BLUE SPRINGS — The last time Josh Gray stalked the sidelines at the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association Metro Classic, Mother Nature rained on his parade.

Brought onto the coaching staff specifically to coach the linebackers, Gray’s unit — and the defense as a whole — were the unquestioned driving force behind a 10-7 victory against Kansas that helped the Show-Me State end a two-year skid in the annual border showdown.

"It’s obviously a great opportunity to work with a bunch of kids not only from Kearney, but around the Kansas City area," said Gray, who was on the Missouri staff in 2003 when heavy rains and lightning ended the game before it reached halftime. "To have the opportunity has been awesome the last two weeks. To go out and get a victory and bring it back to the Missouri side is a great thing to be a part of."

When Liberty assistant coach Brian Van Hauen was selected to be Missouri’s defensive coordinator, specifically for his knowledge of the 3-5-3 defense, he made it clear he wanted Kearney’s passionate defensive coordinator to stalk the sidelines.

That’s just what Gray did. While Van Hauen called the game from the press box, Gray was the motivator on the bench, helping inspire a Missouri defense that, outside of a long fourth-quarter scoring run, surrendered only 140 yards of total offense.

"That was obviously tremendous to see," Gray said. "I know not all the kids played the 3-5-3. They did a great job at practice and it just showed in the game."

One of those kids, Kearney linebacker Tyler Trout, enjoyed getting to suit up for his position coach one final time before moving on to begin his collegiate career.

"It was awesome. He and I grew pretty close," said Trout of their time together with the Bulldogs. "Having this one last game together, it really meant a lot. It was a great experience."

Sports Editor Scott Tittrington can be reached at 389-6632 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .