For the fourth year in a row West Platte is heading into postseason with at least an eight-game losing streak.
The Bluejays lost 28-6 to Plattsburg on Friday, Oct. 25 to wrap up the KCI Conference and regular season slate with a loss on the road.
In an odd twist in scheduling and MSHSAA’s postseason point system, the Bluejays will travel back to Plattsburg to play the Tigers in the opening round of the Class 1 District 7 playoffs.
The game is set to kickoff at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1.
West Platte has beaten Lone Jack in the season opener the past two years then lost the next eight. In 2017, West Platte beat Lincoln College Prep in the opener before losing the next eight. That year, the Bluejays won the district opener.
In 2016, the Bluejays were winless.
The Bluejays (1-8) were locked into a close game against Plattsburg, trailing 6-0 at halftime.
The lone points for the Bluejays came in the third quarter when Emmett Sullivan scored on a short touchdown run. The conversion run was good and West Platte pulled ahead 8-6, with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.
Plattsburg got a pair of touchdowns from Austin Rankin to put the game out of reach. He had a 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter to make it 20-8.
Kayden Carter hit Austin Stevens for a 10-yard touchdown with a minute left to account for the final score.
Rankin had three touchdowns and ran for 208 yards on 34 carries. This marked the fifth time in eight games he had 100 yards or more on the ground.
West Platte ran for 80 yards as a team, led by Trent Taylor gaining 32 yards on one carry. Dublin Carnahan passed for 68 yards, completing 7 of 11 passes for West Platte.
Brayden Cogan had 16 tackles, while Zayne Truxal had nine. Mason Montez had nine tackles and a fumble recovery for West Platte.
DEREK BIGUS/Special to the Citizen
West Platte’s Emmett Sullivan is tackled by a pair of Plattsburg defenders during a game on Friday, Oct. 25 in Plattsburg.