With the momentum clearly shifted, Platte County’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Ellie Kaser and Macie Keith found a way.
Platte County junior Katelyn Newberry hits a shot in a singles match during a dual with St. Pius X on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
A tight win over St. Pius X junior Evie Ward and senior Avery Smith allowed the Pirates to take a lead from the first three matches on the way to a very important 6-3 victory Wednesday at Platte County High School. The Warriors entered having won three straight in the series between the two teams, including each of the last two Class 2 District 8 championship duals.
“Ellie and Macie, I know they were getting a little bit nervous, but they came through under the pressure. I’m really proud of them for that,” Platte County coach Scott Blakley said.
Platte County improved to 9-2 overall and took control of postseason seeding in the middle of a busy week that also included locking up a third straight Suburban Conference White Division title.
With the dual tied at 1-1, Kaser and Keith took a seemingly commanding 7-2 lead in the No. 1 doubles match. Smith and Ward then won five straight games but completed the comeback in what ended up a crucial 9-7 loss.
Platte County juniors Katelyn Newberry and Jayne Muir were 8-3 winners at No. 3 doubles to give the Pirates the early lead.
St. Pius X (6-1) didn’t have enough in singles to keep a previously unbeaten team record intact. Platte County sophomore Clare Hayter prevailed 9-7 at No. 3 singles over senior Sydney Mitchell, while Newberry, senior Macy Doll and Muir were all 8-3 winners to lock up the dual.
Platte County senior Ellie Kaser hits a shot in a single match during a dual with St. Pius X on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
“Just played their game, played smart. Got it done,” Blakley said.
Kaser led 4-2 in the No. 1 match with Ward, a Class 2 MSHSAA Tennis Championships in singles a year ago. However, Kaser started to experience cramping after the lengthy doubles match and lost 8-5. Smith beat Keith 8-6 at No. 2.
However, Platte County took control of seeding for the upcoming Class 2 District 8 team tournament and the corresponding doubles bracket to determine individual state qualifiers. The Pirates’ only losses this season have been to Class 3 powerhouses Liberty and Liberty North.
Prior to Wednesday, Platte County’s only other victory over St. Pius X came in the 2023 Class 2 District 8 title match to produce the lone playoff appearance in program history. The Warriors then won the next three including regular season and postseason matchups last season.
Kaser and Keith were the Class 2 District 8 doubles champions, while St. Pius X swept the two state singles spots with Ward finishing as a runnerup.
Platte County’s 9-0 victories at Fort Osage on Monday, vs. Belton on Tuesday and at Truman on Thursday completed a perfect run through conference play. Against Belton, Kaser reached 100 career combined victories between singles and doubles — believed to be the third player in program history to reach that milestone.
