Platte County’s football team didn’t let deja vu strike again, using a dominant rushing performance from junior Caleb Hill to guide the Pirates to a 38-17 victory over Smithville on Sept. 18.
Platte County led wire to wire, but it wasn’t without some nervy moments. The Pirates held a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, then allowed 14 unanswered points to finish the half ahead by three.
It reminded the team of when they let a similar lead slip two weeks prior in a defeat to Blue Springs South. This time, Platte County discovered what it needed to finish the job.
Caleb Hill celebrates his third touchdown of the night, ending Smithville’s run of momentum they carried into halftime as Platte County outscored the Warriors 21-3 in the second half.
“I told the guys in the locker room, ‘We’ve been in the same position before, just don’t let it happen again,’” Hill explained, recalling the defeat to Blue Springs South. “Remember that moment, dig deep for the third and fourth quarter, and just put it on them.”
With a chance to take its first lead of the game out of the halftime break, Smithville was reminded firsthand just how strong Platte County’s defense was. Carlos Baskerville set the tone with a 7-yard tackle for loss on first down, followed by a short gain and a third-down pass breakup from senior lineman Kyler Parker.
The Pirates offense responded well to complete the shift in momentum. Platte County drove 46 yards, using key completions, including a third-down conversion to freshman tight end Braxton Seifert, and a 12-yard run from sophomore quarterback Kade Fowler before Hill punched in his third touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run up the middle.
Hill’s brilliance started early, capping the opening drive with a 3-yard touchdown carry after Fowler completed a 52-yard pass, while taking a hit, to senior receiver Noah Omoike. Brady McDaniel used a 12-yard carry to bring the Pirates inside the 5-yard line for Hill’s eventual score.
“It was a great team win; it wasn’t just a me thing,” Hill said. “The O-line blocked great, the defense stopped them when we needed them to and turned the ball over when we needed them to. We just punched it into the end zone. What more could you ask for?”
Both teams exchanged the ball with a pair of interceptions in the first quarter. Smithville senior linebacker Nick Francis picked off a third-and-4 pass, but Platte County got the ball right back when Devin Lumm intercepted a third-and-9 pass.
Platte County turned the turnover into points after Hill led the Pirates on a four-play, 40-yard drive. Hill ran the ball on all four plays, eventually dancing around several defenders to run a third-and-2 play for a 22-yard touchdown.
Caleb Hill concluded the night with 182 rushing yards on 26 carries with four touchdowns in Platte County’s 38-17 nonconference victory on Sept. 18.
Platte County went on another drive to the red zone late in the first quarter and into the second. Ultimately, the Pirates settled for a 31-yard field goal from senior kicker Sterling Wilson as the Pirates led 17-0 with 9:26 to play in the first half.
Smithville, still scoreless late in the second quarter, was opportunistic and made it a one-score game at halftime. The Warriors scored to make it 14-7 on a quick drive led by junior quarterback Quentin Morse, who used a 65-yard run to set up another 5-yard quarterback keeper with 2:02 to play. Smithville’s defense got the visitors back within a field goal when pressure got to Fowler as he released the ball, allowing junior defensive back Tristen Steffen to return a pick-six for 45 yards, cutting the Pirates’ lead to 17-14.
A vital response from Platte County to start the third quarter was led by the defense, which stifled Smithville’s offense. Even with Platte County gifting Smithville a pair of extra possessions from an interception and a muffed punt, the Warriors’ offense struggled, ending the night with three turnovers and a single touchdown.
Smithville’s only scoring drive of the second half came in the third quarter after recovering the muffed punt. The Warriors’ biggest play of the half was a 44-yard gain by keeping possession after recovering Platte County’s muffed punt, then picking up a pair of first downs and settling for a 26-yard field goal to make it 24-17.
Platte County restored its two-score lead by using a pair of critical third-down conversions, including one when Fowler was scrambling on third-and-8 and found junior tight end Hank Marriott for a 14-yard completion as Fowler approached the line of scrimmage. Fowler used his arm again on third-and-10 from the 12-yard line, finding senior receiver Jude Brown in the corner for a touchdown despite a defensive pass interference penalty, putting the hosts ahead 31-17 with 9:22 remaining.
With Smithville chasing, Platte County capitalized as senior Jordan Moore caught an interception for the Pirates’ first turnover of the second half. They were unable to capitalize, but got the ball back from another turnover as senior linebacker Maverick Troncin caught Platte County’s third interception of the night, returning it 41 yards and into Smithville territory.
“Those guys are flying around and playing really good ball,” Platte County head coach Derek Yost said of his defense. “Really turnover-hungry group. We’ve kind of leaned on them early, and we’ll continue to do that as this offense comes to life more. We’re seeing the right things right now.”
Troncin’s interception, on a first-and-10 play on the edge of the red zone, was a gut-punch for Smithville’s comeback hopes. Hill turned the turnover into points by completing the night with his fourth touchdown run, carrying it 39 yards up the left side to make it 38-17.
Junior offensive lineman Max Shuey lifts Caleb Hill up after a first-half touchdown.
Hill had a night to remember with four touchdowns while averaging seven yards per carry, finishing with 182 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries. Yost credited not only Hill, but also blocking from the offensive line and tight ends to create spaces for Hill to exploit.
“Caleb’s been an incredible back for us, and the O-line has done such a nice job of jelling and getting him some great looks,” Yost said of Hill and his offense, which rushed for 263 yards.
“He’s a good player. He’s doing some really good things for us now. Cleaned up some mistakes last week with some turnovers, and he looked awesome this week. Happy for him to bounce back.”
The festivities, on and off the field, carried great significance as the Pirates celebrated Military Appreciation Night and welcomed the PCYFL (Platte County Youth Football League).
The program honored active and retired military, which included a flyover from the 180th Airlift Squadron of the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph. PCYFL teams also took part in pregame rituals, honoring two important communities and making the night especially memorable.
“We wanted it to be tonight,” Yost said. “Smithville is a big game for us. Closest opponent we have in terms of locale, and we’ve had a lot of historical meetings with them.”
Platte County stretched its winning streak over Smithville to four straight, improving its season record to 3-1. The Pirates return to conference play for the remainder of the season with plenty left to prove.
“There’s a lot of doubt in our name, about how Platte County’s ‘not a contender,’” Hill said. “That first game was a saving game, and even though we lost to the second one, it was also a saving game because we took it to a quality Class 6 opponent and put it on them for the first three quarters, just got lackadaisical in the end. That’s not going ot happen again. Week 1, 2 and 4 were statement games and showing people we still got it.”
After opening conference play with a 38-0 road win over William Chrisman in Week 3, No. 3 state-ranked Platte County gets another road test in Week 5, visiting No. 10 Grain Valley (2-2), which is coming off a 24-22 conference defeat to Raytown (4-0).
The 180th Airlift Squadron of the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph performed a flyover during the national anthem prior to the game in celebration of Military Appreciation Night.