Platte County eyeing playoff return with past, present, future looking bright

Platte County’s seniors were mostly along for the ride two years ago for the Pirates’ push to the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl — the program’s second straight trip to a state title game. Last year, they felt the disappointment of a season cut short in the Class 5 District 8 title game.

Now, the finality sets in with the last chance to make a true run to call their own and possibly overcome some doubters in the process.

“The whole motto this year is ‘Battle Together,'” said Platte County senior safety/linebacker Cameron Wolfe, a key reserve in 2019, a starter at safety as a junior and now shifting positions again. “We have weak spots, but we have a lot of strong spots. Every team can say that. If we fight together as a team rather than individuals, we’ll definitely be alright.”

Platte County went 9-3 in 2021 behind a dominant defense and adaptable offense. The Pirates were on the cusp of a third straight playoff appearance when a second-half stumble allowed Fort Osage to escape with a 22-20 victory.

Now, Platte County turns to Dylan Zimmerman — another one-year starter senior quarterback — behind another rebuilt offensive line featuring budding junior left tackle Muyonta Maxwell with a seemingly deep group of experienced skill position players looking for more consistent execution. The defense must replace all-staters Trevor Scott and Jaydon Walls among a talented group of six graduated starters with all-state cornerback Garrett Smith-Dean and senior defensive end Chandavian Bradley — the most highly recruited player in program history recently committed to Tennessee — clearly in the spotlight for a rebuilt defense with a lot of movable parts.

Platte County wants to prove there’s no falloff eminent in the program’s third year in Class 5 while waiting for clearly blossoming and promising freshman and sophomore classes to mature. Underdog isn’t an identity normally allowed for a program that has played at least 11 games and won at least eight in every season since 2014.

“We’re playing a lot of sophomores that we don’t want to have to play yet,” Platte County coach Bill Utz said. “And they’re having to really step in and make a lot of that depth and then even some younger kids than that looking at freshmen who aren’t ready but they’re there waiting.

“There’s places we’re as talented as we’ve ever been. Depth is an issue.”

The schedule will provide plenty of tests and look drastically different with a shift up to the Suburban Conference White Division, which includes Class 5 foes Belton, Grain Valley, Raytown and William Chrisman. In addition, the Pirates hold on to rivalry matchups vs. Kearney and at defending Class 4 state champion Smithville — the Week 1 and Week 2 games — plus a fifth matchup in three years with North Kansas City and a Week 8 trip to Park Hill South, which dominated last year’s season-opener.

After the 0-1 start, Platte County won nine of the next 10 with the lone loss in that stretch 20-10 to Smithville in the matchup that ultimately decided the Blue Division title. The Pirates allowed 42 in the loss to Park Hill South then held every other opponent to 22 or fewer points, including shutouts of North Kansas City, Ruskin and Winnetonka. Opponents totaled one score or less in eight of nine wins with St. Joseph Central’s output in a 38-17 Class 5 District 8 opener the lone exception.

“The biggest issue we have is getting everybody playing together, and by that, I mean offense, defense and special teams. And I know that’s cliche-ish,” Utz said. “But last year, I could walk out and say when we’re going ones vs. ones, our defense is going to win every battle. The year before that, it wasn’t every battle, but we knew we could score some points on people. This year, it’s a very balanced team, and that can be good or bad depending on who you play. You might have a strength on offense one game and not the next and vice versa.”

Below is a position-by-position breakdown for Platte County ahead of the 2021 opener scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night at Pirate Stadium against Kearney, which has lost three straight in the annual Highway 92 Showdown rivalry game.

QUARTERBACK

Platte County will have a third quarterback over the span of the last three seasons with senior 6-foot-1 senior Dylan Zimmerman earning the starting job. He went into the 2021 summer with an outside shot to win the job from Jared Parsons, a senior who ultimately seized his opportunity and never relinquished the spot in his first and only year as a starter.

Parsons finished 126-for-135 (53.6 percent completion rate) for 1,739 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions despite dealing with a rash of injuries in his running back and wide receiver corps. Zimmerman made limited appearances in relief of some blowouts and went 8-for-17 for 125 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

“He’s a good kid,” Utz said. “And really from Day 1 in the offseason, he kind of carried himself as if it was his team, his turn to take the reins, and we literally see him getting better and more confident every single day — and he’s already a talented athlete. As he’s going through the process, it’s becoming easier and easier for him to slow the game down around him.”

“We’re really fired up to see what he can do. It’s going to be fun come Week 1,” Wolfe added.

Zimmerman split reserve reps last year with junior Garin Walton, who has since transferred to North Kansas City. That left Zimmerman as the obvious choice, and he impressed his coaches with development, and freshman Rocco Marriott now assumes the backup role with sophomore Brady Davis also taking reps.

Marriott threw three touchdowns in last week’s preseason jamboree and clearly looks the part of a potential three-year starter.

“Obviously, that’s an important role as a No. 2, but he’s a mature kid and doing a nice job with it,” Utz said.

RUNNING BACK

Platte County went into last season expecting Ben McDaniel to be the main option at running back as a bruising, north-and-south power back. He started and led the way in carries until a shoulder injury sidelined him during a 29-0 win over North Kansas City.

That opened the door for Nate Walls, now a senior and the clear No. 1 next to Zimmerman in Platte County’s spread offense. He remained the starter from Week 5 on and finished with 770 yards and 14 touchdowns, running off four straight 100-yard rushing games against Winnetonka, Raytown South, Lansing and Central with the middle two being a pair of four-touchdown performances.

Platte County originally envisioned Walls, who transferred from Park Hill after his sophomore season, as a dual-threat at wide receiver and running back before becoming a featured part of the offense. McDaniel ultimately totaled 228 yards on 66 carries, playing parts of the Smithville Ruskin and Winnetonka games before sitting three of the next four games.

“(Walls) is a true running back anyway,” Utz said. “He owns that position in knowing that it’s his. He’s got that burst you want and can run for tough yards, too. We like him.”

Platte County sophomore Dayton Doll will now be Walls’ primary backup after running for 54 yards on four carries spread across three games. This included his first career touchdown in a 62-0 shellacking of Ruskin. The Pirates also have junior Grant Archibald (seven carries, 16 yards in 2021) and freshman Adam Gisler on the depth chart.

“Dayton becomes a utility guy where he can take handoffs and run the ball, but he’s a kid we can also put out in routes,” Utz said. “It makes for a nice 1-2 with Walls at running back, and we feel comfortable with both. We can just use Dayton in some different ways to try and get both on the field.”

WIDE RECEIVER

Platte County went into 2021 thin at the wide receiver position then saw graduated senior Cole Rhoden (now playing at the University of Kansas) and junior Tristan Magnuson suffer serious collarbone injuries. Magnuson went down in Week 8 against Lansing and missed the remainder of the season after Rhoden had went down the week before in the shutout of Winnetonka and only returned to kick in the postseason. He still finished as the No. 2 receiver with 19 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns, including scores of 90-plus yards — one a state record 99-yarder against Kearney — each of the first two weeks.

Platte County must also replace senior Dayne Wimberly, who opted not to play his final season after totaling 16 catches for 301 yards and three touchdowns in 2021.

That again leaves senior and third-year starter Carter Salzman as the main option, although he mostly works out of the slot. He led the Pirates with 48 catches for 542 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 77 yards on toss plays with another score. However, defenses were often able to key on him, especially as injuries piled up and more inexperienced receivers were forced into action.

Salzman had 33 catches for 451 yards and three touchdowns in quarterback Chris Ruhnke’s senior season of 2019, which featured a deeper group of pass-catching options.

Magnuson assuredly takes up another starting spot after finishing with 11 catches for 149 yards in what ultimately turned into an eight-game cameo last year, while Utz called junior Dawsen Mizell the most improved player on the roster “without question” and a likely top target for Zimmerman. Additionally, second-year senior Dom Spears brings an intriguingly athletic skill set but made just two catches for 10 yards as a junior, and Doll could receive some snaps out of the slot or in two-back sets.

“Salzman is obviously a special player for us and looks great,” Utz said. “Magnuson is a confident player who may have surprised himself with the reps that he did last year to a certain extent, but he’s taken that and he’s done well with that. He’s buying into that ownership that it’s his spot. He’s a great big target, runs well. Dom Spears is another one we are working in, and he’s getting better all the time. The question is if he can do it, and that’s what we’ve got figure out.”

Depth will be limited again, and freshmen Tres Baskerville and Ty Christopher could eventually see more snaps depending on the production in front of him. The Pirates also have senior Brennan Rich, junior Nash Brown and sophomore Jaden Peterson as options.

TIGHT END

As the receiver options dwindled last fall, Platte County went to senior Brody Fulk at tight end more and more — the first person to truly create a role at that spot for Platte County since Tyler Cooper in 2014. Fulk responded with 13 catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns as a breakout weapon late in the season. The Pirates will not feature this spot in all likelihood, but 6-foot-2 freshman Jack Utz could receive looks in certain situations and possibly earn more of a role as the season progresses.

OFFENSIVE LINE

After more than a decade of owning a juggernaut offense that overshadowed the defense, Platte County saw a “drop” in production to 3,058 yards of total offense, an average of 254.8 per game. The Pirates still scored 30.9 points per game — down just one from the 2020 Class 5 runnerup season — when they rolled up 334.8 yards per game. The offensive yardage totals were 333.1, 389.0 and 363.1 per game in the three years before that.

Each of the past two seasons, Platte County ultimately ended up shifting and adjusting the the offensive line with a deep group of starters but ultimately little consistency. Eight players started up front a year ago, and that includes graduated seniors Joe Nicholson, Caleb Kelley and Connor Harmon. Nicholson (tackle) and Kelley (guard) were two-year starters and the mainstays on the left side last year, while Harmon ultimately shifted from center to right guard. Jaisyn House, a fourth senior, opened the season as a starting guard and provided depth.

A consistent and effective offensive line could help avoid some of the inconsistencies with turnovers and three-and-outs last fall that were often overcome thanks to the historically good defensive output.

“Our defense last year was good enough that we could still get stops (after short offensive drives),” Utz said. “Right now, we’re in a situation where we have to help each other out. The offense has to complement the defense, and the defense has to complement the offense. Then we have to be really good on special teams.”

With four seniors gone, Platte County will move junior Muyonta Maxwell from right tackle to left tackle in the featured spot protecting Zimmerman’s blindside. Maxwell received significant playing time as a freshman and spent most of his time at right tackle last year with occasional experiments at guard and replacing Nicholson at left tackle during the second half of the district title game loss to Fort Osage.

Sage Lutz, a senior, opened his junior season as a reserve but ultimately took over center duties for Harmon and closed the season in that spot. However, he moves out to right tackle this year with senior Braden Parker, an occasional starter a year ago and contributor at guard and tackle, will now handle snapping in the center of the line.

“There’s probably two kids that can say they know exactly where they’re going to be,” Bill Utz said. “That’s Muyonta at left tackle and Braden Parker at center, and the rest of them are all kind of interchangeable pieces.”

With Jackson Eller also not back for his senior season after playing significant snaps last year, Bill Utz had seniors Brody Gates and Tyler Burch as the projected starting guards. Burch’s offseason weight loss led to improvement in his play, and Gates appeared to have worked his way into a prominent role before an injury kept him out of the jamboree and put his status in doubt at least for the opener.

Platte County has also moved junior Gage Fulk to the offensive line mainly at tackle, and he could have a chance to start, while coaches are high on undersized freshman Quinn Lightle as an option at a position with thin depth.

DEFENSIVE LINE

This will remain the deepest unit on defense despite losing all-state defensive end Jaydon Walls (49 tackles, 17 more for loss and a team-high 8 1/2 sacks). Almost all of the other key players are back in the front four.

The attention starts on senior Chandavian Bradley for obvious reasons. His high-profile recruitment as one of the top edge rushers in the Class of 2023 recently came to an apparent end with his commitment to Tennessee, but he still hasn’t had his true statistical breakout.

Bradley played a reserve role as a sophomore when his measurables started to garner big interest from some of the top Division I schools in the country. He started as a junior and finished with 26 tackles (seven for loss), seven sacks, two forced fumbles and a recovered fumble he returned for a touchdown against Ruskin.

“You’ve got to start with Chandavian,” Bill Utz said. “He is an unbelievable specimen and his play has definitely improved from last year. His experience has kicked in.”

The combination of Walls and Bradley alternatingly benefitted both players as attention from opposing offenses shifted between the two.

Platte County junior Tucker McDowell will move from reserve utility lineman to starting defensive end after recording five tackles and a fumble recovery in his first season after transferring from Lafayette (St. Joseph). The starting defensive tackles will again be senior Mar’Ques Brown (17 tackles, 5 for loss, one sack in 2021) and junior Kohry Woessner (15 tackles, six for loss, one sack and one forced fumble in 2021).

The versatility of the unit will be big with McDowell, Woessner and senior reserve Blake Rueckert (four tackles, one sack in 2021) able to play inside and outside. In addition, sophomore Kameron Doyle has excelled since shifting over from offensive line and could start to mix into the defensive tackle rotation sooner rather than later along with sophomore Jordan Miller.

LINEBACKER

Perhaps no position will be under more scrutiny after the graduation of Trevor Scott and Blaine Keuhn.

Scott recorded team-highs of 83 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles along with six sacks and a fumble recovery in his senior season, earning all-state honors for a second straight year. He started the final 45 games of his accomplished career at linebacker, beginning with the regular season finale of his freshman campaign in 2018. He totaled 285 tackles (39 1/2 for loss), 25 sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception, which he returned for the lone touchdown of his career as a sophomore in a blowout of Kearney that ended a long losing streak to one of Platte County’s biggest rivals.

In addition to being a two-time Suburban Conference Blue Division defensive player of the year, Scott also made the All-Simone Team as a junior and senior at linebacker in recognition of his spot as one of the top players in the Kansas City region. He also made the finalist list for the Bobby Bell Award, given to the top lineman or linebacker in small schools for the metro area.

For his part, Keuhn was an unfairly overshadowed two-year starter who recorded 67 tackles, 14 for loss and a forced fumble as a senior in an all-conference campaign.

That leaves an opportunity for the first two players not named Scott or Keuhn to start at linebacker for Platte County since the 2019 season. Pirates sophomore Darrell Smith played very sparingly a year ago as a freshman but had nine tackles, five for loss and a fumble recovery. He’s still a bit undersized but overwhelmingly athletic and physical and appears the only sure starter for Week 1.

Platte County will have seniors Cameron Dean (eight tackles, two for loss and a fumble recovery in 2021 as a reserve) and Peyton Nickell (three tackles in 2021) but also could look to push sophomore Archie Wesley, who moved back from defensive end this year after putting up two tackles and one for loss in his limited snaps last fall, into a starting role alongside Smith.

“Could be extremely athletic, could be one of the more athletic defenses we’ve had,” Bill Utz said. “Once that experience and confidence kicks in with some of those young kids we have that potential. We’re not there yet, though.”

DEFENSIVE BACK

After graduating three starters, Platte County’s defensive backfield expected to look drastically different, especially with senior Cameron Wolfe originally looking to move to linebacker.

Platte County senior Garrett Smith-Dean will be a third-year starter and was expected to make an increasingly familiar move from cornerback to safety. He earned all-state honors last season with 31 tackles, five for loss and six interceptions — two returned for touchdowns. One of the scores came against Kearney, and the second vs. Winnetonka while he was playing with a hard cast without openings for his hand or fingers on his right arm due to a broken bone.

Overall, Smith-Dean had two interception returns for touchdowns in each of his first two seasons as a somewhat undersized but speedy lockdown cornerback. He now expects to stay there, but circumstances could see him make the shift from that spot to rover safety that was made by Collin Tyson in 2020 and Cade Fowler in 2021 to a key spot in Platte County’s 4-2-5 defense. Both thrived with Tyson eventually making all-state while Fowler performed at an all-state level with 62 tackles, 11 for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery as a senior.

“Garrett can play there,” Bill Utz said. “He’s so talented and can cover a lot of area, can come up and make a play. He’s just a very smart player to where he sees everything so that’s a natural position for him. He can play where he needs to play.”

In addition to Fowler, Platte County lost starting cornerback Dylan Mitchell (20 tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery in 2021) and free safety Landon Fulk (39 tackles, one for loss, one interception in 2021).

Platte County could have looked noticeably younger at defensive back but now expects to have seniors Wolfe, Smith-Dean and Andy McClure, who had just seven tackles and one fumble recovery as a junior, in the starting lineup. McClure earned the first shot at free safety to replace Fulk but now appears headed to the rover safety spot to start the season.

The cornerbacks for the jamboree were junior Jordan Burnett (one tackle, one for loss in 2021) and sophomore Caden McGhee, and they are likely now in competition for one starting spot with the other able to provide depth. Pirates sophomores Montez Clemons, who missed most of last season due to injury, and Tyler Stambersky have also been seeing time at safety, an indication there is versatility and depth with a talented and diverse group.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Platte County relied on the consistent presence of Cole Rhoden as a kicker and punter last year and then ended up needing to see additional options due to his injury. He spent two years as the top-choice kicker and went 98-for-103 in his career on extra points and made 14 total field goals with a range well into the 40s.

In Rhoden’s absence, graduated senior Parker Hill took over most of the duties and went 5-for-7 on extra points with no field goal attempts, and junior Gage Fulk also hit a pair.

However, Platte County will almost assuredly turn to senior Aaron Cordova as the kicker this year. He starred on the Pirates’ Class 3 state runnerup soccer team as a freshman but spent the past two years going to school in St. Louis. His return and adaptation to a second fall sport will be intriguing as offseason videos show him blasting a 60-yard field goal at Pirate Stadium.

Platte County will also be starting a new long snapper with senior Quintin Rivera taking the spot after being a reserve running back in recent seasons. The holder will be Zimmerman, taking over for Parsons after he spent two years in that role.

In addition to likely having solid range on field goals, Cordova will be relied on for deep kickoffs after Rhoden recorded 30 touchbacks in 49 total kickoffs in 2021.

“He’s a weapon on kickoffs. There’s no question,” Bill Utz said of Cordova. “Any time we have a soccer player who is trying to do both, there’s enough of a difference between kicking that there’s a learning curve. When he kicks it like a football is supposed to be kicked, he puts it out of the back of the end zone — like out of the back of the end zone.

“Field goals we’re going to have to mess with a little bit. I’m not going to ask him to come in and kick 50 yarders and have them be accurate out of the gate, but he’s got the physical tools to do so.”

Rhoden also averaged 32.9 yards per punt as a senior, but Zimmerman also received time as a junior. He finished with a 29.8-yard average on 16 kicks with seven downed inside the 20, matching Rhoden’s total on 24 punts.

The return game will likely include Salzman (25.3 yards per kickoff and 14.0 yards per punt return as a junior) but on only punts for now. Salzman has contributed in this area for each of the past two years and was the only one to field punts in 2021. Salzman, Smith-Dean and Bradley have the most experience on kickoff returns, but Utz said Walls and Darrell Smith are the top two options going into the regular season.

Bradley returned three kickoffs as a junior late in the season and could also be used as a wide receiver around the goal line in an effort to fully utilize his athletic ability.