Worth County overcame the bitter cold and a tough Platte Valley squad to get the 46-28 win Friday as Tyler New rushed for over 170 yards. The vaunted Platte Valley defense was known for their size and one on one tackling abilities, but Tyler was able to outmuscle them for extra yardage all night long, and some bad breaks towards the end of the first half hurt Platte Valley’s chances.
It didn’t bode well for the Tigers at first. They nearly caught a break on the opening kickoff when Platte Valley fumbled the opening return, but it bounced to Blaine Clements and they got the ball on the 21. Then, Worth County shot themselves in the foot with a five yard facemask, setting up a third and short instead of a fourth and long. Then, on fourth and one at the 30, Platte Valley snapped to Aydan Blackford, who lines up as one of the upmen in Platte Valley’s punt formation, and he threw a six yard strike to Mason Richardson for a first down at the 36.
Later in the drive, Worth County had another chance to stop Platte Valley. They were faced with fourth and 12 at the Tiger 33, and Aydan Blackford aired it out to Carter Luke. Levi Cassavaugh deflected it after covering it perfectly, but it caromed right into the arms of Luke, who took it to the house with 5:43 left in the first. Carter ran in the extra points to make it 8-0.
Things threatened to go from bad to worse when Tyler New fumbled it at the Tiger 32. At that point, his offensive coach, Les New, told him to take off the gloves, and he would call the plays from the sidelines. By contrast, in 1995, P.J. Sanders tried throwing with his bare hands at Nodaway-Holt in the snow and cold and misfired on his first few passes; Coach Mark Fletcher told him to wear some gloves, and Sanders went on to have a banner game as Worth County advanced to state with a 38-22 win. In both cases, the move worked; in Friday’s game, Tyler redeemed himself in a big way.
Worth County nearly stopped Platte Valley on the ensuing drive, but then Aydan Blackford converted a fourth and one at the 22. Carter Luke then bounced outside to the one, and Blackford took it the rest of the way with 2:22 left to make it 14-0. Grant McIntyre broke up the extra points.
There was a heartstopping moment when Platte Valley nearly recovered a squib kick, but Landon Wilmes pounced on it just ahead of the blue shirts at the 32. Levi Cassavaugh took on Trevor Weir and took it five yards ahead to the 37. Tyler New converted a third and two to the 23 after scrambling for six yards. They got as far as the 20, but Worth County fumbled it away at the 22, and Jaxon McCrary recovered it for Platte Valley.
Once again, Platte Valley started moving the ball as Carter Luke bounced outside for 12 yards to the 34. Jaxon McCrary picked up six more to the 40, but then Worth County stiffened and forced a punt. Platte Valley pinned Worth County at their five, but Tyler New and Levi Cassavaugh picked up five yards a carry on four plays from the 5 to the 31. Worth County tried to air it out, but Brandon McQueen nearly picked it off before Levi Cassavaugh picked up five to the 36 and Tyler took a keeper to the Platte Valley 38 for a first down. A sack by Wyatt Miller and a false start drove the Tigers back to the 34, and a screen went only five yards, setting up fourth and 13 at the 39.
But then Dylan McIntyre caught a pass over the middle with defenders draped all over him at the 22 to keep the drive alive, one of several such catches the Tigers had that night in the bitter cold. Tyler New then ripped off carries of 5 and 11 down to the Platte Valley six to set up first and goal.
Levi Cassavaugh took it three yards down to the three with time running out, and then a costly series of events for Platte Valley swung the momentum in Worth County’s favor. First, Platte Valley seeming had Tyler New stopped short of the end zone, but Tyler’s final effort got him into the end zone with 54 seconds for Worth County’s first score. Secondly, on the same play, one of their anchors on both sides of the line for the last two years, Wyatt Miller, went down and didn’t return. Without him on the line, Worth County was able to take control of the trenches although Platte Valley fought hard to the end; Tyler New had an eternity to throw in the second half. Thirdly, after New ran in the extra points to cut Worth County’s deficit to 14-8, the Tigers elected to do an onsides kick and their player timed it perfectly and pounced on it at the 40, right after it had traveled the necessary 10 yards, and right in front of a Platte Valley player to give the Tigers the ball back again.
Worth County has had plenty of late scores in the last minute of halves over the last few years, and they would not leave this one on the field. Worth County was stuck on second and 10 at the 40, but then Dylan McIntyre made a leaping catch at the 17 to put the Tigers in range. Brandon McQueen broke up the next pass with 22 seconds, but then Tyler New ripped off two carries worth 10 yards to set up first and goal at the 7 at the 7. On the next play, time seemingly expired as New’s pass went incomplete, but one of the Platte Valley players held Dylan McIntyre in the end zone; since the game or half cannot end on a penalty, Worth County got an untimed down at the 3. With no time left, Tyler New tried the left side; one of the Platte Valley defenders had him in his grasp, but New slipped out of it and into the end zone to tie it up. On the extra point try, Tyler New threw it to Dylan McIntyre over the middle, and two Platte Valley defenders undercut him and pushed him back over the goal line. But Dylan somehow held onto the ball, and since he had it in his grasp when he was over the plane of the end zone, the extra points counted and Worth County went into the locker room up 16-14.
The Tigers shot themselves in the foot to start the second half with a late hit, but they rescued a third and nine with a screen to Braxton Hightshoe, and he dragged defenders from the 13 all the way to the 30 and a first down. Levi Cassavaugh nearly broke a long gain on second and seven at the 33, but an inadvertent whistle blew it dead at the 34, where it was third and six. It didn’t matter as Tyler New broke one for even longer, making his way 41 yards down to the Platte Valley 5. A false start temporarily halted the Tiger drive, but on third and goal at the 2, Tyler New’s sneak got the score and Levi Cassavaugh’s pass made it 24-14. Worth County had scored on three straight possessions without Platte Valley touching the ball.
Platte Valley finally got the ball on their own 15, but after a first down run by Aydan Blackford, they were forced to punt. Worth County got the ball at their own 17, and then Tyler New took it 11 yards to the 28. On fourth and four at the Tiger 36, Tyler New was seemingly stopped for a loss, but he broke yet another tackle and escaped all the way to the Platte Valley 24, and a facemask put it on the 12. A pass interference put it back on the 27, but Levi Cassavaugh picked up eight to the 19, and then Grant McIntyre made a leaping catch with 19 seconds left in the third quarter and Tyler New ran in the extra points to make it 32-14.
But all of a sudden, the game threatened to turn again as Aydan Blackford carried Platte Valley on his shoulders on the next drive.
After Worth County unsuccessfully tried an onsides kick and Platte Valley covered it at the 36, Blackford got loose and made it all the way to the Tiger 7, and three plays later, he was in the end zone with 10:57 left in the fourth quarter. Blackford ran in the extra points to make it 32-22.
Then, the ensuing onsides kick caromed off a Platte Valley player, the officials didn’t see it, and they recovered it at the Tiger 39. Carter Luke picked up 11 yards and a first down at the Tiger 28, but then a swarm of Tigers led by Dylan McIntyre, Braxton Hightshoe, and Creed Wilcox met him for a loss; Luke was not able to find the edge as much Friday as Worth County frequently had the sweep covered. After Justin Miller dropped a pass, Brandon McQueen caught a short pass to the 24, where it was fourth and six. But on a run/pass option play, Blackford scrambled, but was pushed out of bounds short of the first down at the 20 and the Tigers had dodged a bullet.
A holding penalty dug the Tigers in a hole at the 9, but then Grant McIntyre caught a short pass to the 14, and then Worth County aired it out to Braxton Hightshoe down the left sideline. Braxton, who had dropped one against North Andrew, came up with this one and took it all the way down to the Platte Valley 21 to flip the field. Two more carries by Tyler New picked up 11 yards to the 10, and he got a block from Levi Cassavaugh to carry it to the six. There was another heartstopping moment for the Tigers when Levi Cassavaugh fumbled it, but he fell on it at the 4, and Tyler New carried it the rest of the way with 3:46 left. Tyler threw a shot put pass into the end zone and Grant McIntyre came up with it to make it 40-22. Platte Valley tried to put it in Aydan Blackford’s hands, but after he had gotten them to the Platte Valley 34, he came under a rush, Dylan McIntyre knocked the ball loose, and Levi Cassavaugh scooped and scored to make it 46-22 with 2:52 left.
That sealed the game for Worth County, although Mason Richardson’s caught and ran in the closing seconds cut the Platte Valley deficit to 46-28. Worth County covered the ensuing onsides kick and was able to run out the clock.
Platte Valley loses four players who were mainstays of their run to respectability, including Carter Luke, Jaxon McCrary, Trevor Weir, and Wyatt Miller. But they return everyone else to next year’s squad.
