A modified early start didn’t avoid issues with the weather, and ultimately, Platte County couldn’t extend the season in a 3-1 loss to East (Kansas City) in Monday’s lengthy proceedings at Pirate Stadium.
Platte County’s season ended on a three-game losing streak, the last one a Class 3 District 8 opener that took more than three hours to complete due to intermittent lightning delays. The Pirates went 7-11 overall and bowed out earlier than expected after earning the No. 3 seed in the eight-team bracket.
The 2023 state champions, East (8-11) plays top-seeded Northeast (Kansas City) (16-3) in Monday’s championship game.
Platte County owned wins over four of the teams in the Class 3 District 8 bracket but ended up knocked out in the first round of the postseason for a second straight year. There were only five seniors on the active roster against East with just two full-time starters — forward Camden Noller and sweeper Kaden Kampmeyer.
A year earlier, Platte County’s experienced lineup decisively lost to Liberty North in Class 4 District 8 when the Pirates were moved up to the state’s top postseason classification for the first time in program history.
The rebuild became more complicated for Platte County when junior defender Kai James-Gallimore and senior midfielder Ryan Waldman were lost to offseason knee injuries. The Pirates then battled other injuries throughout the season that further shuffled lineups, especially on the defensive backline in front of second-year starting goalkeeper Jack Girdner.
East built a 3-0 lead in Monday’s district matchup, and Platte County’s lone goal came from junior Kayden Roy in the 78th minute with the outcome no longer in doubt. The Pirates’ defensive backline ended up utilizing junior Ethan Quick and senior Wyatt Beeson on the outside down the stretch, while junior Sawyer Sullins eventually slotted into the middle in front of Kampmeyer in wake of a knee injury to junior Josiah O’Rourke early in the season that limited his availability.
The combination of inexperience and injuries finally caught up to Platte County, although a large contingent of returners gained valuable experience in a season that included wins over three of the top five seeds in Class 3 District 8 — Lincoln Prep (No. 2), Kearney (No. 4) and Smithville (No. 5).
The group includes a very diverse group of players including juniors Isaac Johnson and Tyler Bagwell and sophomores Ayden Neely, Elijah Smith, Daniel Frame, Lucas Walton, Austin Claxton and Adam Krahenbill plus freshman Judah Caraballo.
However, Platte County heavily leaned on Noller this season in a standout career that included serious injuries as a freshman and junior that limited his playing time. Roy, Frame and Smith were the Pirates’ other top scorers this season for an offense that averaged just under two goals per game.
