SMITHVILLE, Mo. — All of the normal dramatics from a penalty shootout with heavy implications were removed.
Platte County junior midfielder Connor Currence celebrates his game-winning penalty kick against Smithville on Tuesday at Smithville High School in Smithville.
Platte County’s first-year senior goalkeeper Jordy Hedrick stopped the first and the third shot and watched a shot skied over the bar in between, meanwhile senior forward Aaron Cordova and juniors Gavin Nichols and Connor Currence calmly buried their attempts from the spot in a 3-0 clean sweep. The Pirates lost an early lead, overcame a late deficit and walked out away from Smithville High School with an important victory in Tuesday’s nonconference rivalry matchup.
With the result, Platte County earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Class 3 District 8 tournament, while Smithville sank to the fourth spot and a tough opening round draw of Kearney.
“I was ready,” Currence said. “I was focused and had my mind ready to get that game-(winning) goal right there. It happened, and I’m blessed and I’m glad we got that win.”
Platte County (12-5) ran the current win streak to five the following night with a Suburban Conference White Division shutout of Grain Valley.
Platte County freshman defender Jackson Goodale goes to clear a corner kick with his head during a game against Smithville on Tuesday at Smithville High School in Smithville.
Momentum seems to be building into the final week of the regular season with no result more important than toppling Smithville after going behind 2-1 early in the second half. The took their first lead in the 53rd minute off a dangerous set piece opportunity just outside the left side of 18-yard box along the end line.
A centering cross found freshman Carter Egbert for a wide open header that left Hedrick with no chance.
“We’re going to work on those set pieces and stop giving all those fouls back there,” Currence said.
From that point on, Platte County controlled the chances but struggled to find a way past Smithville sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Whitacre, who made nine saves. The Pirates’ moment came in the 63rd minute when awarded a penalty kick.
Cordova stepped up and fired low and to the left, only for Whitacre to paw the shot away with a dive. However, the ball scuttled back in front of goal where Cordova raced in to tap the shot home for his second goal.
“We had some calls that probably shouldn’t have been called, and they had some as well so I think it was pretty even on the board there,” Platte County coach Ashlyn Brantley said.
Moments later, Platte County clamored for a second PK when Whitacre appeared to hook Cordova’s leg and drag him to the turf during a melee in front of goal. However, the referee ignored the pleadings, and eventually, the two teams went to two 10-minute halves of sudden-death overtime. The Pirates nearly stopped the proceedings early four times — first in the 88th minute when Cordova found freshman midfielder Cameron Habel in front of goal only for Whitacre to slide out and intervene before a Warriors defender snuffed out Cordova’s potential followup.
In the 90th minute, Cordova’s right-footed shot from 19 yards out on the right skimmed just wide of the left post.
Platte County senior Mark Wiesehan back tracks to defend against Smithville on Tuesday night at Smithville High School in Smithville.
The second half of overtime featured two more chances. First, Platte County junior midfielder AJ Schrick opened up Nichols for a one-on-one situation with Whitacre managing a kick save to keep the score tied in the 93rd minute. Just before the final whistle, Pirates junior midfielder Ahoy Victore whistled a left-footed shot from 14 yards out just wide of the right post.
“The guys, each time that we brought them over heads were up; they were motivated, ready to go back up there trying to get that last one in,” Brantley said. “I was trying to motivate them with we just need one; we don’t need five — just one. We didn’t get it in, but we were creating those opportunities. That’s all you want in these types of games.”
Hedrick’s two penalty kick saves improved Platte County to 2-0 in shootouts and showed off his quick acclamation to the position. He joined the team just this year and has thrived while playing behind a completely new three-player backline of senior Mark Wiesehan, freshman Jackson Goodale and a combination of sophomore Daniel Bunge and senior Joseph Ibarra, who was held out for a fifth straight game after picking up an unnecessary red card in the Pirates’ most recent loss to Park Hill South.
“Jordan is a great keeper,” Currence said. “He’s developed over time. … Just being able to have him on the team is amazing. It’s a blessing for him, and his penalty shootout record is very good right now so we’re excited to have him back there for us.”
Platte County junior midfielder AJ Schrick challenges for a loose ball against Smithville on Tuesday at Smithville High School in Smithville.
Penalty kicks played a huge part in regulation and the ultimate result.
However, Platte County started on the front foot from the opening kickoff with a set play nearly leading to a connection between Nichols and Cordova in the opening minute. Whitacre came out to punch the ball away and keep Smithville from going behind on the opening run of play. However, the same forward duo for the Pirates linked up again in the 10th minute with a nifty series of passes leading to Cordova burying a shot from the middle of the box to make it 1-0.
“Having Aaron up there is awesome — and Gavin,” Currence said. “They’re two lethal weapons.”
Nichols nearly doubled the advantage moments later, but his shot from a tough angle trickled just wide of the far right post.
In the 13th minute, Smithville earned a penalty kick and used the opportunity to equalize despite Hedrick going low and getting a piece of the effort before it rolled into the net. Offense slowed from there, but Platte County had the better of the chances. Whitacre saved an unmarked header from Cordova, and Currence skidded a shot from 20 yards out wide late in the first half.
Tied 1-1 at halftime, Victore offered a couple of chances early in the second half, but Platte County wouldn’t lead again, doing enough to earn extra time and eventually a victory that improved the Pirates’ postseason positioning.
“We knew that we needed to win this game,” Currence said. “We came in here; we were ready to fight. Throughout the game, we were getting down on ourselves, but we were able to pick ourselves back up at the end.”
Platte County sophomore midfielder Julian Nemeth boots the ball upfield against Smithville on Tuesday at Smithville High School in Smithville.
Platte County 2, Grain Valley 0
Cordova continued his recent run of form with a free kick goal in the final minute of the first half Wednesday at Pirate Stadium for the eventual game-winner, while Hedrick recorded the Pirates’ fifth cleansheet of the season.
Victore added a second goal after halftime, and there was little drama in this rematch. The first meeting between the two teams went back and forth, ended regulation at 3-3 and went to a shootout. In that matchup with Hedrick unavailable, Platte County sophomore reserve goalkeeper Paul Havemeier led the way to a third shootout victory on the season for the Pirates.
Platte County improved to 5-0 in White Division play with a chance to earn the conference title with a trio of games slated for this week. The Pirates hosts William Chrisman on Monday and Thursday and travel to Raytown on Wednesday.
The start of districts will be Saturday against No. 7-seeded Guadalupe Centers (6-8-1) at Pembroke Hill High School in Kansas City. This will be a rematch of last year’s district final won by the Aztecs.
