By Morgan Guyer
Platte Valley and Worth County Football Teams met under the lights in Grant City on August 25 for a highly anticipated match-up between two top five ranked teams in Missouri 8-Man Football. The season opener for both teams was everything you would expect, as Platte Valley came away with a 38-34 victory in a thriller.
It was a rematch from last year’s Class 1 District 4 semifinal when Worth County came away with a 46-28 victory. Getting some revenge wasn’t the main motivation for Platte Valley in week one, but it was certainly in the back of their minds. Early on in the game, Worth County jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and it looked like they could start to get a big lead. Platte Valley had other plans however, answering with two touchdowns of their own, and eventually went into halftime trailing Worth County 16-20.
The second half was when Platte Valley really began to get rolling, as senior QB Aydan Blackford went 63 yards on a scramble to open the third quarter. Worth County answered with a touchdown of their own, taking back the lead 28-24. That’s when junior Mason Casner scored his second touchdown of the game, running the ball in from 41 yards out. Blackford would get his second rushing touchdown of the game as well, giving Platte Valley a 38-28 lead heading into the final quarter.
Worth County would end up adding another touchdown, but a late interception by senior Brandon McQueen and some smart clock management helped Platte Valley put the game away. Head Coach Johnnie Silkett was happy with the performance.
“I’m proud of our boys. We got better as the game went along,” Silkett said. “I didn’t know for sure what to expect in the first game after replacing some great players from last season. We had kids growing from the first quarter to second quarter, and we really started to gel as a team.”
Beating Worth County on the road to open the season is a statement win for Platte Valley, and they will look to continue their momentum against Princeton on September 1 in Hopkins.
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