The Platte County Pirates football team leveraged a big first half to carry them to a 54-23 victory against Grain Valley on Sept. 5 at Pirate Stadium.
The Pirates were not quite as dominant as they were in Week 1, but a 40-point outburst against Grain Valley extended Platte County’s winning streak to 16 straight games.
Senior quarterback Rocco Marriott ran the show, using both his arm and his legs to combine for five touchdowns on the night. He ended the night 18 of 25 passing for 379 yards and four touchdowns while also operating as the game’s leading rusher with 124 yards on seven quarterback-keepers and a rushing touchdown.
After converting a couple of third downs on their opening drive, Platte County opened the scoring on third-and-7 when Marriott found Braiden Stevens for a 30-yard touchdown reception.
The Pirates began a scoring spree to end the first quarter when they went up 14-0 after Marriott found space on the left side and ran it in from 8 yards out.
Grain Valley supplied an immediate response, returning the kickoff 93 yards to cut the deficit in half. Platte County senior Ty Christopher took exception to the Eagles’ reply and got the 14-point advantage right back by returning Grain Valley’s kickoff 98 yards in front of the Pirates’ sideline to put Platte County up 21-7.
On the following kickoff, Platte County senior Grant Fadler went down injured, which caused a lengthy delay in proceedings. Once play resumed, both defenses made big plays as Platte County forced a 3-and-out, but Grain Valley won the ball back after recovering a fumble early in the second quarter.
Platte County eventually restored order. Christopher caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Marriott — and after forcing a turnover on downs — a 26-yard reception by Brooks Hall set up Adam Gisler for a 34-yard touchdown run through the middle to put the Pirates up 34-7.
Platte County’s lead stretched out to 33 points when Hall caught a 2-yard touchdown, capping a 94-yard drive on five plays. Grain Valley managed to cut into the deficit again from the kickoff as they returned the ball 72 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half with Platte County leading 40-14.
The Pirates’ passing game set the run game up for another score early in the third quarter as Marriott connected with Stevens for 45 yards before Marriott’s carry for 24 yards set up Gisler for a 5-yard rushing touchdown.
Hall struck again for the Pirates as he was left wide open over the middle as Platte County’s lead extended to 40. Grain Valley’s defense pressured a safety score as a Platte County errant snap in their own end zone was pounced on by the Pirates.
Grain Valley’s only offensive score of the game came later in the fourth quarter, when a 37-yard carry got them inside the 5-yard line before a short carry into the end zone.
The Pirates improved to 2-0 on the season as they get set for a conference matchup against Fort Osage on Sept. 12 at Pirate Stadium.