thedford, the team BDS beat in the title game last year.

BDS says goodbye to four seniors who help the Eagles to make an unexpected run in the playoffs. Despite entering the postseason with three losses, BDS bludgeoned Fullerton in the first round, knocked out undefeated #3 Pender in the second round and rallied to top #11 Ansley-Litchfield in the quarterfinals.