If Platte County keeps this up for two more games, the Pirates will celebrate a second straight title. And need to resuscitate its fans and parents from a few heart attacks too.

The Pirates (12-0) won its second straight playoff game in the final minutes, 46-33, at Grain Valley on Friday night to advance to the Missouri Class 5 semifinals.

Platte County, the defending state champions and undefeated since the end of the 2023 season, defeated Rockhurst, 29-22, last week on a game-winning touchdown run by quarterback Rocco Marriott with :02 left.

At least this week, he ran in the game-winner with 3:20 left.

The Eagles (8-4) and Platte County traded touchdowns throughout the quarterfinal matchup, much different than the Pirates' 54-23 win over Grain Valley in the season's second week.

After Platte County took a 14-7 lead into halftime, both teams traded scores for a 20-20 tie midway through the third quarter. Rocco Marriott connected with Braiden Stevens for a 20-yard pass for one of his five touchdown passes in the game, for a 26-20 lead with just over five minutes left in the third quarter.

Grain Valley took a 27-26 lead just under a minute into the fourth period on a fourth-down pass to sophomore Dawson Head. But Marriott's final touchdown pass of 52-yards to Ty Christopher gave PCHS a 32-27 lead with just 67 seconds later.

The Eagles took their final lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Cohen Morris to junior Terrell King for a 33-32 edge with 5:36 remaining. Platte County then engineered the game-winning drive, capped by a Rocco Marriott touchdown run of 33 yards down the left sideline, then through three Eagles at the pylon, for a 40-33 lead with 3:20 left.

Platte County sealed off any Grain Valley threat with an interception on the ensuing drive, setting the Pirates at the Eagles 6. Marriott then scored again on the ground for a 46-33 lead with 1:38 left.

The Pirates will face the winner of Kirkwood and Farmington's quarterfinal winner, played at 1 pm on Saturday.