Despite a challenging season due to numerous injuries, Platte County finished with a pair of all-state selections to the Missouri media all-state teams, released earlier this month, and just missed a spot in the final Class 4 poll.
Johnny Blankenship, a senior linebacker, and junior offensive lineman Derek Kohler were each honored for the first time. They were both second-team picks for the Pirates, who finished at 8-4 and received five points in the final rankings which would put them 12th overall.
Kohler served as the mainstay on an offense forced to change quarterbacks in the middle of the season.
A 6-foot-3, 240-pound right tackle, Kohler started for a second straight season and blocked for an offense that gained 3,363 yards of offense despite enduring a three-game losing streak in the wake of an injury to junior quarterback Justin Mitchell that forced senior cornerback Lloyd Lockett under center.
Blankenship made the list as a linebacker, the position where he started the season. Injuries forced him to shift back to safety for the second part of the season, and he finished first for Platte County with 97 tackles (six for loss). He added a sack, two interceptions, two fumbles recovered and two fumbles forced.
North Platte senior Jordan Hendricks made the first team as a defensive back in Class 1, while West Platte senior teammates Brett Shepardson (linebacker) and Dalton Larison (offensive line) were second-team picks. Hendricks recorded 93 tackles from his safety spot while adding 11 passes defensed, one sack, one fumble forced and one fumble recovered.
West Platte finished 6-7, including a pair of wins against North Platte, and won the Class 1 District 7 title. The Bluejays lost to state runner-up Hamilton in a quarterfinal, missing the upset by just 1 yard.
In the final rankings, West Platte came in sixth despite its losing record.
Shepardson made the media second team for a second straight year with a team-high 146 tackles (12 for loss) to go with three sacks, three interceptions, two fumbles forced and one fumble recovered. He also led West Platte in rushing, doing much of his work behind Larison.
A 200-pound guard, Larison helped West Platte run for more than 4,000 yards with two 1,000-yard rushers (Shepardson and running back Justin Rhodes).
Park Hill garnered four total all-state picks and wound up No. 3 in the final Class 5 poll. The Trojans ended up 11-2, losing its season opener to eventual Class 6 state champion and bowing out in the quarterfinals with a loss to Class 5 state champion Fort Osage.
Two of Park Hill’s three first team picks came from a standout defense.
Chester Graves, a highly recruited junior, made the first team after being on the second team a year ago. He recorded 122 tackles from his defensive end spot — including 42 for loss to set a new school record — and also led the Trojans with 13 sacks while adding five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two blocked punts.
Seven Wilson, a junior, started at linebacker after Park Hill lost its top five from the 2014 semifinalists. He set a school record with 165 tackles (28 for loss) to go with seven sacks and two fumbles recovered.
Michael Marfield, a senior on a completely revamped offensive line, rounded out the first team picks and led a unit that helped Park Hill gain more than 2,500 yards passing and more than 2,800 yards rushing. The Trojans averaged nearly 31 points per game and topped 40 points in four games.
Another senior, Kentrez Bell made the second team at wide receiver after recording team-highs of 69 catches, 850 yards and seven touchdowns.
Kohler (third team) and Blankenship (second team) also made the Missouri Football Coaches Association all-state list in Class 4, as did Hendricks (second team), Shepardson (second team) and Larison (third team) in Class 1.
However, North Platte’s Jonathan Collins and Kyle Ewing and West Platte’s Cameron Johnson were also on the MFCA third team.
Collins, a senior defensive tackle, recorded his season highlight with a safety in North Platte’s season-opening 2-0 win against Gallatin. He recorded 85 tackles (three for loss) and four sacks on the season for the Panthers (5-7), who lost to West Platte in the Class 1 District 7 title game.
Ewing was honored for punting with 10 of his 23 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line.
Johnson joined Collins on the third-team defensive line. Also one of West Platte’s top blockers on offense, Johnson finished with 64 tackles (team-high 19 for loss) while adding a team-high five sacks and two fumbles forced and two fumbles recovered.
Bell, Marfield, Graves and Wilson were all first-team picks on the MFCA list for Park Hill, while Devin Haney and Parker Sampson were third-team picks.
A sophomore, Haney put up a standout season as a defensive back in his second year as a starter. He made two interceptions to go with 18 passes defensed, two fumbles recovered and one fumble forced.
Sampson, a media honoree last year, made the list at kicker, going 10-for-13 on field goals with a long of 44 and 46-for-47 on extra points. In addition, nearly half of his kickoffs (34 of 72) went for touchbacks.
FOOTBALL POSTSEASON HONORS
MISSOURI MEDIA ALL-STATE
Class 5
First Team
OL — Michael Marfield, sr., Park Hill; DL — Chester Graves, jr., Park Hill; LB — Seven Wilson, jr., Park Hill
Second Team
WR — Kentrez Bell, sr., Park Hill
Class 4
Second Team
OL — Derek Kohler, jr., Platte County; LB — Johnny Blankenship, sr., Platte County
Class 1
First Team
DB — Jordan Hendricks, sr., North Platte
Second Team
OL — Dalton Larison, sr., West Platte; LB — Brett Shepardson, sr., West Platte
MISSOURI FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE
Class 5
First Team
WR — Kentrez Bell, sr., Park Hill; OL — Michael Marfield, sr., Park Hill; DL — Chester Graves, jr., Park Hill; LB — Seven Wilson, jr., Park Hill
Third Team
DB — Devin Haney, so., Park Hill; K — Parker Sampson, jr., Park Hill
Class 4
Second Team
LB — Johnny Blankenship, sr., Platte County
Third Team
OL — Derek Kohler, jr., Platte County
Class 1
Second Team
LB — Brett Shepardson, sr., West Platte; DB — Jordan Hendricks, sr., North Platte
Third Team
OL — Dalton Larison, sr., West Platte; DL — Jonathan Collins, sr., North Platte; Cameron Johnson, jr., West Platte; P — Kyle Ewing, sr., North Platte
MEDIA ALL-NORTHWEST DISTRICT
Class 1
OL — Dalton Larison, sr., West Platte; RB — Justin Rhodes, sr., West Platte; DL — Jonathan Collins, sr., North Platte; LB — Brett Shepardson, sr., West Platte; DB — Jordan Hendricks, sr., North Platte
ALL-SUBURBAN CONFERENCE BLUE DIVISION
Offense
First Team
WR — Alex Minter, sr., Platte County
Second Team
OL — Derek Kohler, jr., Platte County. RB — Mike McNair, jr., Platte County. K — Parker Lacina, so., Platte County. P — Parker Lacina, so., Platte County
Honorable Mention
OL — Austin Gammill, jr., Platte County; QB — Justin Mitchell, jr., Platte County; WR — Zach Hamilton, sr., Platte County; T.J. Guillory, jr., Platte County
Defense
First Team
LB — Johnny Blankenship, sr., Platte County; Dakota Schmidt, so., Platte County. DB — Kevin Neal, jr., Platte County
Second Team
DL — Tyler Blankenship, sr., Platte County; DB — Kobe Cummings, so., Platte County
Honorable Mention
DL — Dane Rader, sr., Platte County; Christian Grissom, sr., Platte County. LB — Conner Welch, sr., Platte County; Christian Encarnacion, sr., Platte County. DB — Lloyd Lockett, sr., Platte County
ALL-SUBURBAN CONFERENCE RED DIVISION
Offense
First Team
WR — Kentrez Bell, sr., Park Hill; Jake Springer, jr., Park Hill South. OL — Jamar Grant, sr., Park Hill; Michael Marfield, sr., Park Hill. K — Parker Sampson, jr., Park Hill
Second Team
QB — Billy Maples, so., Park Hill. RB — Zach Neal, sr., Park Hill; Dorian Clayton, so., Park Hill. WR — Quinton Harris, jr., Park Hill; Kyle Blydenburgh, sr., Park Hill. OL — Julio Garcia, sr., Park Hill; Chris Carpenter, jr., Park Hill South
Honorable Mention
OL — Landen Brown, jr., Park Hill; Moneco Sanchez, sr., Park Hill; Kolin Hayes, sr., Park Hill. WR — D.J. Johnson, so., Park Hill; Ronnie Bell, so., Park Hill; Dillon Thomas, jr, Park Hill South
Defense
First Team
DL — Chester Graves, jr., Park Hill; Desmond Stirgis, sr., Park Hill. LB — Seven Wilson, jr., Park Hill; Aiden Byrd, sr., Park Hill. DB — Devin Haney, so., Park Hill; Dillon Thomas, jr., Park Hill South; Davion Tyler, sr., Park Hill. Returner — Kentrez Bell, sr., Park Hill
Second team
DL — Tyler Baska, sr., Park Hill South. LB — Everett Horton, jr., Park Hill South. DB — Tre Tucker, sr., Park Hill; Jake Springer, jr., Park Hill South
Honorable Mention
DL — Landen Brown, jr., Park Hill. LB — Jake Tumberger, sr., Park Hill; Dalton Bassett, sr., Park Hill. DB — Liam Henry, so., Park Hill, Malik James, sr., Park Hill; Jake Saylor, sr., Park Hill South
Defensive player of the year — Chester Graves, jr., Park Hill
Coach of the Year — Josh Hood, Park Hill
ALL-KCI CONFERENCE
Offense
First Team
OL — Michael Devers, sr., West Platte; Dalton Larison, sr., West Platte
Second Team
OL — Cameron Johnson, jr., West Platte; RB — Jordan Hendricks, sr., North Platte; K — Jaime Portoles, jr., West Platte
Honorable Mention
OL — Elijah Bledsoe, sr., North Platte; Austin Reynolds, sr., North Platte. QB — Brett Shepardson, sr., West Platte. RB — Justin Rhodes, sr., West Platte
Defense
First Team
DL — John Collins, sr., North Platte; Cameron Johnson, jr., West Platte. LB — Brett Shepardson, sr., West Platte; DB — Jordan Hendricks, sr., North Platte
Second Team
DL — Michael Devers, sr., West Platte; LB — Dalton Larison, sr., West Platte
Honorable Mention
DL — Aron Burke, sr., North Platte. LB — Ben French, jr., North Platte; Remington Wilson, so., North Platte; Justin Rhodes, sr., West Platte. P — Kyle Ewing, sr., North Platte
ALL-CLASS 5 DISTRICT 8
Offense
OL — Michael Marfield, sr., Park Hill; Jamar Grant, sr., Park Hill. QB — Billy Maples; so., Park Hill. RB Zach Neal, sr., Park Hill. WR — Quinton Harris, jr., Park Hill; Kentrez Bell, sr., Park Hill; Jake Springer, jr., Park Hill South. K — Parker Sampson, jr., Park Hill
Defense
DL — Chester Graves, jr., Park Hill; Desmond Stirgus, sr., Park Hill; Tyler Baska, sr., Park Hill South. LB — Aiden Byrd, sr., Park Hill; Seven Wilson, jr., Park Hill; Everett Horton, sr., Park Hill South. DB — Devin Haney, so., Park Hill; Dillon Thomas, jr., Park Hill South
ALL-CLASS 4 DISTRICT 8
First Team
OL — Derek Kohler, jr., Platte County; WR — Alex Minter, sr., Platte County; LB — Johnny Blankenship, sr., Platte County; DB — Kevin Neal, jr., Platte County
Second team
LB — Dakota Schmidt, so., Platte County; K — Parker Lacina, so., Platte County; OL — Austin Gammill, jr., Platte County; DL — Tyler Blankenship, sr., Platte County
ALL-CLASS 1 DISTRICT 7
Offense
OL — Dalton Larison, sr., West Platte; Elijah Bledsoe, sr., North Platte; Cameron Johnson, jr., West Platte; Michael Devers, sr., West Platte; Austin Reynolds, sr., North Platte. QB — Anthony Hernandez, sr., North Platte; Brett Shepardson, sr., West Platte. RB — Justin Rhodes, sr., West Platte; Kyle Tabaka, jr., West Platte
Defense
DL — Jonathan Collins, sr., North Platte, Aron Burke, sr., North Platte; Cameron Johnson, jr., West Platte. LB — Brett Shepardson, sr., West Platte; Justin Rhodes, sr., West Platte; Dalton Larison, sr., West Platte; Ben French, jr., North Platte; Remington Wilson, so., North Platte. DB — Jordan Hendricks, sr., North Platte; P — Kyle Ewing, sr., North Platte
ALL-SIMONE TEAM
DL — Chester Graves. Jr., Park Hill; LB — Seven Wilson, jr., Park Hill
OTIS TAYLOR AWARD SEMIFINALIST
WR — Kentrez Bell, sr., Park Hill
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
DL — Chester Graves, jr., Park Hill; LB — Seven Wilson, jr., Park Hill
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD FINALIST
DL — Chester Graves, jr., Park Hill