Ben McDaniel, who missed the last two contests with a shoulder injury, helped Platte County defeat Central.
The Pirates were on the verge of elimination in their first postseason game of the fall, but the Platte County football team showed out in the second half to take a 38-17 victory over St. Joseph’s Central in the opening round of districts on Oct. 29.
The Pirates entered the Class 5 District 8 Tournament as the No. 2 seed and a four-game winning streak, while the Indians entered the tournament with only one win on the season and four straight losses. Although Platte County entered the contest with a better record and higher seed, Central didn’t go down without a fight.
Pirates’ running back Ben McDaniel, who missed the last two contests with a shoulder injury, helped Platte County take an early 7-0 lead. The senior rushed in for a two-yard touchdown with 8:33 remaining in the opening quarter and ended with 17 yards on the ground on three carries.
The Indians responded with a 33-yard field goal later in the quarter and Platte County matched it with a 36-yarder from Cole Rhoden midway through the second quarter. Central tied up the district contest with 1:44 left in the half with a 38-yard touchdown pass.
On the final play of the first half, Jared Parsons found Dayne Wimberly for a 37-yard score to take a 17-10 lead at the break. That was the first of three touchdown receptions by the junior who ended the night with a team-high 93 receiving yards.
Central opened the second half with its last scoring drive of the fall to tie Platte County 17-17 with 8:16 remaining in the third quarter. The Pirates responded with 21 unanswered points to close out the game and move on to the next round.
Nate Walls broke loose on Platte County’s first drive of the second half with a 48-yard touchdown run to give the junior his seventh touchdown in his last three games. Wimberly caught two passes in the second half – both for touchdowns in the fourth quarter – to help the Pirates cruise to the 21-point win.
Parsons completed 12 of his 21 pass attempts for 213 yards and three touchdowns, while Walls finished with his fourth consecutive game with more than 100 yards on the ground - this time ending with 127. Garrett Smith intercepted two Central passes, Jaydon Walls had three sacks and Trevor Scott blocked two punts.
Platte County (8-2) has now won five consecutive contests and will take on North Kansas City (4-6) on Nov. 5. The Pirates defeated the Hornets 29-0 earlier this season on Sept. 17 and will look to move on to their seventh consecutive district championship game with a victory.