By ROSS MARTIN
Special to The Citizen
Platte County expected a bigger test in a second straight nonconference matchup with a Class 5 opponent.
Perhaps surprisingly, Park Hill South — ranked in Class 5 entering the game — couldn’t muster a significant challenge Friday, Aug. 31 at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County senior quarterback Spencer Stewart, a transfer from Shawnee Mission Northwest (Kan.), threw for three touchdowns in a breakout performance during the Pirates’ home opener.
Senior running back Adel Freitek caught one of the scoring passes and ran for three more in a 45-14 pasting of Park Hill South.
Through two weeks, Platte County (2-0) improved its scoring differential to 80-14, and the blowout result allowed for a shift in focus to Kearney, which hosts the Pirates this Friday in what has become an annual battle of Class 4-ranked rivals. The Bulldogs enter with a seven-game win streak in the series.
Platte County lost eight all-state players from last year’s state semifinal team but the undefeated start to 2018 should help supply some confidence to a retooled yet youthful roster looking to finally break the skid against a consistent nemesis.
“We still had some questions coming in here,” Platte County coach Bill Utz said. “I thought our kids played pretty hard to start the game, took advantage of some great field position and really played well together. If we can keep that identity, I like where we’re going.”
Unlike Week 1 when the defense forced seven turnovers, Platte County’s offense received a chance to find a rhythm against Park Hill South.
ROSS MARTIN/Special to the Citizen
Platte County quarterback Spencer Stewart (left) celebrates as running back Adel Freitek (center) scores a touchdown in a game on Friday, Aug. 31 against Park Hill South at Pirate Stadium. Platte County won 45-14 against the Class 5 state-ranked Panthers.
Stewart — a two-time Class 6 honorable mention all-state selection in the Sunflower State — went 16 of 24 for 270 yards in the better of his two games so far with the Pirates, and senior wide receiver Brice Bertram set career-highs with nine catches for 112 yards and two scores. Dayton Mitchell, a sophomore wide receiver, also had a career day with three catches for 59 yards, while senior Dylan Gilbert added two receptions for 62 yards.
Freitek upped his season total for touchdowns to seven, including a second straight touchdown catch on a pass from Stewart near the left pylon of the end zone. The sliding grab put the Pirates ahead 45-7 and briefly started a running clock just 2 minutes, 50 seconds into the second half.
Park Hill South’s defensive line boasts Clemson-committed senior Etinosa Reuben, but the Panthers generated only moderate pressure and didn’t record a sack.
Platte County’s offensive line looked noticeably bigger with junior Wyett Wallingford (6-foot-4, 275 pounds) making his debut at left guard after being declared eligible earlier in the week following his transfer from Class 4A state champion Bishop Miege (Kan.) in the offseason. He paired on the left side with senior tackle Glen Gammill (285 pounds), while the opposite end remained consistent from 2017 with junior guard Max Renner and senior tackle Reid Sutter on the other side of junior first-year starting center Luke Seigel.
Platte County sophomore Trey Butcher played well at left guard in his first career start vs. Oak Park while Wallingford waited for word on his eligibility.
ROSS MARTIN/Special to the Citizen
Platte County offensive lineman Wyett Wallingford, right, battles to keep Park Hill South’s Addison Snowball from advancing to the backfield. Wallingford was playing his first game this year for the Pirates.
“Wyett’s just a bigger body. Trey did great, but he just doesn’t have that same experience yet,” said Gammill, one of three returning starters up front on the way back from a torn ACL suffered midseason a year ago. “Having (Wallingford) next to me, I trusted him because that’s who I’ve had next to me all summer. We’ve been working together on communication and picking up blitzes. It was good to have him back.”
Platte County’s defense again impressed coming off the season-opening shutout of Oak Park, even without the turnovers.
Park Hill South went three-and-out on each of its first four drives, giving the Pirates repeated shots at a short field. A fumble from Bertram, who appeared down before losing the ball, ended their first drive, but they scored on the next three possessions.
Just like in Week 1, Freitek started the scoring by spinning out of an initial tackle and running into the end zone from 13 yards out. Bertram caught TD passes of 10 and 45 yards on the next two drives — the second ball dropped into the bucket over his shoulder on a wide-open deep route down the middle to make it 21-0 with 1:47 left in the first quarter.
Park Hill South then gained its initial first down before sophomore quarterback Gaige Warren threw an interception.
Will Hay, a junior safety and first-year starter after moving over from backup quarterback, grabbed a pass thrown right to him outside the hash marks on the visiting sideline. He nearly returned the ball all the way down the left sideline for a second defensive touchdown in two week, only to stumble out of bounds at the 24.
Grant Allen, a junior soccer player, booted his first career field goal from 22 yards out on the second play of the second quarter to take advantage of Hay’s second interception in as many games and make it 24-0 in favor of Platte County.
“I love Will. I’m so happy for him,” Utz said. “Boy, he’s having a nice year, and he’s learning and getting better.”
“Got the ball, had some great blocks and wish I could’ve taken it back (for a touchdown),” added Hay, who also added four tackles. “I really feel like I’m building up. Games are probably the best practice you can get, and it’s just trying to get better and better.
“My confidence has definitely gone up.”
On the ensuing kickoff, Park Hill South failed to field the ball, and Platte County dove on the live ball to regain possession. An 18-yard connection between Stewart and Bertram set up a 5-yard touchdown run for Freitek, and a bad snap on the extra point inexplicably furthered Park Hill South’s troubles. Nolan Saale, a senior safety and the holder, rolled out with the ball and hit junior defensive tackle Garret Watson with a deflected pass for an unorthodox two-point conversion and a 32-0 lead.
Ravaged by injuries and illness, Park Hill South finally mounted a scoring drive late in the first quarter.
Warren started at quarterback after junior Matt Suchanick injured his knee late in a season-opening loss to Raymore-Peculiar. Suchanick started the majority of 2017 after the Panthers lost their top two quarterbacks in the same game, the start of a disappointing season.
A change-of-pace runner in Week 1, Warren finally helped jump-start Park Hill South’s offense late in the second quarter. Ta’Von Tusa, the shifty senior running back, used a 43-yard run to put the Panthers in the red zone, and five plays later, Warren bowled in from 1 yard out on fourth-and-goal with 2:59 left in the half.
With the lead down to 32-7, Platte County marched 75 yards in less than two minutes with a 44-yard completion to Mitchell down the middle setting up Freitek’s third rushing touchdown of the first half to make it 38-7. Set up by a 53-yard catch and run for senior wide receiver Dylan Gilbert, Freitek capped the first drive of the second half with his touchdown reception to conclude Platte County’s scoring.
Freitek finished with a team-high 67 yards on the ground on 14 carries, continuing to shine in his second straight game as the featured back.
“I think his vision is really good,” Gammill said of Freitek, who led the Pirates in rushing a year ago while splitting time with now-departed Gavin Hardman. “We give him the holes, and he just goes. We trust him, and he trusts us.”
Park Hill South came up with one more score in the second half to stop the running clock. Tusa ended up with 197 yards rushing on 20 carries plus the second touchdown, while five Platte County sacks — two for senior linebacker Omar Garcia, 1½ for sophomore Forrest Boynton, one for senior linebacker Nathan Martinez and a half for Watson — left Warren with just 17 yards on the ground.
Warren only completed 1 of 8 passes for 5 yards, but with Suchanick not expected back for multiple weeks, the left-handed runner will likely start again when Park Hill South (0-2) travels to winless St. Joseph Central (0-2) this Friday.
“Our next-guy-up mentality, we had to go to it again, unfortunately,” said Park Hill South coach Mike Sharp, who was minus two starting offensive linemen in addition to his quarterback along with 10 players dealing with hand foot and mouth disease. “We were so behind on the field position battle in the first quarter. Wind was not our friend, and we were our own enemy as well. The combination didn’t do us any favors.”
Meanwhile, Platte County moved up one spot in the most recent Class 4 media rankings to No. 3 while Kearney dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 following a 28-7 loss to Class 5 No. 1-ranked Staley — the defending state champions.
Kearney should still play the role of favorite behind the quarterback-running back combo of Dakota Ah-Mu and Patrick Connery leading the way. They played a big part in last year’s 38-31 overtime win for the Bulldogs against Platte County that ended with an interception on the first period of extra play.
The teams didn’t meet again in the postseason with St. Joseph Lafayette upsetting top-seeded Kearney in the Class 4 District 8 semifinals before Platte County blanked the Fighting Irish in the championship game. The Pirates then reached the state semifinals — the best run for the program since moving up to Class 4 a decade earlier — with the season ending in a one-possession loss to eventual state champion Webb City.
Many of Platte County’s blossoming stars including Stewart, Wallingford and Hay have not played in the rivalry at this point, but there’s no secret to the importance of this matchup for state rankings, district seeding and pride. The Pirates’ last win in the series came in 2012, and since then, the Bulldogs have handed them seven of their 19 losses spread across five seasons, including two-game sweeps in 2015 and 2016.
With the reserves in for much of the finish with Park Hill South, Platte County players knew what to do with their thoughts knowing the 2-0 start was wrapped up.
“It’s Kearney week. It switches. We’re on to the next opponent,” Hay said. “I’ve been waiting on this.”
Highway 92 Showdown
The Ronald McDonald House is this year’s charity recipient during the 4th annual Highway 92 Showdown football game between Platte County and Kearney.
The game is set for 7 p.m. this Friday in Kearney. Each year the schools sell game t-shirts to benefit a local charity. Online sales for the shirts have closed, but they will be available for $10 at the game and during high school lunch sessions at Platte County High School.
During halftime, students and staff will present funds raised to members of The Ronald McDonald House.