The Platte County Pirates’ football team faced its toughest test so far and left little doubt they are a contender for a state championship with a 51-14 demolishing of Smithville on the road last Friday, October. 4.
The Pirates kicked off to the Warriors, and Smithville responded with a 43-yard touchdown pass with 7:49 left on the first quarter clock to take a 7-0 lead.
Platte County senior Dayton Doll celebrated as he crossed the goal line for the first of his two touchdowns on the ground versus Smithville. DENNIS SHARKEY/Citizen Photo
The Pirates’ octane offense didn’t wait long to answer, using just over a minute of clock. The drive ended with a 15-yard touchdown run by senior Dayton Doll, which would be the first of two scores for the tailback. The drive also included a big pass play to Jack Utz that put the Pirates in Smithville territory.
The Pirates’ defense got Smithville behind the sticks on first down and forced the Warriors’ offense to punt after only three plays. Platte County’s offense picked back up with a big play, but some of the yardage was lost on a holding call, but the Pirates were still in Smithville territory. The drive stalled there, and Platte County punted the ball back to Smithville.
Platte County senior Brock Fowler knocked the ball out of the quarterback’s hand forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Pirates. DENNIS SHARKEY/Citizen Photo
The Warriors’ next possession drove into Pirates’ territory, but the drive stalled at Platte County’s 41-yard line, where the Pirates took over after Smithville could not convert a fourth down and three.
Platte County’s offense picked up the tempo on the next drive that ended with a five-yard run from senior Adam Gisler to give Platte County a 14-7 lead.
On Smithville’s ensuing possession, the Pirates’ defense started by putting the Warriors’ offense behind the sticks on a first down play for a loss. Things got worse for Smithville when the Pirates’ defense recovered a fumble at the 13-yard line. Doll gave the Pirates a two-score lead on his second touchdown run of the game.
With only 3:47 left in the first half, Smithville’s offense faced a fourth down and a yard to go at their 27-yard line. The Warriors, in a bold move, decided to go for it and picked up a first down to the 32-yard line. However, like they had already done two previous possessions, the Pirates’ defense was able to force a negative play on first down. The Smithville drive ended with a Platte County sack on the quarterback, forcing them to punt with less than three minutes left in the half.
Platte County got a nice return on the punt, but a personal foul pushed the Pirates back to their own 37-yard line. Didn’t matter because junior quarterback Rocco Marriott found Tres Baskerville for a 63-yard touchdown pass with 1:59 left on the clock until halftime.
Smithville’s offense was able to pick up a first down to avoid giving the ball back to the Pirates before halftime and the double dip, with Platte County getting the ball first in the second half.
Platte County extended the lead on the first drive of the second half on a 58-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Stevens, who had dropped a wide-open pass that would have scored a touchdown on the previous play.
The Pirates would score again on their next possession on perhaps what was the most impressive play of the game, if not the season. With the ball at Smithville’s 35-yard line, Marriott dropped back to pass but quickly took off. Marriott broke several tackles at the line of scrimmage before breaking free toward the Pirates’ sideline. Marriott then maneuvered around several blocks, twisting and turning his way for a touchdown run. Platte County would later add a 42-yard touchdown pass from Marriott to Lane Webb, and they capped the scoring with a 32-yard field goal by Jackson Goodale.
As impressive as Platte County’s offense was in the game, Head Coach Bill Utz was asked by The Citizen after the game about his defense and its ability to put the Smithville offense into second and third down and long plays.
“It starts with our defensive calls,” Utz said. “Our coaches work their tails off to get them scouted the way they are and in a spot where we can make the kids successful and make plays. Defense is effort, attitude, speed, and lining up in the right spots, and then it’s coming with a little bit of attitude, and our kids do a pretty good job of that.”
Utz said he was also impressed by the large and loud student section behind the Pirates bench. Utz said his team feeds off the energy home and away.
“Our student section on the road is as good as anybody at home,” Utz said. “It’s been that way for several seasons, and this is no different. These guys coming over here make it really cool for us to be able to play that way, and it goes to show how important what we do is to the school and the community. You can’t beat it. It was as loud over here on our sideline as it is at home, and that’s awesome.”
