Photo Credit: Ross MartinWEBB CITY, Mo. — Rocco Marriott bought the time. Tres Baskerville did the rest.
Two of Platte County's junior offensive stars connected on what looked like an ordinary pass play late in the third quarter. Marriott's jumping throw found Baskerville along the visitor's sideline at Cardinal Stadium and broke two tackles and zigged across the field for an exclamation point touchdown in the Pirates' emphatic 35-0 victory in Friday night's Class 5 semifinal.
The 56-yard scoring play started a running clock on Webb City's first shutout loss since 2003 against Kearney.
"To play here in November means you are doing something right," Platte County coach Bill Utz said. "To come in a play the way we did and get a win is awesome. It doesn't get any better. It's one of the best stadiums to play at in the state. I'm nothing but proud of these guys."
Marriott totaled three touchdowns — two on the ground in the early going — and Platte County junior Adam Gisler added a pair of rushing scores.
Webb City (6-7), which finished with a losing record for the first time since 1982, committed three turnovers and regularly turned the ball over on downs around midfield. Platte County senior safety Darrell Smith recovered two fumbles, forcing one of them to blow up a double reverse and eventually falling on a loose ball. The Pirates recorded their third shutout of the season and second of the postseason.
"The four times we've played them, we've had the same coaching staff," Utz said. "We've seen it enough that we've been able to look at it enough that we know how to do it; it's just a matter of if we can do it. I think there's a lot of people that know that offense this way, but we had some confidence coming into it. Our kids did a tremendous job."
Platte County (12-0) took the opening kickoff, and unlike the previous week's Class 5 District 8 championship game win over St. Pius X and needed a methodical drive to take a 7-0 lead. The Pirates overcame a pair of penalties before turning a fourth and 1 at the 19 in a touchdown for Marriott, who kept the ball going right and ran behind a fullhouse backfield that included Gisler and senior running backs Dayton Doll.
Webb City took the ball with 5 minutes, 30 seconds left in the first quarter and moved across midfield before turning the ball over on downs. Marriott engineered a second touchdown drive and plowed into the end zone out of the same shotgun-power look to put the Pirates up 14-0 with 8:59 left before halftime.
Gisler's touchdown runs of 28 and 33 yards came on either side of halftime with Platte County scoring on four of the first five full possessions. The Pirates' other drive came after Smith's first fumble recovery late in the second quarter but ended with them fumbling back.
"That first drive, the 6-minute drive, was a killer, especially the way we did it," Utz said. "All three scoring drives in the first half were that way. Take the fumble away, and it was going to be four. I thought our guys did a great job of implementing the game plan and doing what they needed to do."
After Baskerville's touchdown, Platte County managed to hold the shutout with Webb City calling timeouts until the final seconds. The final play ended with Pirates sophomore defensive end Brody Hawk recording a sack and junior defensive lineman Cooper Hammontree recovering.
Platte County evened the all-time series with Webb City at 2-2. The Cardinals won the first two in 2017 (Class 4 semifinal) and 2019 (Class 4 Show-Me Bowl) but lost a 2020 Class 5 semifinal and Friday night's matchup.
Next up, Platte County plays in the state semifinals for the first time since 2020 and ninth time overall in program history. The Pirates host MICDS (11-2), likely next Saturday at a time to be determined.
Platte County plays a semifinal at home for just the third time — 1999 (Class 3A loss to Aurora) and 2002 (Class 3 win over Seneca).
