—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Fort Dodge seniors Shane Halligan (42) and Levi Egli (44) react after losing to Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Friday inside Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids. For more photos, visit CU at messengernews.net

CEDAR RAPIDS — Very little went right for the Fort Dodge football team in their Class 4A playoff opener against fifth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Friday night.

Yet when the final horn sounded on the 2019 campaign, Dodger players simply weren’t ready to let go.

A nightmarish outcome inside Kingston Stadium — the Cougars rushed for 400 yards and forced four turnovers in a 63-6 victory over FDSH — didn’t change how head coach Matt Miller’s squad felt about the season or each other at the end of both the day and the year.

“We have to remember what got us here and not dwell too much on what happened against a really tough, physical football team (last night),” Miller said. “This hurts, no doubt. And in a lot of ways, it shows where we need to get better as a program moving forward.

“(The final score) doesn’t accurately represent who we are or what we’ve done together, and the sacrifices we’ve made to reach this point. So I’m not going to let it define us or how we feel about each other.”

After the Dodgers (6-4 overall) received their state participation trophy — the sixth for the school in the last 11 years under the current playoff format — players lingered around the sidelines, embracing each other as well as family members and coaches. Those emotions poured over into a teary-eyed postgame locker room, indicating the last thing on Fort Dodge’s mind was closing the books on the season.

Kennedy (9-1) left the Dodgers no choice. The Cougars’ vaunted running game — ranked second in almost every major 4A statistical category — was as-advertised against a Fort Dodge lineup simply too small and thin at the point of attack.

“We have to do a better job, overall, of developing our linemen,” Miller said. “That’s not taking anything away from the kids we had out there on both sides of the ball (in the trenches). But we need more of them and we have to have kids who all buy into getting bigger and better.

“You live and learn as a program in situations like these. Our guys were trying their hardest and doing what they could (up front). But they were just too much for us, and are really a blueprint for what you want to be (along the lines).”

Anchored by dominant junior Connor Colby — a 6-foot-6, 280-pound hulk who has already committed to Kirk Ferentz and the University of Iowa — the Cougars rushed for 323 yards on 35 methodical attempts in the first half alone. Kennedy used its entire stable of backs — especially when standout tailback Cairron Hendred re-injured his ankle — but it really didn’t matter who was carrying the ball as the line paved the way.

The Dodgers weren’t completely out of it with 30 seconds left in the first half, down 28-6. That’s when things really fell apart, though, as a blocked punt set up a Cougar score, and Kennedy recovered the ensuing kickoff to punch it in again.

“We were ready to go in and regroup at (28-6),” Miller said. “I didn’t want to punt (on 4th-and-1), but we decided to and the wheels just fell off in that last minute.

“It all comes back to that stretch. You can’t give up two touchdowns like that at any point, let alone in less than a minute (before the break). That wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but it cost us any chance of staying competitive the rest of the way.”

The Cougar defense, which only surrendered 28 total points in capturing the District 5 championship, was every bit as impressive. Fort Dodge managed only 81 yards of total offense, including negative-17 on the ground without injured all-state tailback Dayson Clayton.

“Just once I’d like to go into a postseason situation close to full-strength health-wise,” Miller said. “At a school our size, you lose two or three of your starters and your chances suddenly (become remote), especially against a legitimate Top-5 opponent.”

Senior all-stater Tysen Kershaw scored the lone Fort Dodge touchdown on a 78-yard return to paydirt late in the first quarter. Kershaw also caught four passes for 68 yards.

Senior Shane Halligan and junior D’Arien Calahan recovered fumbles for the Dodgers, who forced 33 turnovers this year — the second-most in school history.

Miller lauded his heartbroken seniors, who were taking the loss particularly hard. His 12th-grade class helped Fort Dodge go 13-7 the last two seasons, and many were even on the field as sophomores in 2017 during a 4-5 campaign as well.

“The investment they make in our school and this program — it’s something that always sticks with me,” Miller said. “Most people have no idea how much effort and sacrifice this takes, and how much all of this means to them. In this day and age especially, I couldn’t thank them more for what they give us.

“You look at (captain and linebacker) Levi Egli, who was sitting here a year ago with his knee torn up after a gruesome injury. He fought his way all the way back, defied the odds, and just played his 10th full game in a very productive senior year. He didn’t have to put the time into coming back. It took guts, commitment and dedication. And that’s the kind of heart this program will always be about at the end of the day. One game or one outcome will never change that about Dodger football.”

Kershaw, Egli, Halligan, Asle Thorson, Russell Potratz, Nick Bice, Brycen Bell, Tyler Nichols, Austin Lee, Geoff Astor, Dalton Summers, Brandon Porter, Bryson Opande, Jake Laird, Jace Yoder, Colten Munter and Rilind Bllaca suited up for the final time as Dodgers, who had 15 seniors in their starting lineup.

FD CRK

First Downs 4 19

Rushes-Yards 15-(-17) 53-410

Passing 7-19-2 4-5-0

Passing Yards 98 36

Total Offense 81 446

Punts-Avg. 5-26.0 1-29.0

Fumbles-Lost 2-2 3-2

Penalties-Yards 5-55 8-65

Fort Dodge 6 0 0 0 — 6

Kennedy 21 21 7 14 — 63

Scoring Summary

Kennedy — Cairron Hendred (35-yard run), 5:45 left first quarter. Liam Wahe kick.

Kennedy — Brandtley Koske (13-yard run), 1:18 left first. Wahe kick.

Kennedy — Koske (21-yard run), 0:24 left first. Wahe kick.

Fort Dodge — Tysen Kershaw (78-yard kickoff return), 0:12 left first. Kick failed.

Kennedy — Max White (2-yard run), 5:02 left second. Wahe kick.

Kennedy — White (1-yard run), 0:24 left second. Wahe kick.

Kennedy — White (2-yard run), 0:17 left second. Wahe kick.

Kennedy — White (5-yard run), 6:44 left third. Wahe kick.

Kennedy — Colton Heunisch (16-yard run), 11:51 left fourth. Wahe kick.

Kennedy — Gavin Black (2-yard run), 3:29 left fourth. Wahe kick.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing — Fort Dodge: Carson Peterson 1-5, Jon Presswood 1-0, Asle Thorson 13-(minus-22). Kennedy: Brandtley Koske 14-149, Cairron Hendred 8-84, Max White 14-70, Colton Heunisch 6-39, Cade Parker 3-37, Gavin Black 4-11, Jay Oostendorp 3-7, Jonas Pingel 1-3.

Passing — Fort Dodge: Asle Thorson 7-18-2-98, Nick Bice 0-1-0-0, Carson Peterson 0-0-0-0. Kennedy: Max White 3-4-0-29, Jonas Pingel 1-1-0-7.

Receiving — Fort Dodge: Tysen Kershaw 4-68, Nick Bice 1-25, Tyler Schreier 2-5. Kennedy: Makhi Harris 1-13, Cody Pflughaupt 2-13, Brandtley Koske 1-10.