• Home
  • News
    • Sports
    • Platte County R-3
    • West Platte
    • North Platte
    • Park Hill
    • Park Hill South
  • Opinion
    • Sports Photos
    • News Photos
  • Subscribe
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
  • Advertise
    • Wedding/Engagement
    • Birth Announcement
    • Obituary
    • Event for Calendar
    • Press Release
    • Youth Sport Photograph
  • Buy a Copy
  • Contact
Menu

The Platte County Citizen

812 3rd Street
Platte City, MO, 64079
816-858-5154

Your Custom Text Here

The Platte County Citizen

  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • Platte County R-3
    • West Platte
    • North Platte
    • Park Hill
    • Park Hill South
  • Opinion
  • Photos
    • Sports Photos
    • News Photos
  • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
  • Advertise
  • Submit
    • Wedding/Engagement
    • Birth Announcement
    • Obituary
    • Event for Calendar
    • Press Release
    • Youth Sport Photograph
  • Buy a Copy
  • Contact
CitizenLogo.png

The Platte County Citizen

Complete Platte County news and sports coverage.

West Platte football prepares for difficult transition season

August 16, 2017 Ross Martin
 Front row, from left: Sam Davis, Brayan Rodriguez, Grant Eagen, Aidan Sullivan, Dylan Lock, Dillon Mosier, Cole Whalen and Gavin Raney. Second row, from left: Julian Trelow, Quinn Eagen, Thomas Tharp, Reece Bader, Gavin Davis, Brayden Cogan, Cameron Sadell and Noah Johnson. Third row, from left: Jacob Brown, Mason Taylor, Trenton Holmes, Zach Scroggins, Luke Heili, Joey Groom, Jasper Basel, Tanner DeHaven and Brandon James.   

Front row, from left: Sam Davis, Brayan Rodriguez, Grant Eagen, Aidan Sullivan, Dylan Lock, Dillon Mosier, Cole Whalen and Gavin Raney. Second row, from left: Julian Trelow, Quinn Eagen, Thomas Tharp, Reece Bader, Gavin Davis, Brayden Cogan, Cameron Sadell and Noah Johnson. Third row, from left: Jacob Brown, Mason Taylor, Trenton Holmes, Zach Scroggins, Luke Heili, Joey Groom, Jasper Basel, Tanner DeHaven and Brandon James. 
 

Don’t expect West Platte’s returning players to accept last year’s results. As a matter of fact, they don’t seem to know a lot about it.

“Last year? I don’t even remember last year,” West Platte senior wide receiver Grant Eagen said.

West Platte went through a 1-9 season in 2016, equal parts struggle on the field and with injuries.

After a season-opening win against Kansas City Central, the Bluejays lost nine straight including all seven KCI Conference games and a Class 1 District 7 opener to Plattsburg. Eagen tore his ACL early in the year, and leading rusher Kyle Tabaka and top offensive lineman Cameron Johnson both missed time due to injuries.

Only two of the losses — vs. North Platte and at Mid-Buchanan — were by two scores or less, but this year’s group already expects to be better and win more games.

“We don’t want to go 1-9 again or whatever it was,” Eagen said. “We’re planning on winning three or four games, maybe even more. There’s a lot more games we should win, and we can be competitive with this team.”

In addition to losing Tabaka and Johnson, Quinn Johnson (TE/LB), Nick Miller (QB/DB), Jonah Vandal (OL/DL) and Alec Carson (WR/DB) were lost to graduation.

Noah Johnson, a starter at linebacker last year, will take over at quarterback and likely run the familiar option offense used under coach Nate Danneman, killed this past April in a tragic car accident. Paul Thomas, a veteran coach with more than 30 years of experience, runs a similar style and plans to build on what Danneman did in his four years.

Thomas and Danneman coached together during Thomas’ stint as head coach at Marshall (2000-2009).

“The coaches and players have had as good of summer as can be expected with adjusting to a new head football coach,” Thomas said. “I am really proud of the way they have handled all the changes. I attribute this to coach Danneman and the kind of coach he was.”

West Platte junior Gavin Davis and senior Brayan Rodriguez return in the backfield after splitting tailback duties behind Tabaka at fullback. The line features seniors Cole Whalen and Dillon Mosier, along with junior Thomas Tharp. Eagen and senior Gavin Raney provide experienced options at wide receiver.

Davis, Raney, Whalen, Eagen and Rodriguez were all two-way starters last year, while senior Dylan Lock could pick up additional duties after playing at defensive enda year ago.

“We’ve got a lot of guys fighting for positions this year, especially on the offensive line,” Eagen said. “It’s going to be a matter of who wants it more.”

West Platte will be starting over in a lot of ways, having won fewer than five games for the only time in Danneman’s four-year tenure. The Bluejays made the playoffs in 2013 and 2015 but were unable to regroup last season in Miller’s lone season at starting quarterback.

Noah Johnson will give West Platte its fourth new starter under center in the past four seasons.

In addition, KC Central is off the schedule with the Bluejays opening at home against Lincoln Prep on Friday, Aug. 18 at new Rudolph Eskridge Stadium in Weston, Mo. The nonconference schedule also includes a trip to Wellington-Napoleon before closing the regular season with seven straight KCI games.

The players also know they will miss Danneman’s presence on the sideline in wake of the still fresh tragedy.

“It’s gonna be tough because coach always brought a lot of energy from the sideline,” Eagen said. “That was always fun to watch. It’s just going to be difficult.”

In Sports Tags West Platte
← Park Hill softball ready for youthful core to make good on promiseMurder charges filed against 2nd man in 2014 homicide →
twitter Block
To display items in this block, you'll need a connected account. Edit this block and select an account from the drop-down menu. You can also connect a new account. Learn more
  • Twitter Username
    Quisque iaculis facilisis lacinia. Mauris euismod pellentesque tellus sit amet mollis.
    less than a minute ago
  • Twitter Username
    Sed purus sem, scelerisque ac rhoncus eget, porttitor nec odio. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
    about a week ago
5-1-15 citizen_webad_050115.jpg

Recent Sport Headlines

Featured
Apr 25, 2018
Bryce Mereness
Davenport placed on leave
Apr 25, 2018
Bryce Mereness
Apr 25, 2018
Bryce Mereness
Apr 25, 2018
Bryce Mereness
Pirates signing class features D-I swimmer
Apr 25, 2018
Bryce Mereness
Apr 25, 2018
Bryce Mereness
4-19-16 Harts Paint Web Ad 300x150 -2.png

My Thoughts, Exactly

Featured
Apr 18, 2018
Cody Thorn
How the Platte County Republican Central Committee controls, limits access to most media outlets is a disgrace to all citizens
Apr 18, 2018
Cody Thorn
Apr 18, 2018
Cody Thorn
Apr 11, 2018
Cody Thorn
A lot of readers did much better than I did picking NCAA games
Apr 11, 2018
Cody Thorn
Apr 11, 2018
Cody Thorn
PC Chamber Web Ad.png 7-26-16 Mohn web ad.png

Platte Rambler

Featured
Mar 14, 2018
Bill Graham
Teachers deal with enough without worrying about guns in classrooms
Mar 14, 2018
Bill Graham
Mar 14, 2018
Bill Graham
Feb 21, 2018
Bill Graham
Curling much tougher than it looks during Winter Olympics
Feb 21, 2018
Bill Graham
Feb 21, 2018
Bill Graham

Sports Photo Gallery

Featured
Park Hill vs. Platte County tennis, 4-23-18
Park Hill vs. Platte County tennis, 4-23-18
West Platte's Nate Danneman Relays, 4-21-18
West Platte's Nate Danneman Relays, 4-21-18
Platte County baseball vs. Liberty, 4-18-18
Platte County baseball vs. Liberty, 4-18-18
Platte County baseball vs. Park Hill South, 4-19-18
Platte County baseball vs. Park Hill South, 4-19-18

News Photo Gallery

Featured
West Platte's Nate Danneman Relays, 4-21-18
West Platte's Nate Danneman Relays, 4-21-18
Dearborn Steel and Wheel parade 4-21-18
Dearborn Steel and Wheel parade 4-21-18
Platte City Easter Egg Hunt, 3-31-18
Platte City Easter Egg Hunt, 3-31-18
Holladay Distillery Royals Berry 360 Vodka Launch Party & Tour
Holladay Distillery Royals Berry 360 Vodka Launch Party & Tour

Award winning newspaper in Platte County


Featured
Untitled-1.jpg
Untitled-4.jpg
Untitled-2.jpg
Untitled-1.jpg
Untitled-3.jpg