A game that featured a defensive battle and big plays ended with the West Platte Blue Jays’ football team losing its first game of the season to the Liberty (Mountain View) Eagles 22-14 on Saturday, Sept. 7 at home.
The game was played on a Saturday afternoon because the Eagles had to travel more than 250 miles to Weston.
West Platte junior Joe Blake made a spectacular catch versus Liberty.
Both teams struggled to move the ball the first couple of possessions but the Blue Jays had the first chance to score on their third possession when senior quarterback Kane Cogan found junior Joe Blake on a spectacular catch that set up West Platte at the Eagles’ 27-yard line. Liberty stopped the Jays on a third down pass play but was flagged for holding giving West Platte a new first down at the 15-yard line. However, the Blue Jays went backward and faced a third down from the 24-yard line. Cogan completed a pass to junior tight end Jhett Chandler but he was tackled short of the line to gain and Liberty took over at the 12-yard line.
The stop gave the Eagles some momentum and with a sped up tempo Liberty marched down the field behind the legs of the quarterback and scored on a three-yard run and with a two-point conversion led 8-0.
Afton Bucker
On the Jays’ next drive, a big run by senior Afton Buckler set West Platte up at the Eagles’ 33-yard line. Facing a fourth down at Liberty’s 27-yard line Cogan threw a pass into the end zone that fell incomplete but the Eagles were flagged for pass interference giving the Jays new life at the 13-yard line.
However, things went backwards from there and the Jays had a fourth down and 40 yards to go. After a poor punt, the Eagles had the ball at midfield. A few plays later Liberty had a two-score lead at 14-0.
West Platte’s Blaze Masoner broke up a pass in the Liberty end zone and had another pass break up in the game.
After a three and out by the Jays Liberty got good field position again at midfield with 1:18 left on the clock until halftime. Liberty drove into the Jays’ red zone and looked for a three-score lead but sophomore Blaze Masoner knocked away a pass in the end zone. The Jays’ defense held on fourth down to head to halftime.
West Platte drove to the Liberty one-yard line to open the second half but could not punch the ball into the end zone. Liberty took over at the one-yard line and on the next play West Platte got the spark it needed when Chandler dislodged the ball from the Liberty ball carrier at the goal line where the Jays recovered. Two plays later senior Dalton Woodard got the Jays on the board with a one-yard touchdown run.
Dalton Woodard
The turn of events had Liberty rattled and the Eagles fumbled on the first play of the next drive turning the ball back over to West Platte at the 34-yard line. Woodard completed the drive with a 15-yard run to tie the game.
The Eagles fumbled the ensuing kickoff but were able to recover at their 33-yard line. However, the Eagles drive wouldn’t last long and they had to punt but got a banger that rolled to the West Platte two-yard line.
Alex Kinslow
Buckler quickly got the Jays out of a hole with a run out to the 21-yard line and West Platte continued to drive and moved the ball down to the Eagles red zone. However, penalties and big plays by Liberty pushed the Jays back to the 25-yard line where they faced a fourth down. Cogan’s pass was incomplete and Liberty took over on downs.
West Platte’s defense got a stop but the offense couldn’t take advantage giving the ball back to Liberty in good field position at the Jays’ 25-yard line after a personal foul flag on a punt return.
Kane Cogan
Liberty faced a fourth down from the 24-yard line needing to get to the one-yard line to extend the drive. The Eagles were flagged for a false start kicking the ball back to the 29-yard line. On fourth and 29 Liberty got a receiver past the defense for a touchdown. Liberty used a trick play for a two-point conversion pass and extended the lead to 22-14 with 3:26 left on the clock.
West Platte drove into Liberty territory but turned the ball over on downs at the 33-yard line with just over a minute left in the game.
Jays’ Head Coach Taylor Gallagher told The Citizen his team made some adjustments on both sides of the ball at halftime and was proud of the way his kids battled throughout the contest.
“We were able to battle back and had opportunities in the fourth quarter to have a shot at winning the ballgame,” Gallagher said. “Unfortunately we didn’t make enough plays to come out on top, but I’m proud that the kids continued to fight and I’m encouraged by the character of the team.”
The Jays won’t have too long to think about the loss with a short week and will have to get ready to head out on the road this Friday to take on Penney who is 1-1 after two weeks.