Worth County got off to a promising start against Platte Valley. But already without Brayden Stevens, their players started cramping up right and left in the sweltering heat, and Platte Valley came back to take a 38-34 win over Worth County. Tyler New played hard and the Tigers had a lot of underclassmen step up and play hard, but they have a long ways to go if they want to live up to the preseason hype.
The pass coverage woes that hurt the Tigers in the Jamboree came back to bite them at key moments in the game. Normally a power running team, Platte Valley saw its quarterback, Aydan Blackford, complete all seven of his pass attempts, a lot of passes for a Johnnie Silkett coached club. They went for 133 yards and they came at key moments in the game.
The game could not have started any better for Worth County as Tyler New got blocks from Elias Alarcon and Landon Wilmes and took it 50 yards to the house with 11:17 left. Grant McIntyre caught the extra point pass to make it 8-0. But after the Tigers couldn't convert after they stopped a Platte Valley fourth and two at their own 29, that gave Platte Valley hope, and they took full advantage the rest of the way.
When Tyler New was tackled short of the first down by the nose of the football at the 19 by Mason Richardson, a different Platte Valley team took the field. Lucas Frisch, who earned a starting role on both sides of the ball with his hard-nosed play, got a sack to start, but then Blackford flipped the field with a 46 yard strike to Lane Acklin to the Tiger 24. Platte Valley overcame a sack by Bo Collins as Blackford aired it out to Acklin again, this time down to the 5 following a facemask. But consecutive holding penalties wiped out touchdown runs by Platte Valley and Tyler New and Grant McIntyre stopped Lucky Ferry at the 2 on fourth down.
It was Worth County's turn to gamble deep in their own territory on fourth and one at their own 11, and Tyler New followed a big line surge up to the 15 for a first down. A holding penalty wiped out a touchdown, but Landon Wilmes and Tyler New both got blocks from Elias Alarcon up to the 23 and then Lucas Frisch converted the third and two to the 27. But Grant McIntyre got the wind knocked out of him on the play, the first of many different Tigers to get shaken up in the sweltering heat.
Leland Otto sacked Tyler New on the next play, but Platte Valley overextended trying to chase New down again, and he got away for 35 yards down to the Platte Valley 20. Runs by Tyler New and Landon Wilmes put it on the 9. A bad snap pinned the Tigers on the 15, the Tigers were taking too long to get to the line of scrimmage and get the play off, and the play clock was ticking down to the last few seconds. But on fourth and goal at the 14, Grant McIntyre came back and caught a pass in the end zone to make it 14-0 with 5:36 left in the second.
But then Platte Valley got it right back when everybody got sucked in trying to stop the dive and Mason Richardson was all alone on a sweep that went 44 yards to the house with 5:03 left. Out of the swinging gate, Platte Valley converted the two point conversion pass to make it 14-8. Worth County could not answer as they were taking too much time getting to the line of scrimmage and taking until three seconds were left on the play clock before snapping the ball, and the rushed effort turned into a three and out. A short punt into the wind led to good field position for Platte Valley at the 40, and Blackford aired it out again, this time to Justin Miller for 21 yards to the 19. Three plays later, Blackford continued to look like Gage Iddings, this time hitting Brandon McQueen for 18 yards and a score with 1:03 left in the half. He ran in the extra points to put Platte Valley up 16-14. The script from last year, in which the Tigers overcame a 14-0 deficit to beat Platte Valley 46-28 in districts, was being flipped.
Worth County woke up after Platte Valley got the lead and Lucas Frisch took a short kickoff into Platte Valley territory at the 39. Bo Collins' catch and run took it to the 18, and Tyler New scrambled to the 9. A holding penalty and an incomplete pass temporarily stopped the Tigers, but Grant McIntyre caught a pass in the deep right corner for a score to give Worth County a 20-16 lead at halftime.
But Platte Valley had the ball to start the second half and got it right back. On third and eight at their own 17, they went into the swinging gate to isolate Aydan Blackford in the open field, and he took it 63 yards to the house, making the most of the wide open space. Blackford took a solid shot on the extra point try but somehow got in to make it 24-20.
Tyler New was cramped up to start the second half and couldn't go, but a freshman, Hayden Sanders, who had been moving the ball well against the first unit in practices, took over the reigns at quarterback and guided the Tigers down the field after Worth County recovered an onsides kick at the 40. An offsides penalty gave them a first down at the 28, then Sanders threw a good ball to Grant McIntyre at the 20. Landon Wilmes picked up four and Lucas Frisch seven to the 9 before Tyler New came back in and got a block from Grant McIntyre, taking it to the house from nine yards out with eight minutes left in the third. Landon Wilmes caught the extra point pass to make it 28-24.
But Platte Valley struck right back as Xavier Middleton weaved his way up to the 39 on the ensuing kickoff before Mason Richardson bounced outside once again and took it to the house from 41 yards out with 7:41 left in the third. Leland Otto took an option pitch from Blackford out of the swinging gate and put Platte Valley ahead 38-28.
Worth County drove as far as the Platte Valley 17, but then a costly penalty killed the drive and Platte Valley took over on their own 32. This time, Platte Valley kept it on the ground and Leland Otto, Mason Richardson, and Lucky Ferry all took turns carrying the ball. On third and six at the 19, they went back to the gate and Aydan Blackford took an option down to the 8, and Blackford's sneak from the 1 made it 38-28.
Tyler New carried the team on his shoulders the next series, getting a carry of 11 on one play and getting a block from Bo Collins for 15 down to the one on another. But for the third time, Worth County could not score from deep inside Platte Valley territory as a false start moved them back to the six, and then Brandon McQueen picked off New's pass in the end zone.
Platte Valley kept it on the ground except for a seven yard screen pass to Justin Miller, getting up to the 40. But Worth County got the ball back after a fumbled snap as Lucas Frisch got the fumble recovery with 4:10 left. A screen pass to Frisch got 17 yards down to the 19 as two Platte Valley players collided trying to tackle him. Tyler New got 15 yards down to the 4 after getting a block from Elias Alarcon. A holding and a false start moved them back to the 19, but then Tyler New got five yards back and then Landon Wilmes' cutback run from 14 yards out to cut it to 38-34. But Worth County could not get the ball back as Lucky Ferry successfully converted a third and two and Platte Valley was able to kneel out the clock.
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