During a program-defining stretch of seasons, Platte County ended up on the right side of many tight consequential duals.
Platte County junior Mitchel McBratney hits a shot during a singles match in a dual with Grain Valley on Monday at Platte County High School.
Grain Valley reversed that trend in cruel fashion Monday afternoon at Platte County High School, staging a comeback in singles to earn a 5-4 victory. The Eagles all but assured the Suburban Conference White Division title with the result in an anticipated matchup between rivals.
Platte County entered having won five straight in the series, dating back to a 2022 loss in postseason play. In the time since, the Pirates have advanced to the Class 2 playoffs in three straight seasons that also included conference championships.
“Obviously, the Grain Valley loss was really tough,” Platte County coach Zach Keith said. “To jump out to such a commanding lead, only to have them come all the way back and take four of the six singles matches while ending a nice little stretch of consecutive undefeated conference championships wasn’t easy for the guys, or us coaches for that matter. After a loss like that, everyone probably finds himself doing a little bit of soul searching. That being said, we reminded the guys that it’s important to be grateful for the fact that we have enjoyed so many opportunities as a result of that success, and when you have the privilege of playing in a lot of important matches, it’s going to hurt more when you lose them.
“Better to be in big matches and lose than to not be in big matches.”
Platte County junior Jacoby Keith hits a shot during a singles match in a dual with Grain Valley on Monday at Platte County High School.
Platte County (12-8) dominated the first two doubles matches to go final with the brother tandem of junior Jacoby Keith and freshman Lincoln Keith winning 8-1 at No. 3 and junior Mitchell McBratney and freshman Jackson Kluck adding an 8-2 victory at No. 1.
However, Grain Valley started to turn the tide with a 9-8 (7-4) tiebreaker win at No. 2 doubles. The Eagles then four of six singles matches in dramatic fashion to take the dual.
Platte County senior Jack Hokanson, playing at No. 6 and singles only, didn’t have any trouble at No. 6 (8-2), while Jacoby Keith took the No. 5 match (8-3). Those results gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead in the dual and left two matches to decide the outcome.
Needing only a split to win, Platte County came up on the wrong end of two 9-7 scores.
Grain Valley senior Marius Cooper survived three match points in a late comeback at No. 4 to beat Platte County junior Wyatt Beeson. The Eagles then prematurely celebrated a victory at No. 2 singles when junior Andrew Drinkwater won a game late against Pirates sophomore Jackson Kluck.
After confirming the match wasn’t over, Drinkwater won the final game, as well, to earn the tight victory over Kluck.
Platte County senior Jack Hokanson hits a shot during a singles match in a dual with Grain Valley on Monday at Platte County High School.
Platte County entered this season having finished second and fourth in state the past two seasons at the Class 2 level. However, only McBratney returned as a full-time starter from last year’s semifinalist team.
McBratney moved from No. 6 to No. 1 with Kluck, junior Owen Behne and Beeson all making big jumps in front of Jacoby Keith, who played a limited amount of varsity as a sophomore. Hokanson, senior Gabe Miller and Lincoln Keith have been the other main contributors at the back end of a talented but overall inexperienced lineup.
Platte County improved to 5-1 in conference play with a 9-0 shutout of William Chrisman on Tuesday at Platte County High School in a quick bounceback from the loss. The Pirates were without Beeson, Hokanson and Miller all out of the lineup but swept both doubles and singles in convincing fashion.
Jacoby Keith moved up to No. 4 singles, while junior Alexander Miller (No. 5) and Lincoln Keith (No. 6) also earned wins and combined for an 8-2 victory at No. 3 doubles.
Art Loepp Northland Invitational
Platte County finished tied for sixth out of 12 teams Saturday at Oak Park High School in Kansas City in the best chance to preview possible combinations for individual postseason play.
Platte County sophomore Jackson Kluck hits a shot in a singles match during a dual with Grain Valley on Monday at Platte County High School.
The B double steam of Jacoby Keith and Beeson posted Platte County’s best finish, as the No. 3 seed in their bracket. After a loss in the semifinals, they bounced back for an 8-5 victory over Liberty North’s Garrett Hagen and Dillon Von Gunten in the third-place match.
Hokanson (unseeded, B singles) and McBratney/Kluck (No. 6 seed, A doubles) both reached the consolation semifinals but lost the fifth-place match. Behne played B singles and went 0-2.
Platte County scored 12 team points in the same format as the Class 2 District 8 individual tournament scheduled for Friday at Platte County High School.
Zach Keith doesn’t know if he will use the same four entrants with the top two finishers in each bracket advancing to the Class 2 MSHSAA Tennis Championships. The Pirates have claimed five straight district singles titles — four from Gavin Nichols and Paul Havemeier last season — and advanced six doubles team to state in a span of five seasons.
McBratney played doubles in districts at least season and missed reaching the final and going to state by just one win while playing with one of six seniors who contributed to last year’s seven-player lineup.
