ALTAMONT — American troops arrived to fight in the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali won his iconic rematch over Sonny Liston, Medicare was established and Pittsburg beat Labette County in the two schools’ first meeting on the football field in 1965.
Sixty years and 42 games later, Labette County notched its first win over Pittsburg on Friday night as the Grizzlies beat the Purple Dragons, 2013.
“I’m not from here. But I’ve been here for 10 years and I know what it means to the community to win this game,” Labette County head coach Bradley Argabright said. “I’ve got five coaches on staff that are Labette County Grizzlies that never beat Pittsburg. I know how many people wanted this. I’m proud of the kids getting the monkey off their back and the community having pride in the accomplishment. It took all 48 minutes tonight.”
Friday night’s tilt came down to the final play. Pittsburg quarterback Jamarcus Davis, the Purple Dragons’ backup who started the second half, scrambled to the Grizzlies’ three-yardline before being thwarted by linebacker (and fellow quarterback) Aaron Wyrick as the clock read zeroes.
“The quarterback got outside the pocket and started rushing. We have great pursuit — we work pursuit drill every day,” Argabright said. “We know we’ll need great pursuit in crucial moments. Aaron (Wyrick) gets there, makes a great hit and the game is over. They had a chance to score. We don’t like that he got that close. But Pittsburg was always going to play until the final down. And it took until the last play to win the game.”
Wyrick’s tackle punctuated another solid game from a junior that’s flown under the radar in Labette County’s 3-0 start.
Wyrick completed 3-of-7 passes for 44 yards. He also rushed for two touchdowns and registered six tackles.
“Aaron played in the shotgun his whole life, so putting him under center has been a big change for him. But it’s always been about Aaron’s toughness,” Argabright said. “We ran sneak a lot with him tonight. He’s going to get banged up and hit. But he’s a wrestler. We expect that out of him. He’s been a really good football player with a great instinct for the ball. And he’s a great tackler at the point of contact. He’s our leader. He’s been very physical and very dominant.”
All of Labette County’s 20 points came in the first half — Wyrick’s two runs and another from Tayton Claibourne.
“We had great field position in that first half,” Argabright said. “It started with a great kick return to start the game. We usually have good drives with short fields. We know how to capitalize. It’s always about taking care of the ball and never beating ourselves. We didn’t give Pittsburg a lot of hope in the first half.”
Trialing 20-7 at the break, Pittsburg’s offense came alive in the second half when Davis came in for Jeremiah Lattimer.
Davis completed 3-of-7 passes, including two on the final drive, and rushed for 70 yards and a score.
“The big difference was the speed,” Argabright said. “He was a little faster than the starter. He hit the hole quicker. And they ran some different schemes in the second half that got some space for him. And he’s a lefty, so that was a little different. We had to make some adjustments. But he was a great runner.”
Labette County’s historic win over Class 5A Pittsburg also preserved the Grizzlies’ perfect start to the 2025 campaign.
“This is the result of us having kids that are bought in and believing in one another,” Argabright said. “They believed they could beat Pittsburg tonight. They didn’t just think they had a shot. They knew they’d win if they gave their best. It’s all about loyalty and brotherhood. They have a commitment to getting better, focusing on the gameplan and building momentum.”
Up next
Labette County travels to Wellington in Week 4.
“They had a great season last year that won in the playoffs,” Argabright said. “They’ve got a great running back. They’ll have a great team. Wellington is a football town. They’ll show up and they’ve had our number. So we’ll have to find some schemes that work. We want to get over that hump to beat these guys.”
