Platte County rolls past Smithville in Missouri football playoffs

With experience and athleticism all around the field, Platte County left no doubt that it was ready to take down Smithville in the Class 4 District semifinal at Platte County.

After a slow start in the first quarter, the Pirates offense stayed on course and put up 21 points in the second quarter. That put Platte County well on its way to a 39-14 victory.

“Once we were able to get a score on the board, then it started to take care of itself,” Platte County coach Bill Utz said.

Platte County, 8-3, had some efficient drives that started with running back Mike McNair powering through defenders. McNair has been the workhorse for the team, and it showed with his 119 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

“I tried to make as many plays as I can, and do as much as I can for the team,” McNair said. “I run hard and keep my head down.”

The Pirates also feature an impressive air attack. Quarterback Justin Mitchell has excellent targets to throw to in Dylan Gilbert and John Watts.

Watts has a long frame at wide receiver and makes for a difficult matchup for anyone trying to guard him one-on-one. Watts had one catch for a touchdown, while Gilbert finished with 46 yards on four catches.

Smithville struggled to get out of its traditional run offense and just didn’t have enough firepower to compete with the Pirates. Still, at 8-3, the Warriors were pleased with the season’s output after losing several players from last year’s squad.

“We had an uphill climb, and the kids fought their butts off,” Smithville coach Jason Ambroson said. “They kept working to get better every week, and we’re not a great team but we’re a pretty darn good team.”

Platte County is ready for an exciting rivalry rematch against Kearney in the district final next week. Earlier this year, the Bulldogs beat the Pirates 42-39 in a thrilling Suburban Blue contest.

“This is going to be a fun game,” Utz said. “At the start of the year we knew it was going to be a fun game, and we saw that a couple of weeks ago. We’ve been looking forward to it, and Kearney’s is too.

“It’s getting hype already and should be a great atmosphere.”

This story was originally published October 28, 2016 at 10:25 PM with the headline "Platte County rolls past Smithville in Missouri football playoffs."