Most successful senior class in Piper football history signs with colleges

This year's Piper Pirates football senior class had quite the resume.

The senior class won three district championships and three bi-district titles, but saved the best for last.

The 2012 Piper Pirates football team became the first Piper team to advance into the "Final Four" of the 4A state playoffs, winning a sectional and regional championship.

Four of the seniors who signed with colleges today were four of the biggest reasons why.

• Matt McDonald, Garden City CC: McDonald was an outstanding running back who came back from a career-threatening injury during his junior season. He was the leading rusher and touchdown-scorer for the Pirates this season.

• Paul Jones, Garden City CC: Jones was a terrific special teams player for Piper and made some big plays in the passing game. Piper head coach Chris Brindle compared him to Darren Sproles.

• Dalton Hays, Highland CC: Hays was underrated secondary player who made several key interceptions this season during Piper's postseason run.

• Keaton Cofield, Butler CC: Cofield was one of the best defensive players in the KC metro area and earned a spot on the Kansas Shrine Bowl. He was the heart and soul of Piper's defense this season.

ANOTHER THREE-PEAT: Piper knocks off Jefferson West to win bi-district title

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

For the Piper Pirates football team, it was about repetition.

For Piper senior running back Matt McDonald, it was about redemption.

McDonald, who suffered a season-ending injury in the first round of the 4A playoffs last season, played perhaps the best game of his Pirates career in Tuesday's 34-21 victory over Jefferson West.

McDonald scored four touchdowns in the game, including the game-winner.

But for the Pirates, it took awhile before shaking off Jefferson West. Jefferson West scored the opening touchdown of the game, a 25-yard touchdown pass that put the Pirates down 6-0.

Piper responded with its own touchdown drive to begin the game.

Sophomore Colton Beebe had the big play of the drive, a 40-yard rush. The senior McDonald finished off the drive with a 19-yard touchdown run, giving Piper a 7-6 lead.

After struggling on its opening drive, the Piper defense stiffened up for most of the first half.

After they forced Jefferson West to go three and out, Piper began another drive that featured a lengthy Beebe run and a McDonald run that ended it.

Beebe had about a 20-yard carry, setting up McDonald's second touchdown of the game - this one coming from 35 yards out at the 8:18 mark of the second quarter.

"It was a fun game for me tonight," McDonald said. "It's been hard work and my lineman played hard and blocked for us."

Jefferson West did not go away.

After taking the ball over deep inside their own territory, Jefferson West's offense gashed Piper's defense, using misdirection plays and a quarterback sneak on fourth down to finish the drive with a touchdown.

The two point conversion left the score tied at 14-14.

In the second half, two unsung heroes stepped up to make big plays for the Pirates.