Platte County uses turnovers to turn back MICDS in Class 5 semifinal

Right after seemingly coming up with the needed defensive stop, MICDS instead compounded the deficit and never recovered.

Platte County seniors Brock Fowler and Trevor Hay came up with a pair of interceptions in a span of just seven snaps early in the third quarter and turned both into quick scores in what ended up a 44-30 victory in Saturday afternoon’s frigid state semifinal at Pirate Stadium, which had been blanketed in about an inch of snow just hours earlier with a team of coaches and volunteers banding together to clear the playing surface and stands. The Pirates led by 21 three different times in the second half in another convincing postseason performance to stay unbeaten and piled on the points to fend off late comeback attempts.

MICDS closed to within 21-10 right before halftime but missed the best chance to close within one possession and saw a seven-game winning streak come to an end.

“It felt great. It’s great to come out with a win,” said Platte County senior wide receiver Lane Webb, who caught his second touchdown pass of the season during the first half. “We did it as a team. Everybody did their job. We did what we expected to happen.”

Improving to 13-0 for just the fourth time in program history, Platte County advances to the state championship game for the third time in six seasons, sixth overall and second since moving up to Class 5 in 2020. The Pirates take on Helias (12-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Faurot Field on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Both teams seek the fourth state title in school history.

Platte County has advanced to the state championship game in each of the past three trips to the playoffs but lost back-to-back Show-Me Bowls under unique circumstances in the two appearances under head coach Bill Utz. The Pirates lost 49-0 to Webb City in 2019 while in Class 4 and then 42-7 to Jackson in 2020 after moving up to Class 5.

While still in Class 3A/3, Platte County’s three titles came in 2000, 2001 and 2002 in the middle of a five-year run with a record of 64-2 from 1999-2003.

“I’ve said this all along. I do this for the kids,” said Utz, who now sits tied with hall of fame coach Chip Sherman at three career Show-Me Bowl appearances each at Platte County. “So whatever my legacy is is my legacy. Whatever. You get these opportunities to win a state title, but this game is never about one person — a coach, a player, whatever. This group deserves it. The kids deserve it; the community deserves it. I’m not worried about me; I’m worried about bringing the championship home for everybody else.”

Platte County pulled away through another efficient offensive performance, punting just twice and overcoming a frustrating turnover in the red zone in an otherwise dominant first half. Pirates junior quarterback Rocco Marriott piled up nearly 300 yards of offense and four total touchdowns, giving him 54 on the season, while the top running back duo of senior Dayton Doll and junior Adam Gisler each added scores on the ground in a balanced effort.

With the only other losses to Class 4 No. 1 Lutheran North and Class 6 state finalist DeSmet, MICDS had not allowed more than 28 points in any game this season until Saturday when Platte County hit that mark early in the third quarter. Marriott spread his 14 completions on 21 attempts to eight different players with junior wide receiver Tres Baskerville led the Pirates with four catches for 66 yards.

Platte County’s offensive line of seniors Owen Rawlings (right tackle), Drew Doll (right guard), Riley Hixson (center) and Gus Keeton (left guard) and junior Quinn Lightle (left tackle) not allowing a sack and paving the way for Marriott, Doll and Gisler to gain 184 yards rushing. Keeton, who suffered a knee injury in a Week 5 win over Belton and missed multiple weeks, started for a second straight game with junior guard Michael Poncavage out with a head injury.

“If you look at this season, coming into it, the real question mark we had was the offensive line,” Utz said. “People were worried and wanted to know who was going to do this and that and how we were going to react. Honestly, if you break it down, the unit that has probably exceeded expectations the most is the offensive line. They’ve done a great job, taken the coaching extremely well and continued to get better. They’re linemen and approach the game like linemen should. Our success can’t happen without that group.”

MICDS (11-3) committed four turnovers total — losing two fumbles in the first half before senior star quarterback Brian Gould threw the two interceptions in the second half. The Rams scored on their final three possessions but were never closer than two scores after falling behind 14-0.

Platte County showed vulnerabilities on pass defense in the late flurry of points and ended up with the smallest margin of victory so far this season and the closest final score since beating Fort Osage 28-13 in Week 3 after the Indians scored on the final play of regulation and didn’t have a chance at the final conversion. The Pirates contained the designed runs, but Gould’s dual-threat abilities were evident while playing from behind.

Gould finished 11 of 22 for 286 yards and added 118 yards rushing but needed 30 attempts to hit that mark. He accounted for all four MICDS touchdowns and threw scoring passes of 49 and 74 yards to junior Henry Rohan and a 1-yarder to junior Graham Faust with 36 seconds left in regulation for the game’s final points.

Dayton Doll recovered the ensuing onside kick for Platte County, allowing Marriott to take a knee on the last play. The Pirates have three shutouts this season and allowed more than three touchdowns for the first time this season.

“It gives us time to go through film and see what we need to improve on,” said Platte County senior defensive end Archie Wesley, who finished with three tackles and a forced fumble on his 18th birthday.

MICDS used two quarterbacks at times this season, but sophomore Noah Menneke attempted just two passes — both during the first three drives — with Gould, a Division I baseball recruit, becoming the obvious focal point of the offense. His 49-yard touchdown pass to Rohan cut the Rams’ deficit to 21-10 with 46 seconds left in the second quarter.

Platte County went to half with the lead and hoped use the first possession of the third quarter to extend the lead back out.

Instead, MICDS forced a punt and took over at its own 19-yard line. Two plays later, Gould steered a pass toward senior tight end Joe Walsh only for Fowler, a transfer from Staley, to step in front and grab his first interception for Platte County. He returned the pick 24 yards with his knee going down with the ball at the Rams’ 1.

On the next play, Dayton Doll, who finished with 27 yards on nine carries and added two catches for 15 yards, went into the end zone to put Platte County up 28-10.

On the next possession, MICDS converted a third and 1 with a 10-yard run from Gould, but on the next snap after a holding penalty, Hay (nine tackles, one for loss) ranged over from the free safety spot to grab his seventh interception of the season. Both Fowler (finger) and Hay (hand) made catches with partially casted hands due to injuries.

“We’re going to put clubs on everybody because we seem to catch them better that way,” Utz joked. “But yeah, the defense stepped up, made the plays needed and gave us great opportunities.”

He returned the ball just short of midfield, and Gisler turned a first down swing pass into a 22-yard gain wit a personal foul penalty on the Rams moving the Pirates just short of the red zone.

However, Platte County faced a third and 19 after another holding penalty when junior tight end Jack Utz went up high to snag his only catch in traffic on a seam route. A 19-yard gain resulted in a first down and eventually led to junior kicker Jackson Goodale’s 26-yard field goal to put the Pirates up 21 points for the first time with just 4:53 left in the third quarter.

The teams traded touchdowns on each of the next five possessions, but MICDS needed a targeting penalty to extend the first drive. Gould scored on a 4-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to draw within 31-16 after senior Darrell Smith (six tackles, two for loss) blocked the extra point to keep the lead at 15 points.

Platte County junior wide receiver Ty Christopher appeared to quickly push the lead back out after finding a seam and returning the ensuing kickoff for an apparent 89-yard touchdown. Instead, a holding penalty negated the score, and the Pirates instead drove 81 yards on nine plays.

Marriott hit Baskerville for gains of 26 yards and 3 yards before Christopher turned his lone catch into a 29-yard gain down to the 1 while converting a third-and-8. Marriott scored his second rushing touchdown on the next play with a second failed extra point leaving the Pirates’ lead at 37-16.

“In the end, it was some of their long established drives,” said MICDS coach Fred Bouchard, who previously won five state titles at Harrisonville and Staley. “They kind of earned it today. (The turnovers) are some plays, but you know, if we’re able to get some stops and do some things, maybe we slow the tide a little bit as it was moving on us. We’ve been able to do that. We’ve had times where there were a couple of mistakes, weren’t real clean early and then found ourselves. I just give credit to a really good football team.”

Gould hit Rohan for a 74-yard touchdown on the very next play to again pull MICDS within two scores while importantly leaving 6:45 on the clock in what became a contentious conclusion. The Rams saw senior offensive lineman Gokhan Yilmaz ejected for throwing a punch after Gould’s rushing touchdown and senior running back Cameron Cooper (11 carries, 40 yards) dismissed after picking up his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the final scoring drive.

Platte County mostly kept composure, although Gisler drew a flag for spiking the ball after his punctuational 31-yard touchdown run with 3:01 left in regulation. He topped 100 yards rushing for a second straight game, finishing with 101 on 18 carries plus the 22-yard catch, while reaching the end zone for an eighth straight week since returning from a shoulder injury that cost him three games in the first half of the season.

“Adam ran hard,” Bill Utz said. “I did challenge the offensive line to make sure they went into the second half prepared to win the game for us, and they stepped up. Of course when you have running backs like we have and Rocco, it’s easy to block for those guys because as you saw, give them a crease and they’re going to do something special.”

Playing in the program’s ninth state semifinal, Platte County gained all the early momentum after forcing the first turnover inside of the first minute. Gould and Faust botched an exchange on a misdirection play, and the loose ball bounced straight to Pirates junior defensive lineman Cole Johnson (three tackles, one for loss), who stumbled forward inside the 20.

Marriott immediately found junior tight end Brooks Hall for 13 yards on his only catch, and Platte County led 6-0 after with 10:53 left in the first quarter after the quarterback went around left end for a 5-yard touchdown run on the Pirates’ second play. Johnson stayed on an impressive run of conspicuously impactful plays to set up the early score, having collected six tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and two split sacks in the past five games, four of those in the postsesason.

“(Cole) has a high motor. He never stops,” Wesley said. “He gives 100% on the field, and we’re lucky to have him on the team.”

After blocking the extra point, MICDS moved near midfield on the ensuing possession but ultimately punted.

Marriott then orchestrated a 92-yard scoring drive to extend the lead to 14-0 with just over 9 minutes left in the second quarter. Platte County didn’t face a third down on the lengthy march until reaching the Rams’ 9-yard line. On that play, Marriott bought extended time and eventually found junior wide receiver Braiden Stevens (three catches, 33 yards) in the back of the end zone for his team-leading 14th receiving touchdown of the season.

Marriott added a two-point conversion with a run to make up for the early blocked extra point.

“If you can draw it up every week, that’s exactly what you want to do,” Bill Utz said. “Our defense, what they do is not a surprise. They do a great job and once again set the tone early to allow us the chance to take a lead. We’ve been blessed to be able to kind of start that way in a lot of games. It totally changes the gameplan for both sides. They did it again.”

Platte County missed a big opportunity to take a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter after senior cornerback Montez Clemons (six tackles, one for loss) and senior linebacker Cobe Pollard (six tackles, one for loss) combined to strip Gould on a blitz. Pirates junior defensive end Cale Buntz (four tackles, one for loss) scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the MICDS 2. The Rams held there on three straight plays and created a fumble with Marriott stretching to try and reach the end zone a third and goal run from the 1.

“Just one of those things,” Bill Utz said. “I’m going to give credit to MICDS, as well. They made a nice goal-line stand. That’s a tough spot to be in. We have a chance to really blow it open at that point. They’re kind of fighting for their lives and did a great job of not letting that happen.

MICDS didn’t immediately score, but an exchange of punts, including the first for Platte County, helped the Rams close within 14-3 on a 36-yard field goal from senior Malik Orsan after Gould connected with junior wide receiver Gabe Weaver on a 45-yard completion.

Platte County answered right back with Gisler galloping 50 yards on an off-tackle run to the right, and Marriott converted a third and 3 at the 20 with another clutch throw. This time, MICDS’ defense tried to pinch on Stevens running a quick slant with Webb leaking out on a wheel route and coming wide open in the end zone to extend the Pirates’ advantage to 21-3 with 3:12 left before halftime.

The second touchdown pass of the game increased his Platte County career record total to 61. Now with at least one in every game this and two or more in 12 of 13 overall, he now sits tied with Spencer Stewart for the second-most touchdown passes in a single season for the Pirates with 37 and trails only Tanner Clarkson’s mark of 38 set in 2017.

Marriott also now has at least one rushing touchdown in 12 of 13 games and 17 on the ground overall.

“We always trust (Rocco). We know he’s going to make the right decision,” Webb said. “It feels great to finally get my chance to show. Everybody else does theirs. We all get it done, come together as a team and get what needs to happen (to win). Everybody understands it. We’ve all got our own egos, but they combine together well.”

MICDS found little success running the ball in the first half against Platte County’s deep rotation at defensive line that also included senior starting defensive tackles Kameron Doyle (four tackles) and Jordan Miller (two tackles) plus junior reserve linebacker Carlos Baskerville (five tackles). The Pirates tried to blitz Gould at times with sophomore defensive end Brody Hawk (four tackles) recording the lone sack while also varying the defensive secondary looks in coverage looks.

Short on time and down three scores, MICDS started to test Clemons and Platte County senior cornerback Bronson Ryan (nine tackles) and force senior safety Caden McGhee (two tackles) out of the box. Rohan (three catches, 153 yards) and Weaver (four catches, 101 yards) both found success even when the Pirates put sophomore Jordan Moore (one pass breakup) to put a taller defender on the outside receivers.

Clemons entered the season as an undersized tough tackler converted from safety, while Ryan won the starting spot on the other in his first season of tackle football after a foot injury suffered in a practice after a Week 1 win over William Chrisman ended senior Taylor Stambersky’s career.

“Frustrating in the sense that that hasn’t been our defensive standard,” Bill Utz said. “The game was out of reach late, and we knew that. We knew we were in a situation where we were trying to get the clock to tick off, but you want to end on a positive note. We’re still going to be extremely pleased; don’t get me wrong, but you want to be able to finish in the right way. But that’s a hard situation; MICDS wasn’t just going to quit.”

Platte County expected the challenge in just the third home state semifinal game for the program, the previous two a win over Seneca in 2002 (Class 3) and a loss to Aurora in 1999 (Class 3A).

Previously known as St. Louis Country Day School prior to a merger with Mary Institute, MICDS owns seven state championships and most recently reached the title game in Class 4 while finishing as runnerup in 2018 and 2020. The Rams also lost to eventual champion Smithville in a 2021 state semifinal before making the Class 5 playoffs two of the past three seasons.

Helias beat MICDS in the 2020 Class 4 Show-Me Bowl and now goes back to the championship game in just the fourth season since moving up to Class 5 due to the private school success multiplier. The Crusaders have overcome deficits to win each of their past two games.

After trailing Republic 21-7 at halftime of their quarterfinal matchup that went to overtime, Helias came away with a controversial 14-13 win Friday night against Lafayette (Wildwood) in the other Class 5 semifinal. The Lancers led 13-0 before an injury forced senior quarterback Jack Behl out of the game.

Helias blocked a potential winning field goal after multiple players reacted to an apparent — and seemingly obvious — offsides penalty. Lafayette snapped the ball and awkwardly tried the kick when the referees did not throw a flag.

With the lone loss this season in overtime to Class 6 quarterfinalist Rock Bridge (10-2), Helias has allowed more than 21 points just once this season and that came in a 90-28 demolition of Hickman back in Week 2.

Platte County enters scoring more than 50 per game with a chance to add a championship trophy to a turnaround from a 5-6 record just two years ago. The Pirates advanced to the Class 5 District 8 championship game last season and just missed a playoff appearance while the current juniors and seniors received important postseason experience clearly beneficial to this year’s run.

“We knew we had a lot to prove. We worked hard for this,” Wesley said. “We’ve said this is a strong legacy to build off of, and we have to build with pride because there’s so many people in the past that’s built this program and we have to keep it strong.”