Photo Credit: Todd Nugent/PC Preps Extra 
Platte County opened postseason play with a 35-7 win over Raytown at home on Friday night.
The Pirates were in control from the start, holding the Bluejays to just 20 yards of offense in the first half.
"It's the playoffs, so you have to be focused," Platte County head coach Bill Utz said. "The weather was a little crazy this week, but they did a good job with film study and getting in spots where they needed to be."
Platte County scored their first three touchdowns on the ground, the first by Adam Gisler at 5:40 of the first.
With just three seconds left in the first, sophomore quarterback Rocco Marriott ran it in from six yards out to make it 14-0, after one.
Pirate linebacker Darrell Smith recovered a fumble and advanced it to the Raytown 20 midway through the second.
The Pirates cashed in just 2:20 later on Gisler's second rushing TD of the game and led 21-0 with five minutes to play in the half.
Platte County made it a 28-0 lead on a 26-yard pass from Marriott to Jack Utz and led by that margin at the break.
The Pirates opened the second half with a two-play, 59-yard drive and led 35-0 just 29 seconds in.
Raytown avoided the shutout with an 85-yard pass from Geguieffa Williams to Jordyn Robinson at 8:41 of the fourth.
Gisler finished with 106 yards on 13 carries for the Pirates.
"The team was ready to play," Utz said. "They came out and played well.
Platte County (8-2), ranked ninth in Class 5, will host Fort Osage (5-4), a 42-6 winner over Winnetonka in its postseason opener, next week.
The teams haven't faced each other since the 2021 postseason.
