The Platte County football team huddles up in the aftermath of the Class 5 District 8 Championship loss to Grain Valley on Nov. 10.
GRAIN VALLEY – Going into the locker room trailing 24-0 can cause some football teams to throw in the towel prematurely, but that wasn’t the case for Platte County (9-3) in the Class 5 District 8 Championship on Nov. 10.
Grain Valley (10-1) beat Platte County 45-24 in the regular season and while it appeared that history would repeat itself in the postseason rematch, that wasn’t the case. The Pirates rallied in the second half and nearly pulled off an improbable comeback, taking the lead with 8:42 left.
The comeback started with the opening drive of the second half with a 7-play, 68-yard series. Braiden Stevens made a tough, 11-yard touchdown catch with 8:46 on the third quarter clock but Rocco Marriott’s pass in the 2-point conversion was incomplete.
Three plays later, Grain Valley senior Salvatore Caldarella fumbled the ball and Jordan Burnett recovered it at the Eagles’ 20-yard line. Platte County only needed three offensive snaps to add another touchdown as Adam Gisler ran in to make the score 24-12.
Grain Valley faced a 4th and 5 on the ensuing possession and decided to go for it but turned the ball over on downs in the process. A 43-yard reception by Dawsen Mizell led to a 1-yard quarterback sneak touchdown by Marriott.
After Jackson Goodale knocked down the PAT, the Eagles’ lead was cut down to 24-19 with 2:14 left in the third quarter. Grain Valley turned the ball over on downs in the next series and Platte County had a chance to take the lead in its first possession of the fourth quarter.
Platte County drove 74 yards, capped off with a 2-yard rush by Marriott and the 24-0 deficit was erased with the fourth consecutive touchdown scoring drive to start the second half. The Pirates failed on the 2-point conversion attempt but held a 25-24 lead with right under nine minutes left in the contest.
Grain Valley responded and got back on the scoreboard for the first time in the second half with a 22-yard field goal. Platte County got the ball back with less than five minutes left and trailed 27-25.
The Pirates went three-and-out but forced an Eagle punt with right over two minutes left with one last chance to take the field offensively. Marriott had a pair of runs and then a pass interference penalty gifted the Pirates 15 yards and put the ball at the Platte County 33-yard line.
With the clock ticking, Marriott took a deep shot, and the pass was intercepted to clinch the game. The Pirates walked away as the Class 5 District 8 Runner-Up with their first road loss of the year after winning the first seven.
Marriott completed 16 of his 29 passes for one touchdown and two interceptions for 206 yards in the air, along with two scores and 51 yards on the ground. Gisler ended his sophomore campaign with 12 rushes for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Mizell brought in five catches for 98 yards and Lane Webb had four receptions for 46 yards.
Grain Valley ended up being responsible for two of the three Platte County losses, with the other one being to Class 6 Oak Park (11-0). The Pirates closed out the year with at least eight wins for the ninth time since 2014.