Platte County running into increased expectations for deep, talented group of returners

Platte County can’t avoid the expectations that comes with a roster filled with talented returners who were frustratingly close to a deep postseason run a year ago. The key for this year’s Pirates centers on making improvements and absorbing the full effort of a slate of opponents looking to prevent them from realizing the potential.

With two Show-Me Bowl appearances within the past five years and a tradition that includes one of Missouri’s most-impressive runs of three consecutive state championships, Platte County seemingly brings back more experienced players than starting spots on the field. Could this be one of the most talented rosters top to bottom in program history?

“Expectations are for everybody else. We try to live to a standard and play to a standard and let the expectations be what they will,” Platte County veteran coach Bill Utz said. “From a talent standpoint, we definitely have some talented kids. There’s no questions. We’ve been blessed with some very talented kids over the years.

“With some of the returning talent, the number of spots with returning players has to be one of the highest we’ve ever had. If talent plays into experience, if experience plays a key part in your talent, I would say, yeah, this team has to up there pretty high but sheer talent? That’s not fair to some of the great kids we’ve had in the past.”

Still, Platte County enters off of a 9-3 season that ended with a tight loss to Grain Valley in the Class 5 District 8 championship game. The Pirates held the lead in the fourth quarter after mounting an impressive comeback in an effort to avenge a regular season loss that decided the Suburban Conference White Division title.

This marked a big step back up after going 5-6 in 2022 then turning to a roster of mostly talented sophomores and juniors following the first losing season in nearly a decade.

Impressively, Platte County’s first 18 touchdowns of last season came from sophomores, and the 19th went to a junior in Week 6. The Pirates graduated just 12 seniors, and four of those were out due to injury in what ended up the season finale.

“We suffered a ton of injuries last year and were still able to get through that and experience success,” Utz said. “You’ve had kids come out and be a starter because they are the best kid there and the best fit for the team but also had kids thrown into the mix because of an injury ahead of them and then came in and stepped up that way. Or they’ve dealt with an injury themselves. We really have a broad spectrum of experiences, not just specific to playing time, that I think plays a key part to this.”

Up and down the roster, Platte County experienced various injuries and interruptions to the expected rotations on offense and defense. The benefits ended up being the amount of players who saw extended action and endured the full range of beneficial experience.

Platte County’s inexperienced roster opened with rivalry game wins over Kearney, the eventual Class 4 state champion, and Smithville on a last-minute comeback drive. The Pirates also lost twice to Grain Valley and once to Oak Park in a disappointing home showing, while also struggling at times in eventual comfortable wins over teams like North Kansas City, Raytown and Park Hill South.

“When you look at it that way and really dissect what they went through, no experience is better than winning,” Utz said. “I think the interesting thing with this group is they love to compete; they love to win, and it seems like the more that’s on the line, they step up and play better. They’re a talented but gritty bunch of competitors, and it’s been a while since maybe we’ve had this many in the room.”

Platte County returns to the White Division this year, but the competition shifts with Fort Osage, Ruskin and Truman joining to form an eight-team league. The Pirates also host Washburn Rural out of Topeka, Kansas, and kept the rivalry matchup with Smithville but not Kearney.

After Friday’s opener against William Chrisman, Platte County’s next two games are on the road with Grain Valley and Fort Osage, which traveled to Pirate Stadium and lost a Class 5 District 8 semifinal matchup last season. Those three teams are expected to be the top contenders for the White Division crown, and, if postseason assignments hold, seeding in the postseason tournament.

“I do like it with the fact they’re more than likely to be in our district or somewhere close, and if that’s the case, we for sure want to see them in the early weeks instead of late and then have to play them again soon after,” Utz said. “It’ll seem like a totally different game if that happens. It will be a completely different game, a different scouting report; kids will be in and out, so I think it’s better to do it that way rather than play them two times in a span of three to four weeks. I think they’d agree with that, too.”

Below is a position-by-position breakdown to preview Platte County’s upcoming season.

QUARTERBACK

Platte County junior Rocco Marriott returns as the unquestioned No. 1 after producing one of the best individual seasons for a quarterback in program history. He finished 135 of 314 for 1,976 yards with 24 touchdowns while adding 453 yards rushing — a number limited due to sacks — and another eight scores.

The only real concerns were in completion percentage and turnovers, but the yardage totals and obvious playmaking ability, on and off script, were impressive. He led the quick response touchdown drive to beat Smithville, threw for four scores against Belton and found the end zone five total times in the victory over Fort Osage.

After receiving spot backup duty as a freshman, Marriott become the obvious choice for a chance to be a rare three-year starter under center.

“(Rocco) will be the first to tell you that he can get a lot better, which is also fun and again goes into the competitiveness he has naturally,” Utz said. “He learned from every single success and mistake, and I fully anticipate him making improvements.”

Platte County senior Brady Davis serves as the backup again after completing 4 of 9 passes for 11 yards in four games of action as a junior. Brandon Reynolds, a sophomore, sits at No. 3 on the depth chart, although other options exist in an emergency scenario.

RUNNING BACK

Platte County not only returns junior Adam Gisler off of a breakout 1,000-yard season, but senior Dayton Doll returns after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the third quarter of the season-opener against Kearney.

As a sophomore, Doll played mostly slot receiver and caught 41 pass for 405 yards and two touchdowns and added 154 yards and three scores on the ground, averaging 4.6 yards per carry on 36 attempts. He expected to move into the featured running back role last year but ended up with just 20 yards on eight carries against Kearney and eventually underwent surgery.

Gisler immediately stepped into a more prominent role than expected and proved up to the task. He ran for 122 yards and a key touchdown in the Week 1 win over Kearney. He ended up totaling 1,254 yards — the ninth-best single season total in program history — and 15 scores on the ground, while adding 17 catches for 267 yards and two more scores in a breakout season.

In all, Gisler topped 100 yards rushing in six games and set a career-high with 174 on just 10 carries in a win over William Chrisman.

Platte County has an opportunity to utilize Doll’s versatility when putting both players on the field at the same time and the option to mix and match the returning tight ends and wide receivers that could give defenses a lot of adjustments to make. The ability to split the load could also be beneficial after last year’s plan to divide duties didn’t come to fruition and could provide Marriott with more chances to cause havoc on designed runs, especially involving fakes and misdirection.

“We’ve never had a 1 and 2 quite like this,” Utz said.

Platte County senior Isaiah Seymour, who carried 16 times for just 10 yards in limited duty as a junior, sits behind the top two on the depth chart.

WIDE RECEIVER

The only skill position player lost to graduation leaves a big void in the receiver corps. Dawsen Mizell missed the first three games due to suspension but finished with 25 catches for 454 yards and six touchdowns — three in a career-best effort against Belton in Week 7. He put up 40 catches for 540 yards and seven scores as a junior.

However, Platte County brings back senior Lane Webb and juniors Tres Baskerville and Braiden Stevens while fellow junior Ty Christopher shifts back to offense after a year at defensive back. The versatile group combined for 74 catches, just less than 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, and that’s with Christopher starting at safety and finishing with three interceptions and returning 10 kickoffs.

Baskerville led Platte County with 40 catches and finished with 383 yards and seven touchdowns. He put up seven catches for 76 yards in limited action as a freshman. The unquestioned speedster in the group, Stevens finished behind only Mizell in yards with his total of 437 on just 24 catches to go with four scores.

A first-year starter, Webb made 10 catches for 154 yards and a key touchdown to help break open the regular season win over Raytown.

“We don’t have a true No. 1 receiver. We don’t have a No. 1 guy. We have four guys along with tight ends, along with running backs, along with a dynamic quarterback,” Utz said. “It’s going to be a fun year in a season of literally trying to guess how teams are going to play us.”

TIGHT ENDS

In addition to the wide receiver group, Platte County again goes into this season committed to using a tight end or two in certain formations. The Pirates used juniors Jack Utz and Brooks Hall last year to form an effective combo in providing additional receiving options and extra blockers in the run game.

Over the past two seasons, Jack Utz has 17 catches for 259 yards, while Hall has 11 for 158. Utz has a touchdown in each of his first two seasons, while Hall caught a pair last year.

Between Doll’s versatility and Jack Utz and Hall, Platte County essentially can mix and match seven different pass catchers. The pair of tight ends both stand 6-foot-5 and complement the speed of the wide receivers.

“We don’t necessarily need to split them out as much as we were,” Bill Utz said. “They’ve both gotten a lot better at blocking and take a lot of pride in blocking. The receivers and tight ends work really well together on tandem routes that create mismatches, and they’re big targets. It just meshes right into everything else we are doing.”

OFFENSIVE LINE

Platte County technically graduates three players who started every game up front last season but also more or less brings back three starters to mix with four other potential contributors. The depth of the unit ended up being the only real spot for competition on offense leading up to the season.

As of now, Platte County expects junior Quinn Lightle to start at left tackle with senior Riley Hixson back at center after playing the final eight games at that spot last fall. The Pirates also have senior Drew Doll back after starting all 12 games at guard as a junior.

Drew Doll can play either guard or tackle, while senior Owen Rawlings could earn a starting spot at right tackle with senior Gus Keeton and sophomore Barrett Ryan also competing for time on the interior of the line. Michael Poncavage, a junior, moves over from the defense with a chance to factor into what could be a deep rotation or a unit with options in case of injury in addition to senior Anthony Jaquez, who has oscillated between the offensive and defensive lines the past two seasons.

“(Quinn) is a super smart kid, super committed, intense, physical, also bigger and stronger — healthy — and a great leader. He’s kind of that anchor point,” Bill Utz said.

The group does have to replace Muyonta Maxwell, a three-year starter who spent the past two seasons at left tackle and earned Missouri Football Coaches Association all-state honors as a junior. The lineup of Maxwell, Drew Doll (left guard), Hixson (center) and graduated seniors Becker Grego (right guard) and Gage Fulk (right tackle) started every game, although that specific alignment debuted in a Week 5 loss to OaK Park. Starting in that game, Lightle, a starter most of of his freshman year, began rotating in at both guard and tackle after returning from a knee injury suffered late in the preseason that kept him out of the Pirates’ first four games.

Platte County’s offense averaged nearly 30 points per game and totaled 3,718 yards of offense in 12 games.

DEFENSIVE LINE

No other unit suffered more losses than the defensive front, yet Platte County might have the deepest rotation of players at this spot this year.

Platte County graduated all-state defensive end Tucker McDowell, who finished 2023 with 31 tackles plus a team-high 15 for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered, two passes defensed and an interception but missed the Class 5 District 8 championship game in concussion protocol from an injury suffered a week earlier in the win over Fort Osage. Limited by injury in each of his first two full seasons with the Pirates after transferring from Lafayette, he finished his career with with six sacks, 18 tackles for loss, three fumbles recovered and two fumbles forced.

In addition, Platte County lost rotational seniors Markus Delfin (seven tackles) and Kevin Taylor (three tackles), the latter having missed the final six games of the season due to an ankle injury. The Pirates also used Seth Martin, a first-year starter, as a combo outside linebacker and edge rusher. He earned all-state honors at linebacker with 43 tackles plus eight for loss, 6 1/2 pass breakups, 2 1/2 sacks and two fumbles recovered.

Martin transferred to Platte County from Northland Christian where he played quarterback and safety, but state eligibility rules limited him to just one year on varsity with the Pirates.

However, Platte County returns the starting defensive tackle tandem of Kameron Doyle and Jordan Miller, while senior Archie Wesley might have found a permanent home at defensive end and junior Cale Buntz comes back with significant starting experience thanks to various injuries throughout the season.

Doyle ended up leading Platte County in sacks as a second-year starter with four, while adding 12 tackles plus six for loss, two fumbles forced and one recovered. Miller started all 12 games and totaled 23 tackles plus eight for loss, 1 1/2 sacks and one fumble forced and recovered.

Wesley started the season as a rotational linebacker, but the injury to McDowell led Platte County to move him down to an end spot for the rematch with Grain Valley. A contributor each of the past two seasons, he appears locked into a starting spot opposite of Buntz, who ended dup with 20 tackles plus five for loss and one fumble recovered.

Wesley finished his junior season with 25 tackles and a fumble recovery.

In addition to the key returners, Platte County also expects juniors Cole Johnson and Cooper Hammontree to take on bigger roles, while senior Brayden Eschliman returns at defensive end after two years away from the roster. Johnson also shifts from linebacker after coming up with nine tackles on special teams and reserve defense duty, while Hammontree contributed a memorable tackle for loss in a quick cameo against Grain Valley in the district championship game.

Platte County sophomore Brody Hawk (one tackle) rounds out the expected rotation.

“You’re talking about losing two college athletes in Seth and Tucker. Those kids aren’t going to be replaced tomorrow,” Bill Utz said. “But then you look at Cale, a young kid starting to come into his own. The interior with Kameron and Jordan ended up having a great year last year, and they’re only better. Archie understands that position now. And then what I love about multi-sport kids and will always love about multi-sport kids, you take kids like Cooper Hammontree and Johnson who go through a wrestling season and all of sudden they become extremely aggressive with great use of hands, and they pop themselves up on the depth chart and suddenly you have a really nice room with a lot of different looking parts you can do a lot of different things with.”

LINEBACKER

In addition to Martin as the occasional third linebacker, Platte County brings back the two players with the most snaps at linebackers over the past two years but only one truly remains at that position. Potentially the thinnest group on the surface, the Pirates have senior Cobe Pollard back for his second full-season as a starter and plans to pair him with senior Brock Fowler, a senior transfer from Staley who spent much of his youth playing with his new teammates.

After forcing the way into a starting spot early in his sophomore season, Pollard totaled 79 total tackles as a junior — second on the team — plus three for a loss with two sacks, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. He put up 66 tackles plus 6 1/2 for loss, three sacks, an interception and a blocked punt he returned for a score as a sophomore.

Fowler was a standout at Staley and immediately slots into a key spot that provides increased versatility and limits the impacts of the four graduated seniors who started a significant portion of last season.

“The beauty of Brock is he’s been around these guys as a youth,” Bill Utz said. “It’s been a very easy transition.”

DEFENSIVE BACK

Platte County graduated a pair of cornerbacks and shifted Christopher over to wide receiver after he recorded 45 tackles plus two for a loss and a forced fumble as a starting safety. However, senior Caden McGhee‘s return from a season-ending knee injury and senior Darrell Smith‘s shift back to strong safety leaves this unit with plenty of experience and intrigue.

A third-year starter, Smith already has 154 career total tackles — leading Platte County with 83 as a junior — plus 12 for loss, 4 1/2 sacks (3 1/2 last fall), one forced fumble, one fumble recovered and an interception returned for a touchdown as a linebacker. The addition of Fowler pushes Smith into a dangerous spot as an in-the-box strong safety who can tackle, blitz and play coverage. McGhee, who has spent time at cornerback, recently returned from the injury he suffered on an interception return in last fall’s Week 3 win over North Kansas City.

McGhee recorded 19 tackles plus one for loss with an interception and forced fumble in extended time as a sophomore then added eight tackles plus two for loss and the pick in essentially 2 1/2 games as a junior.

Platte County senior Trevor Hay provides another multi-faceted option at free safety. He opened his junior campaign as a starter but suffered a wrist injury against Kearney that kept him out for the next six weeks. He recorded just six tackles as a sophomore but took advantage of limited action last season with 31 tackles plus one for loss and a fumble recovery.

Hay and Smith factor into the depth options at linebacker should Pollard or Fowler miss any time.

“When you have a season that’s full of injuries like last year, it can be devastating,” Bill Utz said. “The benefit of it, and you don’t realize until after the fact, is that you move some kids around where it creates experience depth you didn’t have before.”

However, Platte County’s biggest changes come at cornerback with McGhee not there plus the graduation of Jordan Burnett, who started most of the past two seasons and recorded 30 tackles and four interceptions — two returned for scores — as a junior, and Ayden Watts, a transfer who played just one season for the Pirates. He ended up a pivotal starter in the wake of McGhee’s injury and ended up with 14 tackles plus two for loss and four more interceptions, one brought back for a a touchdown in a blowout of Belton late in the season.

Watts also missed the season finale.

The openings go to seniors Taylor Stambersky, who has played cornerback and safety each of the past two seasons, and Montez Clemons. As a sophomore, Stambersky put up 15 tackles, and his production increased to 45 tackles plus two for a loss with one interception and one forced fumble while breaking up six passes. Clemons ended up a regular starter at safety after Hay went down and wound up totaling 69 tackles plus four for loss with two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception he returned for a score.

Clemons’ proven physical tackling ability and athletic versatility give Platte County a different look at cornerback than most seasons.

“We’ve tried Tez at a lot of different spots,” Bill Utz said. “He is a kid that comes with a very intense attitude, a very high confidence. He brings an edge with him, and it’s important for a defensive guy to be like that. Tez is a kid who is ready to have a good year, and we expect a nice season out of him.”

Platte County also expects Jack Johnson to contribute at multiple spots in the defensive backfield and sits next on the depth chart should the back end need shuffled. He played limited defensive and special teams snaps as a freshman.

KICKER

Platte County goes back to junior Jackson Goodale, a standout soccer player and track sprinter, for a second straight year. He made 42 extra points and two field goals as a first-year contributor and averaged 45 yards per kickoff.

In addition, Platte County could give sophomore Sterling Wilson some opportunities when game situations dictate.

PUNTER

Platte County alternated between Marriott and Stevens last year but have settled on Stevens at this point after he averaged 31.7 yards on 30 attempts as a sophomore. He took over in Week 5 and finished the season at the spot.

Bill Utz said Goodale continues to work at this spot, as well, and could be an option at some point.

LONG SNAPPER

Platte County junior Grant Fadler retains the punt duties and adds field goals and extra points. He saw the majority of his time in long snapping but also continues to work at wide receiver.

HOLDER

In addition to a starting defensive back spot, Stambersky holds for Goodale again this season. Platte County traditionally uses a quarterback in this role but settled on Stambersky as a junior and opted to stay consistent.

RETURNERS

Injuries have messed with Platte County’s kick and punt return teams each of the past two seasons. The Pirates returned 38 kickoffs last year with Baskerville handling the majority (12) and turning in big gains against both Grain Valley in Week 4 and Fort Osage in the district semifinals. However, Christopher and Stevens, who didn’t have a return as a sophomore, might be the first two in line.

Baskerville handled 18 punts last year and gained 64 yards on returns, giving him the early nod to return to those duties. The Pirates returned only 21 punts total last year.