West Platte advanced in Class 1 District 7 play with a convincing 62-24 win while hosting Mid-Buchanan on Oct. 24 at Rudolph Eskridge Stadium in Weston, Mo. The Bluejays started strong, and a dominant third quarter helped pave the way to the semifinals. Justin Rhodes started the scoring for the defending district champions with a 44-yard run in the first quarter. His second score– a 2 yard plunge — capped the scoring in the first quarter with West Platte holding a 21-8 edge.
Mid-Buchanan cut the game to a single possession early in the second quarter on a 7-yard pass from Dalton Robinson to Stetson Brant, but West Platte scored the next 35 points to take command.
West Platte attempted just two passes and didn’t complete either in the win after starting quarterback Cody Guthrie broke his hand in the final week of the regular season during a 21-7 loss to Lawson.
Brett Shepardson took over duties under center with Guthrie unable to take snaps.
West Platte finished with more than 400 yards and eight scores on the ground. Rhodes racked up 111 yards on 12 carries, while Shepardson added two touchdowns, a 17-yard scamper and a 31-yarder to provide the final margin and the last of his team-high 124 total rushing yards on 12 carries.
Guthrie (seven carries, 76 yards, two scores) and Ben Heili (seven carries, 63 yards, two scores) helped round out a multi-dimensional run attack.
West Platte defeated the Dragons 47-20 in their regular season matchup before Friday’s district running-clock win. Mid-Buchanan finished the season winless at 0-10.
The Bluejays now face Wellington-Napoleon in the district semifinal — their fourth meeting in two years. West Platte defeated the Tigers 44-7 in Week 2 of the regular season and is rematch of last season’s Class 1 District 7 championship game.
Wellington-Napoleon 43, North Platte 20 The sixth-seeded Panthers’ season came to an end with another game added to a once-again active and lengthy losing streak. North Platte has lost seven in a row after snapping a 13-game losing streak in Week 3 against Mid-Buchanan.
The previous skid stretched across portions of three different seasons, including a winless 2013 campaign.
Freshman backup quarterback Landon Montgomery led the offense for the Panthers who gained significant playing time this season.