Platte County shows off offensive efficiency in blowout of Washburn Rural

TOPEKA, Kan. — Over the course of the past season plus worth of games, Platte County didn’t have many opportunities to delve into the full potential of a clearly high-powered offense and determine what a response might look like if pressed and tested.

Washburn Rural received a full tutorial in Friday night’s return trip of the interstate series at Bowen-Glaze Stadium. The Pirates put in almost a full four quarters and came away with a dominant 60-28 victory that featured eight total touchdowns for senior quarterback Rocco Marriott and one of the biggest accumulations of total offense in Missouri High School history.

Platte County stormed to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and then slowly stretched out the advantage after going into halftime up 13 points due to a pair of rare miscues. The Pirates rolled up 685 yards of offense, unofficially 16th in state history according to available records, continually responding to Washburn Rural’s counterpunches.

“It definitely answered the questions,” Platte County coach Bill Utz said. “We would’ve probably predicted that anyway based on what we see from them, but yeah, being in that situation, I challenged them at halftime to come out and make a statement. I thought they did that.”

Platte County (4-0) remains the unanimous No. 1 in the Class 5 Missouri media poll, receiving all nine first-place votes, after surviving what always looked like the most challenging stretch of this year’s regular season schedule.

Previously unbeaten, Washburn Rural (2-1) — a 6A school in Kansas — pulled within 34-21 at halftime while taking advantage of a pair of short fields, and senior quarterback John Hoytal threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns to help the Junior Blues avoid a running clock in the second half. Platte County’s first-string offense scored on all but two possessions, one concluding with a botched snap on a punt and the other Marriott’s third interception of the past weeks. Both led to touchdowns in the second quarter against the Pirates’ defense, which received easily the biggest test to this point while breaking in 10 new starters and even deeper cast of contributors.

Marriott accumulated three rushing scores by early in the second quarter and ended up with five touchdown passes, three to senior wide receiver Braiden Stevens (team-highs of 11 catches and 186 yards) and one each to senior tight ends Brooks Hall and Jack Utz. He finished 28 of 36 for a career-high 405 yards just two weeks after his first career 300-yard game in a 54-23 win over Grain Valley.

“It was great to come out here and play a full game. Obviously, we’ve been looking forward to that,” said Marriott, who a week earlier quietly set Platte County’s career record for passing yards and now sits at 6,462 after breaking Chris Ruhnke’s previous mark of 5,979 set from 2018-2020. “I know personally some mistakes I already need to clean up, which I focus more on those more than the good which is maybe not good for myself, but yeah, it was a good day overall.”

After trailing by as much as 27 in the first half, Washburn Rural opened the third quarter with possession and a chance to close the deficit to one possession. Hoytal and senior running back Jadyn Baum, limited to 16 carries for 59 yards, quickly moved the Junior Blues across midfield.

Just as momentum appeared set to further shift, Platte County junior Brody Hawk dropped Baum for a 2-yard loss on second and 6. Hoytal’s third-down pass fell incomplete, and Washburn Rural opted to gamble knowing the need to try and match points with the Pirates. The fourth down play ended with Hawk recording a sack and a forced fumble to stop the Junior Blues near midfield.

Hawk finished with five tackles (two for loss), while seniors Cale Buntz and Cole Johnson added four tackles apiece also with one for loss each in another dominant showing for Platte County’s starting defensive line, which also includes junior Kyler Parker (two tackles). The Pirates also continued to rotate in senior JoJo Wolo (three tackles), while junior Nick Fetterman made one stop for loss late as a reserve.

“The defense gave up a little bit there, but still got stops when they needed to,” Utz said. “I thought it was a good response in a situation they haven’t necessarily been faced with for a while.”

Platte County’s next four possessions all ended with touchdowns and squelched any additional thoughts of a comeback. The Pirates put up all the offense despite going without senior running back Adam Gisler, the team’s leading rusher each of the past two seasons. He missed most of the previous week’s 46-7 win over Fort Osage after suffering a shoulder injury that kept him from playing against Washburn Rural as a precaution.

In addition to Marriott and senior running back Zach Burch, Platte County also used senior wide receiver Tres Baskerville in the backfield at times, and he ripped off a 39-yard touchdown on a sweep right just three plays after Washburn Rural’s turnover on downs to open the third quarter. Marriott led the Pirates’ ground attack with 128 yards on 12 attempts, which included a heavier dose of designed runs with Gisler out, while Burch’s first career starter resulted in 73 yards on 11 carries a week after he scored two rushing touchdowns in a prominent relief role.

Platte County welcomed back senior left guard Michael Poncavage to the starting lineup after a week out due to a head injury. The Pirates were back to the early-season combination that also includes seniors Quinn Lightle (left tackle) and Lucas Dillingham (center) and juniors Cooper Koenigsfeld (right tackle) and Reece Moppin (right guard).

However, Platte County freshman Jayden Horn, who started against Fort Osage with Poncavage out, rotated in at both guard spots for a unit that showed well despite dealing with the reshuffled backfield.

“The offensive line will always be its own unit, and it shouldn’t matter who the running back is,” Bill Utz said. “But at the same time, depending on who the running back is, it might change what you can do. They adapted tonight. I thought Zach ran the ball well once he got rolling. There might have been some anxiety for him going in being in that starting role and not nervous but just wanting to do his job.”

In addition to the fourth-down stop, Platte County’s defense also forced a pair of turnovers in the second half with junior cornerback Jordan Moore recording his first two career interceptions. After Baskerville’s touchdown, the Pirates led 40-21 following a failed two-point conversion attempt but eventually went back up 27 points in the third quarter.

Moore then went high to pick off a pass from Hoytal three plays later, and Marriott engineered a 69-yard touchdown drive capped with a well-placed pass to Stevens behind the defense on a corner route that went for a 36-yard score. Marriott’s two-point run put the lead back at 27.

Down 48-21, Washburn Rural didn’t go away, and the next play saw Hoytal hit senior wide receiver Nate Selm in space. He weaved through the defense for an 82-yard touchdown that closed the deficit back to 21 points.

Platte County started the next drive at the 9 following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a short kickoff return.

Marriott converted an initial third and 1 with a 15-yard designed run, and two plays later, he found Jack Utz in the right flat for what looked like a decent gain but resulted in a 64-yard catch-and-run score. Utz beat the defense down the right sideline for his third touchdown this season and the longest of his career to this point.

“I missed him like two plays before so I was like, ‘All right. I’ve got to hit this,'” Marriott said. “Once he gets the ball, he’s a mismatch in the open field, obviously. He turns the corner and just gone.”

The lead remained at 54-28 following another failed two-point conversion with 2 minutes, 22 seconds left in a high-scoring third quarter.

Moore (one tackle) essentially put the finishing touch on the win moments later with a diving interception to cap off a breakthrough night for one of five new starters in a defensive backfield with depth that also includes junior cornerback Jack Johnson (three tackles) plus senior Mogie Walkingstick (six tackles) and juniors Matt Cisco (three tackles) and Maverick Troncin (one tackle). The Pirates also rotate in senior Adeboye Akande (four tackles) at cornerback and junior Devin Lumm (three tackles) at safety while adding senior Mudi Egbedeju to the mix after he recently gained eligibility by hitting the minimum number of practices need to participate.

Platte County came into the matchup with Washburn Rural at just two turnovers total in the first three games.

“I for sure should’ve had that first one — would’ve made it three (tonight),” said Moore, who dropped what looked like a sure interception in the first half. “But everything happens for a reason, and I got those second two, which is most important.”

Following Moore’s second interception, Platte County brought the starters back out with a full quarter still left to play. The Pirates then went on the longest drive of the night with Marriott completing 6 of 7 passes — two to Utz, two to Stevens and one each to Hall and senior wide receiver Ty Christopher — around five run plays.

Marriott finished his record-setting game with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Stevens, who now has six on the season with at least one in every game so far. All five of Marriott’s leading targets finished with at least three catches. Utz had four for 79 yards, Hall six for 64 yards, Baskerville four for 25 yards and Christopher three for 51 yards.

Platte County did put in the reserves late, and Marriott ended up with the second most passing yards for a single game in program history according to available records, trailing only Tanner Clarkson’s 437 in 2017 against Kearney. Marriott’s 379 two weeks earlier was also behind Spencer Stewart’s 395 in 2018 against Grain Valley and Justin Mitchell’s 386 in 2016 against Kearney.

The big numbers partially came as a result of Platte County’s own mistakes, leaving an ongoing sense of dissatisfaction for a team outscoring opponents 216-65 through four weeks without allowing an offensive touchdown prior to the fourth quarter before the road trip to Topeka.

“We still have a lot to fix and work on,” Bill Utz said. “I’ve challenged them to not have chinks in the armor. Make it to where no one can find what your’e doing wrong. That’s not the case right now. We see things we need to work on each and every day. The best thing about these guys is that they want to strive for that perfection. They aren’t satisfied with just winning or winning big. They want to be excellent in all aspects, and that’s every single one of them. They drive off of each other, and that makes this group fun to be around.”

Platte County’s defense ended up yielding nearly 300 yards of offense and a season-high for points allowed but started strong. The Pirates sacked Hoytal twice in the first half with those shared between senior KJ Stallings (1/2 plus three tackles) and junior Carlos Baskerville (1 1/2 plus five tackles), while junior Hank Fowler led the Pirates in tackles with eight (two for loss) and sophomore Boston Wasserman added two as the four linebackers to see the most snaps.

Washburn Rural trailed 21-0 after just 10:40 of game time.

Platte County’s onslaught started almost immediately after the opening kickoff. Following a second-down completion of 9 yards to Hall, Marriott ran left on a third and 2 quarterback sweep and found a big running lane, shrugging off one ankle tackle and going 57 yards for a touchdown to put the Pirates up 7-0.

“The line had the perfect hole. The first (people) I congratulated were the line,” Marriott said. “I just got through the hole, got to stiff arm one guy and just took off.”

Washburn Rural ran just four plays on its opening drive, and after a holding penalty on the ensuing punt, Platte County’s 55-yard touchdown drive included a pair of completions to Hall. Marriott plowed into the end zone from 1 yard out to conclude the efficient march. The Pirates then benefitted from an obvious offensive pass interference call that negated a long pass play into the red zone for the Junior Blues, who eventually punted after the shared sack for Stallings and Baskerville.

Platte County’s next touchdown drive included runs of 30 and 29 yards for Baskerville and Burch, respectively, and Marriott’s first touchdown pass went to Hall for 8 yards with 1:20 left in the first quarter. The Pirates actually held possession with a. Chance to extend the 21-0 lead after Baskerville’s sack led to another Washburn Rural punt.

However, Platte County’s first attempt at a punt ended with a snap over Stevens’ head. However the elusive wide receiver and punter picked up the loose ball and nearly went the other way for a first down. Instead, he stepped out of bounds near the line of scrimmage, and two plays later, Hoytal hit Selm, who finished with 140 yards on nine catches, for the first of his three touchdowns.

That ended up the first of two touchdowns in the first half resulting from a short field that did little to ease Platte County defensive coordinator Eric Mitchell’s frustrations with lack of conviction on blitzes and pass coverage breakdowns.

“(Mitchell) said those points are still ours. We still have to claim them,” Bill Utz said. “That’s the response you would expect from him and how he approaches coaching the defense. You can argue field placement and all that, but at the same time, those points still count.”

Platte County didn’t need long to impressively answer. A 20-yard completion to Christopher moved the ball near midfield, and a Washburn Rural defender barely managed to trip up Stevens on his way to the end zone. The 37-yard gain set up Marriott’s third rushing touchdown two plays later.

After a three-and-out, Marriott’s next play saw him slip away from two defenders in the backfield while scrambling before improbably avoiding a sack and finding Stevens behind the defense for a 61-yard touchdown. The miscues started right after with Washburn Rural blocking the ensuring extra point to keep the lead at 34-7.

Hoytal then led a second touchdown drive with just 2:31 left before halftime.

Platte County tried to add more points before halftime, but Marriott forced a throw into a tight window, and Washburn Rural senior Brody Haas picked off the pass and set up Washburn Rural at the Pirates’ 34 after an 18-yard return. Hoytal hit Selm for a 9-yard score four plays later to close the gap to 34-21 with 35 seconds left before halftime.

“The defense played their tails off,” said Marriott, who threw three of his five total interceptions in 2024 against Washburn Rural with the Junior Blues returning two of those for touchdowns in a 49-20 loss. “We gave them two short fields, which one of them is on me with the interception, and then obviously, we messed up the punt. They played really well, but our goal as an offense is to never get stopped.”

The situation worsened for Platte County when Christopher returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown only to have a holding penalty on the far sideline negate the score. This marked a second straight week a penalty in the closing minutes of the second quarter brought back a 90-plus-yard touchdown for Christopher.

“Great runs by Ty, who is an explosive athlete, but those plays say something about the blockers, too,” Bill Utz said. “They’re being aggressive. They’re blocking just like they play, trying to finish, and you hate to correct aggressive blocking, but once a guy gets by you, you’ve maybe got to let go a little earlier, but at the same time, we want that aggressiveness.”

Platte County then kneeled out the half and needed the initial stop after the break to fully get back on track. The defense ended up standing strong and closing out another impressive win in the current streak for the defending Class 5 state champions.

With the undefeated start, Platte County can start looking at the Class 5 District 8 standings and potential postseason seeding. The Pirates continue to sit second behind Rockhurst (4-0), the historical powerhouse surprisingly dropped down from Class 6 this year. Winnetonka (3-1) currently holds the No. 3 spot followed by Fort Osage (2-2), William Chrisman (2-2), St. Pius X (1-3) and Truman (1-3).

Now with the second-longest winning streak in program history at 18 straight, Platte County doesn’t have any Class 6 schools on this year’s schedule and lacks the strength bonus points Rockhurst will accrue. St. Pius X remade the schedule after dropping out of the Midland Empire Conference and has lost head-to-head to Rockhurst plus Class 6A Kansas defending state champion Gardner-Edgerton and Cardinal Ritter in the early going.

Platte County soundly beat St. Pius X in last year’s much-anticipated Class 5 District 8 championship in what ended up a clear-cut top two. However, the Warriors were forced to take on bigger challenges including Cardinal Ritter, currently ranked No. 4 in Class 5. The Lions won the matchup between the two teams 34-8 on Friday and added more uncertainty to the postseason picture.

Fort Osage’s losses to Platte County and Class 4 No. 1 Kearney (4-0) have stunted the Indians’ early point total, and St. Pius X still faces a pair of state-ranked Kansas teams (St. James Academy and Bishop Miege) plus Savannah (4-0), currently ranked No. 3 in Class 4.

Platte County hosts Belton this week with a chance to extend a winning streak that now ranks only behind the program-record run of 52 games from 2000-2003, which included undefeated Class 3/3A state titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Another victory would tie an unbeaten run of 19 games from 1966-67 (18-0-1), which ranks fourth behind the 26 games from 1930-33 (21-0-5) and 33 games from 1959-63 (29-0-4) and the 2000-2003 winning streak.