For the first time this season, the West Platte football team (2-4) lost back-to-back games after falling 49-14 to East Buchanan (5-1) on Sept. 30.
The Blue Jays were coming off a 29-6 loss to Lawson (4-2) the week prior, and once again were on the wrong side of a lopsided game when they played East Buchanan on its homecoming. The Bulldogs are the reigning Class 1 State Champions and played like it from the get-go, scoring the first 49 points of the game.
West Platte junior Gunnar Smith pressures East Buchanan quarterback Gage Busby in the Blue Jays 49-14 defeat on Sept. 30.
East Buchanan rattled off 28 points in the first quarter and added two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 42-0 margin at the break. After the Bulldogs added seven points in the third quarter, West Platte finally found its way on the scoreboard in the final three minutes of regulation.
Peyson Chandler caught an 11-yard score from Kane Cogan, making that his fourth receiving touchdown for the season and West Platte’s leading receiver at 410 yards on the season. Dalton Woodard had some nice runs in the second half putting him at 340 rushing yards for the season and 42 yards on the day.
On the Bulldogs’ ensuing possession, West Platte’s Gunnar Smith recovered a fumble and took it eight yards to the house. Defensively, Lane Scott had yet another good game with six tackles, putting him at the leading tackler for the season at the halfway point.
With the loss to the Bulldogs, the Blue Jays fell to sixth place in Class 1 District 8 standings, making the last three games very important. West Platte will start the final three game stint of the season in Lathrop (2-4) – who is also sixth place in their respective district – on Oct. 7.