Platte Valley fell to East Atchison 44-36 Friday after a frantic comeback bid fell short and a disappointing season by their standards came to an end. They came into the season with high expectations, but a shocking last-second loss to Pattonsburg made the Panthers’ season and put Platte Valley in a funk which they could never quite get out of. They won their next two games against Stanberry and DeKalb, but then three non-competitive losses against Rock Port, Mound City, and Nodaway Valley followed. They dropped their fourth straight game, to East Atchison 38-24, before recovering somewhat to beat South Holt and OSHS.
They lost center and defensive end, Blaine Clements (appendix), for a good chunk of the season before finally getting him back for the Wildcard game. Without one of the main pieces of their puzzle, Platte Valley was in rebuilding mode for much of the season.
With Clements back, their hopes were high that they could finally show what they were capable of. But after East Atchison got the ball to start the game, Brody Wennihan ripped off a 23-yard draw play to start the game. Gavyn Irvine should have been stopped for little or no gain on the next play, but broke a tackle and was gone to the races for a 27-yard score to make it 6-0 with 11:33 left in the first.
But suddenly, Platte Valley started playing the kind of smashmouth football they have built up under Johnnie Silkett and have sought to keep going under new coach Dallas Giedd. They started ramming the ball for 4-6 yards a carry behind Ridge Clements, Lucky Ferry, and Jayden Sturm to the Wolves’ 28 before Lucky Ferry ripped off a 26-yard gain to the two. He was shaken up on the play, but two crashes into the teeth of the Wolves defense got Platte Valley into the end zone. Platte Valley went to the Swinging Gate for the extra point try, and Ridge Clements ran it in to put Platte Valley up 8-6 with 7:00 left in the first.
But then the game threatened to turn into a shootout more reminiscent of Pattonsburg’s games as the Wolves bludgeoned Platte Valley with some big plays. A option play to Irvine gained 14, and a pass play from Wennihan to Irvine covered 20 to the 15. A pass to Braxton Davis-Schoonover was fumbled, but it rolled into the end zone where the Wolves recovered it for a score. Wennihan scrambled into the end zone to make it 14-8 with 4:22 left in the first. But Lucky Ferry came back and showed no ill effects as he took the kickoff and ran it straight up the middle and to the house with 4:00 left to tie it up again at 14-14.
But then the big play bug burned Platte Valley again. A bad snap buried East Atchison at their own 24, but it didn’t matter as a simple dive play to Irvine found nobody home and he took it 56 yards to the house with 2:52 left in the first. Then, nobody picked up Irvine coming out of the backfield, and he was all alone for the two point conversion to make it 22-14.
Dylan Klamm picked up a first down to the 35 for Platte Valley on the next series, but three more running plays netted nothing, and Ridge Clements led Klamm too far on fourth and ten, giving the ball to the Wolves with good field position. Mason Holaday dropped Irvine for a loss to force third and 11 at the Platte Valley 25, but then Wennihan scrambled for seven to the 18 to set up fourth and four. A counter to Irvine got the necessary yardage to the 12. On the next play, Wennihan was flushed out but found Braxton Davis-Schoonover and threaded the needle for a score with 7:40 left in the half. A counter to Tate Johnson made it 30-14 and it looked like the game was threatening to snowball for Platte Valley.
Sure enough, Brody Wennihan got a pick on the next series and apparently took it to the house. But the play was called back to the 19 by a holding penalty. Two plays later, Platte Valley got new life when they recovered a fumble at the 19.
With Platte Valley faced with fourth and two at their own 27, they elected to go for it and Ridge Clements faked the handoff to short-yardage guy Jayden Sturm and took it himself to the 30.
At that point, time was winding down, but Ridge Clements picked up eight yards to the 34 with 48 seconds left to make it manageable. They were faced with third and nine at the 33 with 31 seconds left, but a sensational catch by Mason Holaday set up first and goal at the 8. With 23 seconds left, Ridge spiked it to kill the clock.
Platte Valley tried to go to the ground again, but Klamm was dropped at the 11 with 14 seconds left. On third and goal, Holaday made a shoestring catch for a touchdown and Platte Valley was back in the game, down 30-20 at the half.
Platte Valley got the ball to start the second half, and the new half started off well for them as Sturm got seven tough yards to the 37 on two tries. Then, Lucky Ferry bounced outside and found nothing but daylight with 10:37 left in the third. Ridge Clements ran in the extra points to make it 30-28.
Gavyn Irvine answered with a 15-yard screen pass to get into Platte Valley territory at the 31. Platte Valley had a chance to get off the field after Irvine met Blaine Clements and Connor Nielson to set up third and ten at the 31. But a pass to Irvine netted 13 yards to keep the drive going and put the ball on the 18. Once again, Platte Valley made a big play, with Connor Nielson and Mason Holaday teaming up on a sack. The next play resulted in a fumble, and Holiday pounced on it at the 31 to give Platte Valley a chance to take the lead.
But a block in the back penalty put Platte Valley behind the sticks, and Wennihan broke up a pass on third and 15 as Platte Valley was forced to punt. The kick went into the end zone, forcing the Wolves to go 65 yards for a score.
However, the tackling once again broke down. Brody Wennihan should have been stopped for a short gain, but broke a tackle and picked up eight yards to the 23. On the next play, Gavyn Irvine should have been stopped for a short gain. But he broke a tackle and there was nobody else home as he took it 57 yards to the house to restore order. Platte Valley could have kept it at one score by stopping the extra point try, but as Wennihan was scrambling around, one of the backs came off the receiver and Wennihan found Brady Umbarger all alone to make it a two possession game again at 38-28.
Platte Valley started at its own 25, and Ridge Clements ripped off 11 yards for a first down at the 36. But a holding penalty put Platte Valley behind the sticks again, and they were stopped on downs at the 37.
They nearly got a stop again as Irvine came out for a few plays and Shaylon McNaughton was stood up to set up fourth and seven at the 34. But Wennihan scrambled again, and this time picked up 16 yards to the 18.
But this time, Platte Valley made a stand as Bruce Otto blew up a swing pass for a loss. A keeper by Wennihan was snuffed out and dropped by Connor Nielson and Jordan DeLeon, and a holding moved it back to the 28. A sack by Jayden Sturm forced a punt.
But East Atchison uncorked a good punt and pinned Platte Valley at its own 4. On fourth and one at its own 13, Platte Valley went for it since they were down two scores with time winding down. Jayden Sturm lunged forwards just enough to get the first down at the 14. But then Platte Valley got set behind the sticks and gave up the ball on downs at their own 14 with under four minutes.
Platte Valley tried to make a stand as Bruce Otto and Mason Holaday dropped Irvine at the 6 to set up fourth and two. But then a counter to Tate Johnson fooled everyone, and there was a hole for him big enough to drive a truck through as he scored to make it 44-28 with 1:39 left in the game. But Platte Valley managed to deny the extra point try, giving them a glimmer of hope if they were to score a touchdown.
Dylan Klamm gave Platte Valley new life when he ran back the ensuing kickoff to the Wolves 35. Ridge Clements came under a heavy rush as he misfired on his first pass, and then he misfired on his second as well. But then Lucky Ferry got behind the defense and made a juggling grab for a touchdown with 1:12 left, still plenty of time left if they could get the extra points and an onside kick. Ridge Clements fought his way into the end zone to make it 44-36.
Platte Valley lined up for the onsides kick, but it fell right into the hands of Braxton Davis-Schoonover at the Platte Valley 38. Platte Valley had two time-outs, leaving it six seconds between the play clock and the game clock. But on the last play, Wennihan scrambled around and Platte Valley could not strip the ball from him before time expired.
