The Class 5 District 8 football championship game is returning to Pirate Stadium for a third straight year after top-seeded Platte County handled its semifinal clash against Lincoln Prep with ease, winning 49-7.
Caleb Hill was eventually stopped on a big run when a Lincoln Prep defender grabbed his facemask.
Platte County outscored No. 5-seeded Lincoln Prep 49-0 in the first half, scoring on six consecutive drives and quickly running away with the victory. Junior running back Caleb Hill led the effort with three rushing touchdowns, and a pair of Jordan More interceptions, including a pick-six, only accelerated the Pirates’ sprint to the finish line.
Hill’s dominance began on the opening drive, when he used a pair of double-digit runs on the first two plays from scrimmage to immediately put Platte County into Lincoln Prep territory.
Additional runs from Brady McDaniel and Devin Smith edged the Pirates closer, though penalties negated some of that yardage, and sophomore quarterback Kade Fowler found senior receiver Noah Omoike over the middle for a 19-yard passing touchdown.
The Pirates got the ball back on Lincoln Prep’s 31-yard line, and Hill got right back to work. An 18-yard reception pulled the hosts inside the red zone, with Hill finishing the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run through the middle.
Moore, who delivered a big punt return to set Platte County up on the previous touchdown, put the Pirates’ defense on the scoreboard as well. He scored a pick-six on Lincoln Prep’s opening play from scrimmage on their second offensive drive from their own 12-yard line, pushing the Pirates ahead by three scores inside the first seven minutes.
Lincoln Prep’s troubles continued on a third straight kickoff. After hoping the ball would carry for a touchback the first two kicks, the Blue Tigers fumbled the third try before moving across midfield with a 37-yard reception, but ultimately stalled out after an 11-yard loss on third down.
Platte County took over at its own 40-yard line for its next two drives, both of which became the longest scoring drives of the night. Will Jackson’s 11-yard reception set up a four-play scoring drive, with Hill getting a big carry that brought the Pirates inside the 10-yard line after a facemask penalty, and the junior running back ended the drive with a short-yardage touchdown run up the middle.
Platte County junior running back Brady McDaniel gets lifted in the air by senior lineman Reece Moppin after scoring a touchdown against Lincoln Prep on Nov. 6.
Platte County’s second 60-yard scoring drive unfolded over seven plays, starting with three consecutive completions to sophomores Owen Yates, Hank Marriott and Braxton Seifert to bring the Pirates into the red zone. McDaniel finished the drive off with a pair of runs, taking it 13 yards before running it in from the 9-yard line to make it 35-0 early in the second quarter.
Moore intercepted his second pass of the night on a second-down play, setting the Platte County offense up on Lincoln Prep’s 22-yard line. Hill scored his third rushing touchdown, carrying the ball on three of the five plays in the drive for another short run up the middle.
The Pirates’ quickest scoring drive of the night came midway through the second quarter. Fowler displayed his arm strength with a 47-yard service on first down to senior receiver Jude Brown, who scored as the Pirates took a 49-0 lead into halftime.
Lincoln Prep’s offense never answered, but their defense did. They scored their only points of the game off a pick-six in the fourth quarter, the first touchdown scored on Platte County since Sept. 25.
Platte County extended its season with a comfortable 49-7 victory. They move to 8-2 on the season with a five-game winning streak.
The Pirates are now preparing for a district championship game for the 11th time in the past 12 years. They will have to overcome No. 2-seeded Fort Osage for the second time this season.
While Platte County beat Fort Osage in its regular-season matchup, the 24-3 win wasn’t without issues on Oct. 9. The Pirates’ offense faced a first-half shutout before scoring 24 unanswered points.
Platte County aims to make the most of its home-field advantage, something they have done well in recent years. They are unbeaten in 22 straight games at Pirate Stadium, last losing at home against Oak Park on Sept. 22, 2023.
The district championship game at Platte County will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. The District 8 champion advances to the Class 5 Quarterfinals on Nov. 20-21 against the District 7 champion between Grain Valley and Smith-Cotton.