The West Platte Blue Jays delivered a significant statement by defeating the Penney Hornets by a score of 13-7 on Sept. 12 in Weston.
Every play and possession had enormous weight in the battle against the 2024 state runner-up, who ended West Platte’s season last year in districts. In the end, senior quarterback and linebacker Jhett Chandler proved to be heroic for West Platte on offense and defense by scoring the go-ahead touchdown before making the game-saving tackle after making a first-quarter interception.
“It goes back to summertime when we’re all here working at 7 a.m.,” Chandler said. “It just means everything.”
The Blue Jays opened the game with a 56-yard scoring drive to take an early 7-0 lead. The opening score came when Chandler found Joe Baker to his left for a 14-yard touchdown reception as the senior receiver dodged three defenders before diving across the goal line.
West Platte senior Alex Kinslow leads leads a West Platte stop against Penney.
From that point on, scoring was a major struggle for both teams. Penney made it inside the red zone on their first drive, but the trip ended in regret after an offensive penalty was followed by Canton Wilkins tackling for a 6-yard loss before Chandler picked off the Penney quarterback’s pass.
West Platte was unable to capitalize on the turnover as they faced a quick three-and-out. Penney’s second offensive possession replicated their first drive as they got inside the red zone again before another turnover, this time coming from a fumble recovered by senior Mason McGivern on fourth down.
Offensive possessions for both teams stalled out quickly as the second quarter wound down with West Platte leading 7-0 at halftime. Penney’s offense came out of the halftime break with a positive possession, but still couldn’t find its first score of the game.
The Hornets eventually got the ball back and drove downfield on an 80-yard drive that took nearly four minutes off the clock. This time, Penney’s red zone trip was successful as they converted a fourth-and-10 into a 12-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.
Penney was gifted an opportunity to take the lead after blocking a West Platte punt. Taking over in West Platte’s territory, Penney moved inside the 10-yard line, but the Blue Jays were bailed out when an option pitch was fumbled and recovered by senior James Schulte on the first play of the fourth quarter.
West Platte took full advantage of the turnover, driving 85 yards downfield to retake the lead. The Blue Jays melted more than seven minutes off the clock before Chandler ran the ball in on a quarterback keeper from the 1-yard line, with an extra push from junior lineman Xander Shroyer, but a missed point-after try gave Penney an opportunity to take its first lead of the game.
West Platte quarterback Jhett Chandler on a run during the Blue Jays’ fourth-quarter touchdown drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock in West Platte’s win over Penney.
The Hornets’ ensuing drive was climactic, moving towards the red zone before West Platte found a way to slow them down. After an incomplete pass on second-and-4, Penney gained three yards on a run inside two minutes to make it fourth-and-1 from West Platte’s 14-yard line.
After a West Platte timeout to set up for the most consequential play of the game, Penney handed the ball off for a run up the middle. The Penney running back flew past a defensive lineman towards the left side, but Chandler met him soon after near the line of scrimmage, using his entire 5-foot-8 frame to prevent any further yardage as he lifted the runner in the air before landing on the ground.
After careful observation, the officials ruled the runner short of the first down marker, turning the ball back to the Blue Jays with 1:50 left on the game clock. West Platte eventually gained a couple of first downs as Penney burned their remaining timeouts, securing West Platte’s first conference win of the season.
Jhett Chandler Chandler makes a critical fourth-down tackle late in the game against Penney.
“It’s huge,” West Platte head coach Taylor Gallagher said. “There were a lot of times where we could have folded when the momentum wasn’t in our favor and they (West Platte) just kept fighting. We had the opportunities to finish it out and I’m really, really proud of them.”
Gallagher was proud of every single player on the roster, including those on the scout team who played an instrumental role in helping the team prepare for Penney. Penney outpaced West Platte 304-197 in total offense, but the game played out how Gallagher had expected in a physical and exhaustive manner with both team emptying their gas tanks.
“We wanted to come out here and compete,” said Chandler, who led the game with 98 rushing yards. “We know they’ve got some big guys, so we had to do our jobs, get our assignments right and just compete.”
Now sitting with a 2-1 record this season, 1-0 in conference play, West Platte moves to another big conference matchup at home against the undefeated Mid-Buchanan Dragons on Sept. 19 before away trips to Plattsburg on Sept. 26 and Lawson on Oct. 3.
“KCI is a great conference,” Gallagher said. “Every week is going to be a challenge for us, so it’s good to get this one because every single one is going to matter.”