The Platte County football team (1-4) was unable to stop the ground game against Oak Park (5-0) who ran for 325 yards in the 47-25 win to give the Pirates their third straight road loss on September 23.
The game started with a pair of long scoring drives by both teams, beginning with a 9:13 series by Oak Park that ended with a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the final three minutes of the first quarter. Platte County answered with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off with a 5-yard pass from Dylan Zimmer to Nate Walls with 9:34 to play in the first half.
With the Northmen’s kick being blocked and a botched snap by the Pirates preventing Aaron Cordova from attempting a kick, the game was tied at six. The tie was short-lived, with Oak Park adding 20 unanswered points in a 4:42 sequence.
Northmen quarterback Aiden Hinkle broke loose for a 55-yard score with right under eight minutes left in the second quarter to retake the lead 13-6 and it went downhill from there on out for the Pirates in the opening half. Platte County fumbled the ensuing kickoff and after the recovery Oak Park only needed one more play to add to the scoreboard, doing so with a 15-yard run.
The Pirates went three-and-out, punting to the Platte County 47-yard line to give the Northmen solid field position. Four plays and 1:58 later, Oak Park scored another touchdown and led 26-6.
Platte County had a promising drive to end the first half when Zimmerman had a 40-yard bomb, finding Chandavian Bradley who bobbled a catch in the end zone with five seconds left. The 2-point conversion was unsuccessful, and the Pirates trailed 26-12 at the break.
Dylan Zimmerman completed 18 of his 32 passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the 47-25 loss to Oak Park on Sept. 23.
With a chance to start the second half on offense and bring the game to one possession, Platte County had another special team mistake on the third quarter kickoff. Dayton Doll returned the kick four yards before fumbling it, and Oak Park recovered at the Platte County 10-yard line.
The Northmen punched it in for six more points 28 seconds into the second half to push the lead to 33-12. Platte County freshman Rocco Marriott rushed in for a 5-yard touchdown for his first trip into the end zone in his high school career in the ensuing possession with 7:44 on the clock in the third quarter.
Oak Park put 14 more unanswered points on the scoreboard with a pair of rushing touchdowns to take a 47-19 advantage. Marriott found his way back to the end zone on a run with 2:24 to play, but he failed on a 2-point conversion pass attempt.
Zimmerman completed 18 of his 32 passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and one interception finding Dawsen Mizell eight times as the junior wideout finished with 132 receiving yards. Marriott rushed seven times for 39 yards and two scores.
The Pirates have been in a bit of a rough skid to start the season, losing four of their first five games. Platte County will be back at home in each of the next two weeks, starting with a White Division matchup against Raytown (3-2) on September 30.