The rematch between Platte County and St. Pius X lacks the same profile, but the unique geographic rivalry persists and creates genuine interest for tonight’s game between historically notable programs at Pirate Stadium.
A year ago, Platte County convincingly dominated in a 45-23 victory in the Class 5 District 8 title game that featured a running clock to start the second half. This time around, the semifinal winner advances to the championship tilt next week against either Rockhurst (8-2) and Fort Osage (7-3).
Platte County (9-0) enters off of a first-round bye as the top seed in the seven-team bracket and carrying a 23-game winning streak that started with last year’s undefeated run to the state championship — the fourth in the program’s history and first in Class 5.
A private school with a smaller enrollment, St. Pius X (6-4) doesn’t have a state ranking this time around and endured a more difficult regular season, partly due to losing a key group of standouts but also while facing a more difficult schedule after leaving the Midland Empire Conference. The Warriors’ losses came against two Kansas opponents St. James Academy and Gardner-Edgerton plus Rockhurst (49-19 in Week 1) and Cardinal Ritter (36-8 in Week 4) and resulted in the No. 4 seed in Class 5 District 8.
St. Pius X finished 10-2 last season with the only regular season loss coming in Week 1 against Rockhurst. The matchup with Platte County in the district title game featured two teams ranked in the top three of Class 5.
St. Pius X started this season ranked, and Platte County must prepare for a multi-faceted offense still averaging more than 30 points per game. The Pirates’ entered the season with only one full-time starter back on defense but allowed just 89 points in nine regular season games — only 49 against the starting unit and 14 of those were on a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns against Class 5 District 7 top seed Grain Valley.
The lone shutout came in a 63-0 romp over Truman in Week 8, but even with limited turnovers, Platte County remains disruptive at all levels with senior defensive end Cale Buntz (eight sacks) and senior defensive tackle Cole Johnson (18 tackles for loss) continuously noticeable up front. Carlos Baskerville, a junior, leads the Pirates in tackles with 47 (six for loss) to go with 2 1/2 sacks and one forced fumble that he also recovered and return for a score, while senior KJ Stallings comes in right behind at 43 tackles (six for loss) plus two sacks and an interception in a linebacking corps increasingly featuring junior Hank Fowler (40 tackles, five for loss, one interception).
Platte County’s high-powered offense brings back all of the players factoring into the touchdowns from last year’s dominant win over St. Pius X when the Pirates scored 38 unanswered points to take a 45-7 lead early in the third quarter. The onslaught included quarterback Rocco Marriott totaling five touchdowns with four of his six completions going for scores — two to wide receiver Braiden Stevens and one apiece to Tres Baskerville and Ty Christopher — plus a 52-yard dash into the end zone from running back Adam Gisler.
Those five plus tight ends Jack Utz and Brooks Hall form a seven-player senior core responsible for the overwhelming majority of Platte County’s offense, averaging 56.6 points per game behind an offensive line rebuilt around seniors Michael Poncavage (left guard) and Quinn Lightle (left tackle). The Pirates have scored at least 42 points in every game this season and held a 35-point running clock in all but one — a 60-28 victory over Washburn Rural (Kansas).
After winning the Missouri Football Coaches Association Class 5 offensive player of the year honors as a junior, Marriott has been incredibly efficient in limited action this week. He has more touchdown passes (39) than incompletions (35) and 27.6% of his 141 completions have gone for scores. Stevens has recorded a touchdown in every game this season, while Christopher has found the end zone 10 times in his past six games, nine receiving and one on a kickoff return against Ruskin.
Gisler put up a season-high 167 yards rushing in a 42-7 victory over Raytown to close the regular season and has scored two touchdowns in all four games since returning from a shoulder injury. He missed the majority of a 46-7 win over Fort Osage in Week 3 and then sat out two weeks before returning against Smithville. His eight touchdowns — seven on the ground — the past four weeks have come on just 28 total touches.
Platte County and St. Pius X will meet for the eighth in their history with the Pirates holding a 6-1 all-time edge in a series featuring lengthy breaks between games. Platte County won the first meeting 14-7 in 1958 then took three straight (2002, 2003 and 2005). The latter started a string of three straight Class 3 playoff meetings. St. Pius X advanced with a 10-7 victory in 2006 then lost 17-10 in 2007 before a hiatus of almost two decades that only ended after a change to the state’s calculation of private school enrollment numbers used for each sport.
Having moved up from Class 3 to Class 5 in 2024 due to the success multiplier, St. Pius X has won four straight after starting the season 1-3 and dropping to 2-4 after the loss to St. James Academy.
Ranked No. 1 with all nine first-place votes in the final Missouri media Class 5 poll of the regular season, Platte County starts district play seeking a second straight playoff berth. The Pirates’ last three trips have all ended in the state championship game — 2019 (Class 4 loss to Webb City), 2020 (Class 5 loss to Jackson) and 2024 (Class 5 win over Helias).
Regardless of which streak continues tonight, Platte County or St. Pius X will need another win next week to reach the Class 5 playoffs against a capable opponent.
Rockhurst owned a claim to the top seed in Class 5 District 8 but losses to Blue Springs and Liberty North — both Class 6 — made the difference. The Hawklets have won nine state titles overall but dropped out of the top classification for the first time this season and were in the Class 6 playoffs just two years ago, losing by one point in overtime to eventual state champion Liberty North.
Fort Osage has won five straight and 6 of 7 overall. The Indians lost in last year’s semifinal round to St. Pius X.
Rockhurst ranked No. 4 in the final Class 5 poll of the regular season, while Fort Osage continued to receive votes after clipping Grain Valley 41-34 in Week 8.
