The defending Class 5 state champion Platte County Pirates began their bid for a repeat with a decisive 56-7 road victory over William Chrisman on Friday, Aug. 31, in Independence.
That victory didn’t come without some adversity. Earlier Friday morning, as the Pirates settled into their gameday routine, they were forced to adjust.
After city officials alerted the Platte County School District that a gas line had been struck on Thomas Drive, high school students were relocated to the Platte City YMCA. The football team adapted and did not let the disruption affect the evening’s outcome.
“Obviously, that was something crazy; something we haven’t had to deal with,” Platte County head coach Bill Utz said. “You want you’re season to start and be as normal as possible as it goes through.”
Utz was pleased with his team’s response, saying the group did not let the abnormality change their performance.
“Our kids are kind of veterans in that sense,” Utz said. “They are able to kind of just react and play whenever they are asked to.”
The Pirates returned to normalcy by nightfall and picked up where they left off last season. While William Chrisman hoped to open 2025 with an upset, Platte County quickly dispelled those hopes.
“They’ve been fired up to get started and get going,” Platte County head coach Bill Utz said. Utz liked the emotion and effort, and he welcomed the chance to give several players new varsity reps.
Platte County poured in 56 first-half points. The opening drive benefited from a pair of penalties — including a Bear jumping offsides on fourth-and-1 — and a fumble that rolled out of bounds near the sideline. After eight plays, senior running back Adam Gisler capped a 53-yard march with an 11-yard touchdown run through the middle.
Gisler finished the half with 57 yards and scored the first two Platte County touchdowns, again bursting through the middle in their second drive. “Praise to my O-linemen for blocking for me. They did what they had to do to allow me to score, and I’m blessed,” Gisler said.
Adam Gisler moves past a defensive back in his two-touchdown performance against William Chrisman on Aug. 29.
With the first-quarter clock winding down, the Pirates showcased their passing game. Senior quarterback Rocco Marriott connected with senior tight end Jack Utz for 18 yards, then hit senior receiver Ty Christopher for a 29-yard touchdown reception a 21-0 lead after one quarter.
The second quarter turned a fast start into a runaway. After a fumble was recovered by senior defensive lineman Cole Johnson, Marriott found Utz over the middle for a 6-yard touchdown reception.
Platte County celebrates after Cole Johnson recovers a fumble in the second quarter against William Chrisman on Aug. 29 in Independence.
Johnson wasn’t done. He later blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. “We’ve always known Cole’s been a great athlete and doing a nice job in practice, even last year. He had a tremendous game and really did a lot of things that caused problems for the other team.”
Platte County senior tight end Jack Utz against William Chrisman.
The onslaught continued as Marriott connected with Braiden Stevens, Utz again and Tres Baskerville for touchdowns to complete a 35-point second quarter and a 56-0 halftime cushion.
Marriott completed 14 of 15 passes for 203 yards in the first half, finding Christopher for 62 yards while Utz, Stevens, Baskerville, and Brooks Hall each had more than 30 yards.
With a running clock in the second half, Platte County mixed in reserves. Sophomore Paxton Bennett and junior Brandon Reynolds both received snaps at quarterback. The offense slowed with an interception and a couple of three-and-outs, but the defense stayed opportunistic. Sophomore Eric Dooley intercepted a pass for the Pirates’ third forced turnover.
William Chrisman eventually broke through early in the fourth quarter when Lukas Yutzy rushed for a 6-yard touchdown. The Bears drove into the red zone again late but ran out of time as the Pirates closed out a conference win, 56-7.
“I can always be critical,” Utz said. “There’s some things we can always do a little bit better, but pretty hard to complain about the score and about the way they played.”
Gisler said the defensive support stood out, especially with new starters stepping in.
“I think it went pretty well,” Gisler said. “We were working all offseason trying to get better. I think our defense definitely stepped up since all of our seniors from last year left. We turned it up a notch, but we’re not done.”
Gisler expects more results like Week 1. Since 2024, the Pirates have now won 15 straight, outscoring opponents by about 36 points on average.
Next up is a familiar test. Platte County hosts conference rival Grain Valley, the last team to beat the Pirates. Kickoff for the home opener is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5.