First, it was reigning state runner-up Penney who fell prey to the West Platte Blue Jays twice this season. Now, it was defending state champion Adrian in the quarterfinals.
West Platte delivered a brutal blow to the Adrian Blackhawks, defeating the District 5 champions on the road by a final score of 34-7 on Nov. 22 in the Class 1 quarterfinal in Adrian.
One week after ending a decade-long district title drought, West Platte added another significant milestone to its postseason run — and did it by knocking off the reigning state champions.
The Blue Jays dominated Adrian to come away with a 27-point victory on the road, advancing to the Class 1 state semifinals for the first time since 2005. Behind a balanced offensive attack and one of their best defensive performances of the season, West Platte controlled the game from start to finish to eliminate the Blackhawks.
West Platte struck first and never trailed after senior quarterback Jhett Chandler set the tone early, finding Blaze Masoner on a 29-yard touchdown pass just over two minutes into the game to give the Jays a 7–0 lead. After the Blue Jays’ defense forced a stop, Chandler pushed the tempo again, setting up Canton Wilkins’ 5-yard touchdown run that doubled the advantage to 14–0 with 4:55 left in the opening quarter.
Adrian responded with a 68-yard touchdown run moments later, it’s only scoring play of the night, but West Platte slammed the door with a big defensive effort from there on out.
The Blue Jays’ offense rediscovered its rhythm after halftime, leaning on a physical run game and explosive strikes through the air for a 20-point surge in the second half. Wilkins added his second score midway through the third quarter on an 8-yard run to extend the lead to 21–7.
Joe Blake scored a touchdown, four extra points and an interception. Photo Credit: Michelle Green
Chandler then delivered the backbreaking play minutes later with a 75-yard strike to Masoner, who finished with 104 yards between both of his touchdown catches. Chandler threw his third touchdown early in the fourth quarter, connecting with Joe Blake from 16 yards out to cap the scoring at 34–7.
By the final whistle, the Blue Jays outgained Adrian 382–230 and held the Blackhawks scoreless over the final three quarters. Chandler accounted for 313 total yards (183 passing and 130 rushing) and three touchdowns, while Wilkins added two scores on the ground. Blake contributed in all phases with his touchdown, knocking through four point-after tries and grabbing an interception on defense.
Defensively, West Platte suffocated the Adrian offense after its lone big play. Alex Allison led the unit with 11 tackles, while Jaxon Davis added a fumble recovery and Dalton Burns recorded a sack.
The Blue Jays forced two turnovers and allowed just one third-down conversion and a fourth-down conversion. West Platte also held the Blackhawks to 62 passing yards on eight completions and 185 rushing yards on 28 carries.
With last Saturday’s victory, West Platte not only dethroned the defending state champions, but they also punched their ticket to the state semifinals for the first time in 20 years.
The Blue Jays will now play next week with a chance to earn their first state championship appearance since the program’s early-2000s-era peak. The next challenge will also come on the road when they visit No. 3-ranked Tipton, who returns to the semifinals for the second straight year with a record of 11-1.
The semifinal matchup in Tipton is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. to determine which team advances to the Class 1 state championship the following week in St. Joseph.