Beleaguered defense can’t provide enough stops in costly loss to Oak Park

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The challenges have become just as much mental as physical at this point.

Mired in an uncharacteristic slow start for a tradition-rich program, Platte County can’t seem to shake untimely mistakes and even more frustratingly can’t overcome them. The pattern repeated in a 47-25 road loss to Oak Park on Friday at Oak Park High School with the Pirates committing three costly turnovers and only upping the difficulty for a beleaguered defense.

Platte County dropped to 1-4 overall but more critically dropped a game to the No. 1-ranked team in Class 5 District 8 and missed a chance to up its own seeding profile. The Pirates actually moved up to No. 5 in the six-team standings ahead of William Chrisman (2-3 and mired in a three-game losing skid under a first-year coach), but the good vibes from a Week 3 25-14 win over North Kansas City (4-1, currently No. 2 in the District 8 standings) have faded.

Oak Park improved to 5-0 and moved from receiving votes to a No. 10 ranking in the most recent Class 5 Missouri Media poll.

The positives included career night for Platte County junior wide receiver Dawsen Mizell in his first true full game of the season, recording a career-best eight catches for a second straight week for a career-high 132 yards. Pirates senior quarterback Dylan Zimmerman overcame a first-half interception to complete 18 or 32 passes for 263 yards and two scores, while ceding some time in the second half to promising freshman backup Rocco Marriott, who led the team in rushing with 39 yards on seven carries and the first two touchdowns of his career.

However, Platte County’s gaudy tackle totals for senior safety Andy McClure (13 tackles, three for loss, pass breakup), sophomore linebacker Darrell Smith (10 tackles, one for loss) senior linebacker Cameron Dean (eight tackles) and senior defensive end turned roving mercenary Chandavian Bradley (seven tackles) were a result of Oak Park generating 325 rushing yards on 54 attempts spread across five ball carriers. The Northmen consistently avoided costly penalties to create short-yardage situation and 10 of 13 third downs and 2 of 3 fourth downs.

Despite a potentially disastrous 3-minute stretch of the second quarter that included three Oak Park touchdowns that built a 20-point deficit, Platte County managed to go into halftime down two possessions and with potential momentum.

Oak Park went ahead 26-6 on quarterback Aiden Hinkle’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Williams with 4:42 left in the first half. Zimmerman threw his interception on three plays later deep in Platte County’s own territory, but the Pirates defense came up with a stop on third and seven and forced a punt that left just 1:30 before halftime.

Zimmerman then navigated 93 yards in eight plays, including two completions to sophomore Dayton Doll and another to Mizell plus a pair of penalties on Oak Park. After an incompletion on first and 10 from the Northmen 40, Zimmerman lined up for the second down play with only 20 seconds left in the second quarter, and he ended up flushed to his left with no true read left on the play.

Instead, Zimmerman uncorked a pass toward the end zone and Bradley — the 6-foot-5 Tennessee commit playing more offense in wake of the broken collarbone injury for senior star wide receiver Carter Salzman in Week 2 against Smithville. An Oak Park defender managed to tip the pass as it neared the goal line, and the deflection led Bradley to bobble the the ball not once but twice before stretching out to reel it in toward the back of the end zone for an improbable and needed touchdown in the waning moments of the first half.

Bradley didn’t have another catch, but his second receiving score of the season made it 26-12 going into halftime. Platte County opted to go for two having failed to get the kick off after its first touchdown and Oak Park committing an offsides penalty before the second try. However, a bad snap negated a potential trick play involving Marriott in the backfield.

Platte County’s optimism stemmed from the chance to receive the second half kickoff and gain more ground.

However, the third quarter kick from Emilio Espino-Cruz checked up in the corner but inside the 10-yard line, and Platte County senior running back Nate Walls then ran up but couldn’t corral the ball. Oak Park recovered at the Pirates’ 10, and Northmen running back Travon Pankey (22 carries, 98 yards) scored from 1 yard out — his second rushing score of the night — three plays later to extend the lead to 33-12 just a minute and a half into the second half.

Platte County would not pull back within one score.

Oak Park posted touchdowns on all three meaningful drives of the second half and continually flustered a defense that allowed only 45 points total the first three weeks but has struggled in back-to-back losses defending run-heavy pistol offenses. The Pirates continually searched for the right combinations on the defensive line still minus junior defensive end Tucker McDowell and after losing junior Gage Fulk, moved back over to defense from offense in recent weeks, to an apparent ankle injury on the opening drive. This left a deep rotation up front that included Bradley at times but more often a combination of junior Kohry Woessner (six tackles), senior defensive tackle Mar’Ques Brown (six tackles), sophomore defensive tackle Kameron Doyle (three tackles, one for loss) and senior Blake Rueckert (three tackles) but also sophomore Jordan Miller, junior Keith Taylor (one tackle) and others.

Hinkle totaled 92 yards rushing and 40 passing, while Williams added 94 yards rushing and a score on the ground in addition to his receiving touchdown. Oak Park also utilized Marlon Grant (27 yards) and Evan Braxton (15 yards) at running back, and they each scored a touchdown late. The Northmen used a combination of traps and dives, straight sweeps, quarterback runs and option plays to consistently bend Platte County’s defense. With Smith and Dean starting at linebacker, the Pirates also continued to work in developing sophomore Cobe Pollard (five tackles, two for loss) and eventually sophomore Archie Wesley, who made one stop in his first action since Week 1 after recently sitting out due to a knee injury.

Platte County’s secondary welcomed back senior safety and team leader Cameron Wolfe, but he made just one tackle while still limited by a nagging hamstring injury. While senior Garrett Smith-Dean (two tackles) maintained his lock on one cornerback spot, sophomore Caden McGhee (two tackles) and junior Jordan Burnett both saw action next to him, and the safety rotation went deep with McClure, Wolfe, sophomore Taylor Stamberskey (two tackles), sophomore Montez Clemons (two tackles) and sophomore Trevor Hay in the search for the right combinations.

Unable to find a needed stop in the second half, Platte County gave the first real look at Marriott — a 6-foot-2 son of former NFL prospect Jeff Marriott.

Zimmerman started the drive following Oak Park’s touchdown on the unexpected first drive of the third quarter in what became essentially alternating snaps at quarterback. He completed passes to senior wide receiver Brennan Rich (two catches, 17 yards), Doll (four catches, 45 yards), Mizell and Doll around designed runs for 7, 2, 6 and 5 yards for Marriott. The last two came in quick succession and resulted in a touchdown to make it 33-19.

However, Oak Park scored on its next two drives around a five-play drive that included a 22-yard completion to Mizell and four incompletions for Zimmerman.

Down 47-19, Marriott returned and had runs of 11 and 7 yards plus the first completion of his career — an 8-yarder to Mizell. Marriott finished 1-for-3 overall on the drive, but Zimmerman’s 43-yard pass to a streaking Mizell set up a first-and-goal at the 1. Mizell nearly reached the ball over the goal line, but after being stopped, Marriott came back in and plunged into the end zone from 1 yard out on the Pirates’ final offensive snap of the night.

Outside of Marriott’s quarterback runs, Platte County again couldn’t run the ball consistently with Walls managing just 1 yard on four carries. The Pirates made changes on the offensive line with senior Brody Gates kicking out to right tackle from guard, while freshman Quinn Lightle moved into the vacated spot for his first career start. Braden Parker, a senior, remained at center, while senior Tyler Burch (left guard) and junior Muyonta Maxwell (left tackle) made their fifth straight starts, as well.

However, Gates suffered a leg injury at the end of Platte County’s opening drive, and senior Sage Lutz moved back out to right tackle. Later in the game, Lightle kicked out to right tackle with junior Becker Grego taking snaps at right guard.

All combinations of the offensive line were forced mostly into pass protection after Oak Park jumped to an early lead and then a three-possession advantage in the second quarter. The Northmen took the opening kickoff and proceeded to eat up 9 1/2 minutes of clock with a 17-play touchdown drive that included 15 running plays and only two pass attempts.

Platte County appeared to have a stop at midfield with Oak Park facing a fourth-and-3, but an offsides penalty provided new life. The Northmen converted two third downs on the drive and Gant bowled in from 1 yard out on fourth and goal to cap the march.

A failed extra point left the deficit at 6-0, but Platte County wouldn’t lead in the game despite immediately responding with a touchdown drive.

Zimmerman completed his first three passes to senior wide receiver Dom Spears (two catches, 19 yards) and Mizell twice along with a scramble for 6 yards. Early in the second quarter, he converted a third and 9 with his only completion to senior wide receiver Tristan Magnuson for 13 yards then added a third-down conversion with a third completion on the drive to Mizell.

Walls’ longest run — a 5-yarder — then set up a second and goal from the 5. Bradley and other receivers on the left grabbed the attention of the Oak Park defense, and Zimmerman tossed a pass out to Walls in the flat. He finished the play with a touchdown dive to the pylon, following a similar burst to the corner on a run play for the senior speedster the week before on a run play during a 24-14 loss to Grain Valley.

A bad snap torpedoed Platte County’s extra point try, but a 6-6 tie with 9:54 left before halftime with both teams having had just one possession seemed like a victory.

Instead, Hinkle went 55 yards around left end on a quarterback sweep four plays later to put Oak Park back in front 13-6. On the ensuing kickoff, Walls lost the ball on his short return, and the Northmen recovered at Platte County’s 15. The game’s first turnover led a score on the next play — a 15-yard run for Pankey. The Pirates suddenly trailed 20-6 after allowing two touchdowns in a span of just 11 seconds.

Platte County wouldn’t recover, going three and out and immediately yielding a fourth touchdown in as many Oak Park possessions on Hinkle’s scoring pass to Williams.

Even the improbable touchdown catch for Bradley couldn’t fully restore order as turnover issues have haunted Platte County the past two weeks. The Pirates have committed four leading to 21 points while forcing none against a pair of Class 5 playoff hopefuls.

Platte County’s season opened with tight losses to Class 4 No. 2-ranked Kearney (21-14 in overtime) and Class 4 No. 3-ranked Smithville (10-7) before the first glimmer of this year’s squad surfaced in a convincing and thorough victory over Class 5-ranked North Kansas City. However, the miscues and injuries have multiplied the difficulty against one of the toughest top-to-bottom schedules for the Pirates in recent memory.

Now, Platte County goes into back-to-back home games against Raytown (3-2, coming off a loss to Class 5 District 8 No. 3 Fort Osage) and Belton (3-2) with a road trip to Class 6 Park Hill South (3-2) on the horizon. The Pirates could use some positive energy news and a shot of confidence to help drive a potential late season run of success to pursue an outside shot at a No. 2 seed in districts if all falls exactly right. That likely means an Oak Park win over North Kansas City later this season, some stumbles from Fort Osage and Platte County moving up to the No. 3 and passing North Kansas City by virtue of head-to-head result in the final bracketing.