LEE STUBBS
Citizen Editor
Every time Platte County looked like it was going to crawl back into the game Friday night at Kearney, the Bulldogs had an answer.
And most of the time it came courtesy of Kearney senior running back Brock Broughton. Broughton rushed for two touchdowns, caught a pass for another and racked up 244 yards of total offense as Kearney defeated Platte County 44-22.
The loss dropped the Pirates to 3-2 on the season; they will play host to North Kansas City for the first time ever next Friday at Pirates Stadium.
Platte County did the one thing it knew it could not do Friday night – the Pirates fell behind early. Kearney built a 14-0 lead on two Austin Hinck runs before the Pirates got on the board courtesy of a Kearney mistake – a muffed punt which led to a short field and a Tyler Cooper to Matthew Barmann TD pass.
The score stood at 14-7 until a pivotal sequence near the end of the first half. Cooper underthrew Aliek Reed in the end zone, resulting in a Kearney interception. The Bulldogs then marched 80 yards in 80 seconds and scored on a Hinck to Zack Davis TD pass with five seconds to play in the second quarter.
The Pirates never recovered.
Kearney built its lead to 28-7 midway through the third period, then the two teams basically traded scores the rest of the way.
Kearney totaled 451 yards of offense, while Platte County amassed 303.
Cooper completed 20-0f-41 passes for 250 yards and three TDs, but was picked off twice. Senior Nic Blaha rushed for 56 yards and caught four passes for 37 yards. Reed caught six passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.
In other games Friday night involving Platte County teams, West Platte ruined North Platte’s Homecoming 35-16, Park Hill South won its Homecoming over Grandview 50-26 and Park Hill won on the road, 45-6 at Ruskin.
Look for more coverage in next week’s print edition of The Citizen.