Shute returns to action, captures 1 of Platte County’s 2 individual titles at home tournament

The first two matches for Jaxson Shute were about reacclimating to the basics then came the chances to fully test limits in the first action after a prolonged absence from the lineup.

Platte County’s standout junior passed on all accounts, winning the 138-pound title in the 54th annual Platte County Invitational on Friday at Pirate Fieldhouse. The pending threat of inclement weather shortened the tournament to one evening and 16-man brackets in a potentially beneficial setup for Shute, who missed a full month after suffering a shoulder injury in December’s KC Stampede.

With three total finalists, Platte County finished second in the final team standings with Shute filling one gap in the lineup while a recent head injury forced senior Cole Johnson back out. Shute and junior Jack Johnson (165 pounds) were the Pirates’ only champions.

Platte County couldn’t quite catch first-place St. Michael’s the Archangel (202 1/2 points) for the team title. The Pirates ended up with with 175 1/2 and held off third-place Oak Grove (161 1/2 points) in a breakaway top three.

In addition to the individual champions, Platte County sophomore Cade Crawford came in second at 113 pounds while junior Chase Hulett (144) and senior Cooper Hammontree (190) both suffered decision losses in the semifinals before ending up third. Paired with quarterfinal losses for senior Grant Fadler (150) and Hank Marriott (157), the Pirates didn’t quite have enough to keep pace with St. Michael’s seven medalists even with standout junior Brodie Purtle not in the 190 bracket.

A two-time Class 3 state finalist and 2025 champion at 120 pounds, Shute recorded dominant technical falls over Van Horn senior Antonio Bonomo and Blue Springs junior Aiden Bowman with both finishing in the second period. Shute went the full three periods in a 12-4 major decision over Excelsior Springs junior Carson VanDoremalen in the semifinals, recovering after giving up an early reversal following the match’s opening takedown.

That set up a final with Olathe North (Kansas) junior Jaxson Scott, a 2025 Class 6A state finalist at 126 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Shute rode out Scott for the entirety of the second period and then scored the lone point of a 1-0 decision early in the third. This marked Shute’s second home invitational title after also claiming the 106 championship as a freshman.

Jack Johnson wrestled barely more than 2 minutes total in his season debut at 165.

Platte County moved Jack Johnson, Marriott and Fadler each down a weight class in what appears to be a look at the preferred postseason lineup. Jack Johnson drew an opening-round bye then pinned St. Michael’s senior Braden Knipp in 1 minutes, 42 seconds and Mid-Buchanan senior Grady Coons in 25 seconds to reach the final.

Carthage senior Lenny Escobar medically forfeited the championship bout after knocking off top-seeded Olathe North senior Ashton Kieth in the semis.

One of just three returning state medalists, Crawford held the top seed and opened with an 11-0 major decision over William Chrisman junior Cameron Russell and then faced Blue Springs freshman Becorath Moore for the second time in just over weeks in the 113 semifinals.

In a recent dual, Crawford scored an 18-3 technical fall, but in the rematch, he needed a late takedown of Moore for a 6-5 decision.

Oak Grove freshman Lex Johnston wasted little time in the championship in securing a pin after 1:36 in an impressive showing against Crawford, who finished fifth in Class 3 at 106 last season. The Pirates have seven returning qualifiers on the roster with Shute, Crawford and Cole Johnson (second at 215 in 2025) the previous medalists. Fadler, Jack Johnson, Marriott, Hammontree and senior Quinn Lightle have all qualified at least once.

Hulett adds depth to this year’s lineup after missing the past two seasons after suffering a torn ACL in football season as both a freshman and sophomore. He went 3-1 in the 144 bracket and nearly upended the No. 2 seed in the semifinals.

After a 22-second pin in the first round, Hulett recorded a 16-1 technical fall against Blue Springs senior Dom Payne. Hulett then faced St. Michael’s senior Austin Stevick, a two-time state qualifier, in the semifinals.

Stevick managed a reversal in the closing seconds of the second period, and Hulett’s escape in the third ended up the final point of a 2-1 decision loss. Hulett then came back to pin Mid-Buchanan senior Gus French at the 2:06 mark of the third-place match.

Hammontree ended up with the No. 2 seed at 190 and also went 3-1, starting with a 9-2 decision against Olathe North sophomore Joash Brandt in the first round. Hammontree pinned Excelsior Springs freshman Landry Hays in the closing second of their quarterfinal to guarantee a top-four finish.

In the semifinals, Hammontree and Belton senior Jared Meineker finished an adventurous three periods tied 6-6, but Meineker earned a 9-6 decision after the conclusive takedown in the 1-minute sudden victory overtime period. Hammontree took third after William Chrisman senior Vershawn Dudley medically forfeited following a semifinal loss to Smithville senior and eventual champion Haze Middleton.

Platte County sophomores Ian Giese (132) and Lennon Fitzpatrick (106) both finished fourth and just missed medals.

Giese received a bye into the quarterfinals and promptly pinned Olathe Northwest (Kansas) sophomore Braxton Ysusi to move into the semifinals. Giese closed with back-to-back decision losses — 5-1 to St. Michael’s freshman Wyatt Avila and 7-4 to Belton freshman Santiago Diaz Suarez in the third-place match.

Fitzpatrick received a bye to the semifinals of a six-man bracket at 106 and went 0-2.

Fadler’s day started with his 100th career victory, an 18-3 technical fall against Capital City’s Zayne Green. However, Fadler dropped his quarterfinal against Excelsior Springs senior Gaige Carr 8-3 before winning the fifth-place portion of the bracket.

After a pin against Belton senior Jordan Baar, Fadler won a 21-5 technical fall over Mid-Buchanan senior Maddox Kountz.

Marriott seemed headed to the semifinals and medal rounds after a pin in the first round and taking a 12-2 lead on Oak Grove sophomore Amos Parks in the 157 quarters. He eventually reversed Marriott to his back and pinned him on the edge of the mat at 4:46 with more than a minute left in the third period.

After a technical fall against Van Horn senior Logan Chamblin, Marriott closed with a 6-3 decision over Blue Springs senior Brock Combs.

Nearly the entirety of the back half of Platte County’s lineup started the season late after helping the football team to a second straight state title. That likely delayed the moves down for Fadler, Marriott and Jack Johnson, while lingering injuries kept Cole Johnson out until a triangular with Ruskin and Raytown nine days ahead of the Platte County Invitational. He went 1-0 and then suffered a head injury two days later during the Blue Valley West Dual Tournament and now will be back out indefinitely.

Lightle has yet to wrestle this season but is scheduled to debut in Tuesday’s home dual with Belton on senior night.

Grain Valley 41, Platte County 38

A controversial pin call in the 144 match of last Tuesday’s Suburban Conference White Division dual made a big difference in the final result at Grain Valley High School.

Hulett trailed Grain Valley senior Zac Bleess 1-0 in the second period when the two wrestlers went into a scramble. The official ruled Hulett essentially pinned himself while draped over Bleess’ back while trying to avoid a takedown, giving the Eagles six critical points.

A win for Hulett or a loss by decision would have given Platte County the dual victory had the other results held the same. Instead, the Pirates dropped to 10-7 overall in duals and 3-2 in conference with matchups against Belton and Truman still left on the White Division slate.

Had the dual ended at 38-38, Platte County would have won via the tiebreaker of more forfeits with Grain Valley having four to just one for the Pirates, who were without Shute at 138.

Platte County’s head-to-head wins came from Crawford (17-0 technical fall at 113), Fadler (7-2 decision at 157) and Jack Johnson (pin at 175). The Pirates were up 38-35 after Marriott, Hammontree and freshman Phin McMain took forfeits at 165, 190 and 215 with Jack Johnson’s win also in a run of five straight victories.

However, Grain Valley junior and returning state medalist Maui Sua, who wrestled last season in Class 3 at Northeast (Kansas City), pinned Platte County sophomore Max Shuey in 27 seconds to seal the outcome. McMain and Shuey have spent much of the season wrestling up a weight with senior Peter Tremain also seeing time at 285 for the Pirates with Lightle out.