From the opening kickoff of the season to the final gun, Platte County looked to run it back for consecutive state titles in 2025. And the Pirates did just that on Friday night.

Platte County overcame an injury to star senior quarterback Rocco Marriott and key replay calls to win its second straight Missouri Class 5 title, 34-28, in overtime over Carthage at Missouri Western’s Spratt Memorial Field. The Pirates also won their 28th straight game with the victory.

The Pirates (14-0) looked like they were going coast to another big win, as PCHS racked up an average of 55 points in the last two playoff games. PCHS got up 21-7 early in the second quarter, starting with an Adam Gisler eight-yard touchdown run. But on the second score – a Marriott seven-yard touchdown run – the quarterback sustained a leg injury during a hit on the play.

Gisler put the Pirates up by two scores with a 98-yard touchdown run with 9:15 left in the half, his second rushing touchdown of the night. The senior running back piled up a game-high 144 rushing yards during the contest.

But Carthage (12-2) started chipping back with two scoring drives. The first ended with an apparent fumble into the end zone and a PCHS recovery, but the call ended up as a Carthage score. Then the Tigers engineered an 11-play drive that ate up 6:08, capped by a Zane Browning one-yard quarterback keeper for a 21-21 tie entering halftime.

Marriott, who wasn’t as mobile after the injury, did find senior wideout Tres Baskerville with a pass late in the third, who jetted for a 66-yard touchdown reception with 1:47 left in the period. Baskerville ended with a game-high 86 yards for the night.

But the Tigers again pieced together an 18-play, 70-yard drive that nuked 9:41, capped by another Browning eight-yard run for a 28-28 tie with 3:59 in the game. Browning finished with 62 rushing yards, while Landon West added 124 rushing yards and a score for Carthage.

Platte County didn’t hesitate in overtime, as Marriott immediately connected with Gisler for a 25-yard touchdown and a 34-28 lead. Carthage took its shot, and initially appeared to fumble the ball to PCHS, but a replay overturned the call to a downed runner. However, the call didn’t matter, as the Pirates held, capped by an incomplete pass on fourth down, and celebrated its second state championship, this time just 29 miles away from the school.

The win marked the fifth state championship for Platte County, including 2000, 2001, 2002 and the titles in 2024 and 2025.

Other Friday championship scores
Class 3: Seneca 33, Lift for Life 26
Class 1: Tipton 39, Putnam County 14

Saturday championship games

11 am: Kearney vs Hannibal (Class 4)
3 pm: St. Pius X (Festus) vs Blair Oaks (Class 2)
7 pm: Lee’s Summit vs Nixa (Class 6)

Stats provided courtesy of MSHSAA