When Isaac Miller broke into the open field early in the third quarter, the result of a key Suburban Conference Blue Division and Class 4 District matchup of rivals seemed to be determined.
Instead, a seemingly innocuous missed extra point following the Smithville senior running back’s 49-yard touchdown run Friday, Sept. 28 became the starting point of an unlikely comeback story. Platte County put up 28 unanswered points in the second half, culminating with sophomore wide receiver Dayton Mitchell’s catch, sprint and dive across the goal line on a 23-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Spencer Stewart.
Platte County defensive ends Peyton Stoner and Forrest Boynton then recorded sacks on the final drive for No. 7-ranked Smithville — the second securing a wild 28-27 win for the Pirates at Smithville High School.
“I was a little concerned at 27-0 for the simple fact I didn’t know if we had enough time,” Platte County coach Bill Utz said. “But one of the things that we’ve done for a long time is we do have that ability to strike quick. Ultimately, we started making some plays in the second half that we weren’t making in the first half, and things went our way.”
Stewart finished with 277 yards passing, overcame three interceptions and threw four TD passes for a third straight game, coinciding with a three-game win streak.
This one helped Platte County (5-1) win a fourth straight in a rivalry that dates to 1912 and will continue moving forward with both teams in the Suburban League for the first time after Smithville’s move from the Midland Empire Conference prior to this season. The Pirates now hold a 57-32-6 advantage in the series, and the 95th meeting between the two teams will go down as one of the most memorable.
Despite the win, Platte County actually dropped to third in the Class 4 District 8 standings but kept hopes alive for a share of the Blue Division title and earned an important tiebreaker. Smithville (still first in District 8) and Kearney (second in District 8 and winner over Platte County in Week 3) still have to play in the final game of the regular season.
Platte County would’ve been dealt a difficult blow with a loss to Smithville (5-1), but a Pirates’ senior class embraced a challenge issued after a scoreless first half as the members continue the daunting task of following up last year’s historic run to the state semifinals — the program’s first since moving up to Class 4.
“It’s a huge win for the program but mostly for the seniors,” said Platte County senior wide receiver Dylan Gilbert, who put up season-highs of seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown in the win over Smithville and now has 125 catches in his career — just five away from passing former teammate TJ Guillory for the most in Pirates history. “Everybody doubted us. Our freshman year, we were 0-9. This team really showed what we can be if we play through all four quarters and not just the second half. This team can really be special if we put all the parts together.”
There were few signs of the eventual offensive breakout for Platte County.
Smithville scored the first four touchdowns in succession during a span of play from the end of the first quarter to the start of the third quarter. The Warriors took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when bruising senior fullback Brian Boyd broke out of a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and raced 53 yards to the end zone down the home sideline.
The next two scores came after Stewart threw a pair of interceptions over the course of three offensive snaps for Platte County in the second quarter. Smithville senior Garrett Thompson returned the first 26 yards for a touchdown, and his second pick two plays later set up a lengthy scoring drive, culminating with Boyd’s 2-yard scoring plunge with 33 seconds left in the half.
Platte County had just six possessions in the first half, and only the first reached Smithville territory.
Smithville took the opening kickoff of the third quarter, and five plays later, Miller burst through the line virtually untouched for the 49-yard touchdown. The missed extra point left the Warriors with a seemingly comfortable 27-0 advantage.
Platte County ended up scoring touchdowns on its next three possessions, jumpstarted after a 44-yard kickoff return from senior wide receiver Brice Bertram.
“The whole first half Smithville had the momentum,” Utz said. “We didn’t do a whole lot to get that momentum back, even the first drive (of the second half) when they went down and scored. Then we got the big kickoff return. The big kickoff return basically turned it, which goes back to your special teams making a big play. You just need a spark.
“Luckily, that was a spark, and as soon as we got rolling, it was the exact opposite. We had the momentum the whole second half, and they never found it.”
Set up at Smithville’s 41, Platte County needed just three plays after Bertram’s weaving kick return to reach the end zone — starting with two big runs for senior running back Adel Freitek, who finished with a quiet 103 yards on the ground. Stewart dropped the next snap, only to have the ball bounce back up to him, and he scrambled right before throwing to Gilbert in the right side of the end zone.
Gilbert tipped the ball to himself and hauled in a highlight 24-yard touchdown catch in the back corner of the end zone.
Smithville’s next drive ended when Platte County junior safety Will Hay stripped Miller, who ran for 140 yards, near midfield on what could’ve been a big run. Pirates junior Trent Rueckert dragged Miller to the ground, keeping him from going after the loose ball, and Pirates senior linebacker Omar Garcia fell on the fumble for a quick turnover.
Platte County would go on to hold Smithville scoreless for nearly 22 minutes in the second half. Hay led the way with 10 tackles, while senior safety Nolan Saale added eight.
“We knew if we stopped them, the offense could score. They figured out what they were doing wrong the first half,” said Garcia, who had seven tackles in addition to the fumble recovery. “We just had to do our job, and the offense would do their job.”
Three plays later, Stewart found Bertram (six catches for 111 yards) behind the defense, and he reeled in a catch and sprinted 45 yards to the pylon for a touchdown to close the gap to 27-14.
Smithville followed with its best sustained drive of the second half, but the Warriors eschewed a field goal try to go for it on fourth and 7 at the Pirates’ 18. Platte County junior defensive tackle Garret Watson and freshman linebacker Trevor Scott sacked Smithville senior quarterback Kellen Simoncic on the play to end the threat.
Platte County answered with a 69-yard drive for a third straight touchdown, gaining four first downs and converting three third-down conversions along the way. The last third down from the Warriors’ 22 resulted in Stewart freelancing to his left and dropping the ball off to Freitek uncovered in the flat, and he rumbled 22 yards to make it 27-21 with 11:07 to play.
Two plays later, Stoner jumped up at his left defensive end spot and batted a Simoncic pass almost straight up in the air. Platte County junior linebacker Gabe Harmon came down with the free ball and returned the interception 10 yards to Smithville’s 22.
Platte County looked to take control with the second forced turnover of the second half, but the comeback would have to wait.
“It seemed like it was well under control, and it was just going to happen and then football happens,” Utz said.
A holding penalty put Platte County behind the chains on the short field. After an 18-yard run and an attempt for no from Freitek, a diving catch attempt from Bertram on third down was ruled incomplete and a fourth down pass went through his hands in the end zone for a disappointing turnover on downs.
Smithville immediately went three-and-out, but Boyd rolled a punt 67 yards down to the Pirates’ 6.
Stewart’s third interception came two plays later when Smithville senior defensive end Jake Fisher tipped a pass and senior linebacker Jackson Lakatos came down with the wayward ball. The Warriors earned a first and goal at the 10 thanks to a pass interference penalty but eventually settled for a 27-yard field goal try from the left hash, which junior Evan Verhulst pulled wide to the left.
Platte County took over still down one possession with 4:17 left and 80 yards to go for a potential tying or winning touchdown.
Freitek ran three times on the resulting 10-play drive, but the big plays were three completions to Gilbert and two to Bertram — two of them for third-down conversions. A 10-yard completion to Gilbert set up the scoring play for Mitchell on just his second catch of the day and ninth of the season.
Stewart’s throw went just over the outstretched arm of Thompson to find Mitchell, who went untouched into the end zone. Mitchell had a pair of tough drops early in the season in his first-year as a starter but remains key to providing the needed depth behind Bertram and Gilbert in the receiving corps.
While Gilbert and Bertram were again the main targets, Stewart found Mitchell for the eventual winning score, and the seniors were more than happy to share the spotlight, celebrating with the sophomore as he sprinted off the field after the touchdown.
“I feel like all the coaches always tell me that I need to be a big-time player, and I think tonight I was a big-time player,” Gilbert said. “I don’t care that (Mitchell scored), especially the last touchdown that made the game the way we wanted it to be. The way he stepped up, I told him, ‘You can be a great receiver if you just focus on the ball.’ He listened, and look what he did: scored the touchdown. I’m proud of him.”
“I just catch the ball first and then see what I’ve got,” Mitchell added. “My teammates blocked for me, and I just made sure to get to the end zone.”
Grant Allen, a soccer player replacing all-state performer and current Missouri State kicker Parker Lacina, knocked through the crucial extra point, making the left-footed junior 4-for-4 in the game.
Smithville trailed for the first time this season after the successful try but still had one final chance with more than a minute left and trailing 28-27. After the Warriors gained an initial first down and a short scramble from Simoncic, Stoner blew up a pass play for his third sack of the season and creating a third and 14.
Simoncic, who finished 12 of 24 for 147 yards, threw incomplete on the next play with the ball glancing through Fisher’s hands on an out route from his tight end spot. Boynton — a sparkplug sophomore— beat the left tackle on fourth down and chased Simoncic down from behind for a sack.
Stewart kneeled down twice to run out the clock, setting off a jubilant celebration on the visitor’s sideline ahead of the postgame handshake.
The riveting rivalry matchup truly came down to inches. Platte County had 395 yards of offense to Smithville’s 394.
“Really, the tale of two halves and one extra point,” Utz said.
Up one spot to No. 5 in this week’s Class 4 rankings, Platte County now hosts previously Class 6-ranked Raymore-Peculiar (3-3), which has lost two straight to Blue Springs and Park Hill and three of four overall. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.