By Ross Martin The St. Joseph News-Press
Posted: November 8, 2011 - 11:03 PM

The very first play of Tuesday’s Class 1 sectional sent West Platte scrambling into its end zone.

East Buchanan’s Ben Frazier recovered a fumble for a touchdown on that first snap, and West Platte went on to spend much of the first half in its own end at Missouri Western’s Spratt Stadium. Bulldogs quarterback Cory Bower ran for three scores and threw for another in a 34-14 win, leading East Buchanan to the quarterfinals for a second straight season.

Down 6-0 after the very first play, West Platte (8-4) in vain to play from behind under persistent precipitation.

“We made them chase the points,” East Buchanan coach Kevin Bryan said. “That was huge.”

The opening snap from reserve center Michael Barnett, playing for the injured Colby Clemens, went over quarterback Luke Wetzel’s head and into the end zone. Instead of trying to knock the ball out of the end zone for a safety, Wetzel attempted to pick it up, only to see Frazier slide in for the touchdown recovery.

The early momentum swing played a big part in East Buchanan building a 28-8 halftime lead.

“If he was going to go for it, I was going to hit him,” said Frazier, a junior who recorded his second fumble recovery of the season. “I thought he was going to for it at first, but right as I dove, I realized he didn’t want to go for it. I didn’t have time to think about it. “Nice to fall (on it), but I would’ve run if I had to.”

After Bower added his third rushing touchdown on the opening possession of the second half to make it 34-8, West Platte found a rhythm behind a short passing game in the second half.

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