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Photo Credit: Todd Nugent/Special to PrepsKC

Complete Box Score and Play by Play

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Platte County didn’t quite extinguish the clock and left just enough time for some dramatics.

Forced into predictable pass situations out of the normal comfort of the veer option, Webb City needed big chunks of yards in a hurry. The Cardinals drew a pair of personal foul penalties to reach midfield in the final 38 seconds of Saturday’s Class 5 quarterfinal, but a final pass attempt from reserve quarterback Eli Goddard while in the grasp of multiple Pirates defenders fluttered harmlessly to the turf at Cardinal Stadium.

Commence celebration.

Platte County senior quarterback Chris Ruhnke threw three touchdowns, including a 9-yarder on fourth and goal to senior wide receiver Colby Rollins with 5 minutes, 58 seconds left to provide the final lead change in a 24-21 victory over No. 2-ranked Webb City. The Pirates then came up with a pair of stops to topple one of the state’s most revered and successful programs.

“This whole year has been awesome with this new group of guys. I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words,” said Ruhnke, who went 19 of 46 for 218 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. “It’s awesome, especially moving up classes to go back to the state championship (game) again.”

The two teams met in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.

Webb City won a 21-18 thriller in a 2017 Class 4 semifinal, and the Cardinals romped to a 48-0 victory in last year’s Class 4 Show-Me Bowl. Both teams moved up to Class 5 this season to set up the possibility of a unique rematch.

The third matchup looked much more like the first.

After a scoreless third quarter, Webb City took its first lead of the game in an abnormal manner with senior quarterback Cole Gayman converting a third-and-14 with a 49-yard bomb to wide receiver Cohl Vaden and then adding a 33-yarder to Mekhi Garrard on a second and 17 to set up first and goal at the 4.

Two plays later, Webb City running back Dupree Jackson went into the end zone from 4 yards out to make it 21-17 with 9:25 remaining.

Ruhnke provided the answer, guiding a 64-yard touchdown drive. He converted third and 4 with an 8-yard pass to senior Joey Schultz (five catches, 66 yards) and third and 4 with a 24-yarder to sophomore Carter Salzman (four catches, 70 yards). Webb City then committed a roughing the passer penalty on fourth and 9 to set up first and goal at the 9.

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