Half of the seniors on Platte County’s football roster signed to play in college on Wednesday, Feb. 4, even if the official celebration for the unique group will wait a few weeks.
All three inked national letters of intent to play in Division II for MIAA schools — Drew Oberle and Tyler Cooper at Central Missouri and Aliek Reed at Washburn. The Pirates had only six seniors this season who helped push them to a 9-2 finish and a share of the Suburban League Blue Division championship.
A three-year contributor and two-year starter, Reed averaged 22.4 yards per catch in his career, supplying Platte County with a big-play threat that ended up with nearly a quarter of his grabs going for scores. He racked up 86 catches for 1,951 yards and 21 touchdowns the past three years, including 29 for a team-highs of 793 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior earned second-team honors on the Missouri Football Coaches Association all-state teams this past season on offense while adding a team-high three interceptions and 47 tackles as a cornerback.
Cooper tied Reed for the team-high in receptions with 29 for 341 yards and two scores. He made the MFCA third-team as a tight end — the position
Central Missouri listed him at on its recruiting summary.
A multi-talented 6-4, 215-pound threat, Cooper transitioned to receiver after starting at quarterback as a junior and throwing for 1,896 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also played defensive end and tied Reed for team-high in picks with three — one returned for a score in a win against Winnetonka — along with 30 tackles, 3½ sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
Oberle played just one season at Platte County after transferring from Lake Travis High School in Texas where he started at right guard as a senior, earning honorable mention Class 5A all-district honors.
The leader of a youthful line full of sophomores, Oberle anchored the right tackle spot on a balanced offense that ran and passed for more than 2,000 yards this season while averaging 33.8 points per game. He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, giving Central an ideal player to work with at the next level.
“Drew moves well in space and has good feet. He has a big frame and excellent growth potential,” Central coach Jim Svoboda said in a statement.
Platte County plans to hold a group signing ceremony involving athletes from multiple sports on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at the high school.