PLATTE — Good things happen when Kenyon Kuiper and Jye Bailey have the football for the Platte-Geddes Black Panthers. 

The senior duo have proven to be a lethal combination, providing big plays on offense and defense. Bailey, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound quarterback/cornerback, is an electric runner that engineers Platte-Geddes’ offensive attack. Kuiper, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound running back/linebacker, is an elusive back that complements Bailey out of the backfield. 

“They are both breaking tackles, and it’s nice when last week (Wolsey-Wessington) kind of keyed on Kenyon and Jye had a big game,” Platte-Geddes coach Bruce Hanson said. “It’s been the other way around, too. So you have to kind of play everybody on our team.”

The Kuiper and Bailey combination was on full display on Sept. 26, powering a 64-28 win over Lyman in Platte. The pair combined for seven rushing touchdowns, and connected for a Bailey-to-Kuiper 48-yard touchdown reception. 

The offensive eruption was a sampling of the dynamic duo’s capabilities, forcing defenses to pick their poison against Platte-Geddes. 

“We love it, me and him just kind of go off one another,” Kuiper said. “If one is not playing well, the other one steps up, and vice versa.”

Platte-Geddes' Kenyon Kuiper (2) carries the ball against Lyman on Sept. 26 in Platte. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Against Lyman, Kuiper and Bailey showed off their playmaking capabilities. Kuiper scored on runs of 25, 7 and 13 yards. Bailey scored on runs of 75, 12, 45 and 6 yards. 

It was Platte-Geddes’ fifth game scoring 40 or more points this season. 

“We've been good all year offensively,” Kuiper said. “If one thing’s not working, we resort to another and that helps a lot because we got guys that can make plays. But I think we are pretty fluid on offense.”

And the pair credited their offensive line for making their jobs easier in the open field. 

“Our offensive line really killed it,” Bailey said. “We didn't throw the ball very much at all, but when you have an O-line like that you don't need to throw the ball. It’s been huge.”

Hanson echoed Bailey’s sentiments, saying the offensive line has been key in paving running lanes for the speedsters. 

“We’ve got a great combination,” Hanson said. “They get all the credit, but those guys up front are doing a lot of good things with Ryker Nachtigal, Tucker Van Zee — all of them. It’s a really good offensive line.”

Kuiper and Bailey were also instrumental in Platte-Geddes’ defensive effort against Lyman, which managed just six points in the second half. On offense, the Black Panthers scored 36 unanswered points to seize control. 

“We made the adjustments we needed,” Bailey said. “We rallied to the ball every time. We knew they were good at passing. We made the adjustments we needed and got the job done.”

Up next, the Class 9A No. 4 Black Panthers (6-0) will play at Class 9AA No. 5 Parkston (4-1) in a conference clash on Oct. 3. 

“Parkston is a good team,” Hanson said. “We will plan accordingly and our conference is tough. It will be a physical matchup.”