Fernandez’s 2nd state title, 5 total medalists fuel Platte County’s surge to 5th place as a team

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The pieces started to fall into place Saturday morning, and a wave of momentum suddenly put a storybook finish in play.

Platte County made a charge up the team standings of the Class 3 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships but ultimately ended up just a few results shy of finishing in the top four, an accomplishment that would have been equal parts memorable and unlikely. But rather than agonize over what could have been, the Pirates were able to truly relish in the accomplishments from the two-day tournament — a two-time state champion, a pair of finalists, five individual medals and all nine qualifiers winning at least one match.

In the end, Platte County finished fifth and was just three points away from tying District 4 rival Kearney for fourth and a share of a team trophy, which would have been the 16th in program history.

“Hey, this whole team wrestled hard and did a great job,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said. “We might have been the only ones who thought we could get a team trophy with this group, and if we did, we needed to grab it and run because we would have stole that thing. Yeah, we did a great job and couldn’t ask for much more.”

Platte County senior Jake Fernandez capped the weekend with a dramatic 1-0 decision victory over McDonald County’s Samuel Murphy to win the 215-pound bracket in a matchup of the past two state champions in their weight class, while Jaxson Shute reached the championship bout at 106 pounds, becoming the first freshman finalist for the Pirates in more than a decade.

In the end, all three of Platte County’s senior qualifiers walked away with medals. Caden Hulett endured three previous trips that ended with disappointment to go from unranked to third at 120 pounds, while Shane Leary finished his own redemption path to place sixth at 157 pounds. Both were first-time placers, while Fernandez made the podium for a third straight year.

Add in junior Darrell Smith’s inspired run to a fifth-place finish at 165 pounds, and Platte County found a way to post the best team finish since placing third in the 2018 Class 3 tournament with a pair of state champions. The Pirates definitively made the most from the largest contingent of qualifiers since 2019.

“The work isn’t done. We’ve just got to keep building and building,” Smith said.

Fernandez became the 50th state champion in Platte County’s storied history but incidentally had also been the 49th when he claimed the 220 title as a sophomore. That run included an overtime decision against Murphy in the semifinals, and the two met again during last year’s KC Stampede that also needed extra time but ended with a victory for Murphy.

A potential state final between the pair last season never materialized after Fernandez suffered a minor upset loss in the quarterfinals before coming back to finish third at 215 while Murphy won his state title after being third as a sophomore. They were again on opposite sides of the 215 bracket this year, making them the favorites to match up in the final.

“I was confident,” Burress said. “We knew what Jake could do.”

Fernandez (42-4) did his part in dominant fashion, opening with a second-period pin against DeSmet senior Ethan Flemming (21-13). In the quarterfinals, Fernandez needed just 17 seconds to take Washington senior Tyrese Thurmon down straight to his back for another fall that guaranteed him a third straight state medal.

Impressively, Thurmon came back to place fifth in the bracket.

“Could have been quicker. That’s the thing. He had (Thurmon) on his back in like 2 seconds,” Burress said.

In the semifinals, Fernandez faced off against Warrenton senior Jacob Ruff, who entered ranked No. 4 and coming off a state runnerup showing at 190 last year. The match went to the second period scoreless, and Ruff chose the bottom position but never escaped.

In the third, Fernandez scored a quick escape for a 1-0 lead and eventually added a takedown and a quick turn to score three near-fall points. Ruff eventually rolled through and earned a reversal but ended up with a 6-2 loss by decision.

Ruff finished with a 49-1 record and went on to place third after the lone loss this season came to Fernandez, who uncharacteristically gave up a pair of takedowns in a 9-7 decision over Van Horn senior CJ Nelson — fourth in the 215 state bracket — in the previous weekend’s District 4 final. Fernandez looked at his best in the final tournament, having fully shaken off any minor struggles that included a late-season loss to Class 2 215 state champion Brayden Bush of Pleasant Hill.

“I think I just peaked at the right time,” Fernandez said.

Murphy (47-4) needed a 2-1 semifinal win in ultimate tiebreaker to reach the final, and he didn’t score a point against Fernandez, who again prevented an escape for the entire two minutes of the second period. His escape in the third period ended up being the only scoring, although Fernandez appeared close to finishing a takedown in the closing seconds before officials ruled him out of bounds and put 4 seconds back on the clock.

That forced Fernandez, who had been warned for stalling once, to fend off desperation offense from Murphy before celebrating his second state title with Burress and assistant coach Gabi Musallam. The almost-always-stoic Fernandez even showed a hint of a smile while also understatedly putting up two fingers on both hands as the official raised his hand on the 154th and final victory of his career.

“It means everything,” Fernandez said. “This is what I’ve worked for my whole wrestling career, really. This whole season I’ve been grinding. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s came, and I’m glad it happened.”

Of Platte County’s nine qualifiers, only two reached the semifinal round, and both won those matchups to reach Saturday’s night’s finals.

Shute (39-4) entered ranked No. 4 at 106 but received a favorable potential path for his first three matches. He opened with a quick pin of Windsor (Imperial) freshman Lane Cobb (18-18) — just 57 seconds — and then wrestled a patient and effective quarterfinal against Washington freshman Gable Ohm (47-5), a surprise third-place district finisher.

After a scoreless first period, Shute held Ohm down for the entire second period and a took a 1-0 lead with an escape in the third. His lone takedown ended up putting Ohm to his back for a pin in 4:43 that sent him to the semifinals. The strong showings were welcome after Shute showed some nerves in a 2-1 District 4 semifinal win over Van Horn junior Mlondani Emoyi (27-15), who went 1-2 and didn’t medal at state, before going on to win the title and enter state as a No. 1 seed.

“He wrestled well to get into the finals,” Burress said. “He relaxed, got going and wrestled through some great situations.”

Farmington sophomore Aidan Hahn (43-5), a returning state medalist at 106, again limited scoring, but Shute’s strong work in the top position again led to a scoreless first two periods. Shute won a 3-1 decision with an escape and a takedown, only allowing one penalty point on a second stall call with 21 seconds left.

Shute went into the finals against second-ranked Branson freshman Ryzen Isringhausen (47-1) in a unique rematch of a youth state final from a year earlier — a 1-0 victory for Shute. However, Isringhausen scored a first period takedown for a 2-0 lead that held until Shute scored a tying reversal late in the third. He then held Isringhausen down, sending the match into overtime.

After a scoreless 1-minute sudden victory period, the matchup went to tiebreakers. Shute failed to score from bottom in the first 30-second period, and Isringhausen’s reversals in the second led to a 4-2 decision victory.

Shute became the first freshman to reach the final since Matthew Schmitt, a four-time finalist and three-time state champion at Platte County from 2013-16 who served as one of two coaches in the chair for this year’s 106 final. Incidentally, Schmitt lost his freshman title match at 106 by a score of 1-0 to Hannibal’s Chandler Fohey.

“As coach Schmitt would tell (Shute), you have to go score points. We just didn’t get it done tonight,” Burress said. “He’ll be back.”

Platte County sat in the top 10 of the Class 3 team standings from the opening minutes of the tournament on Friday but started a move up from eighth on Saturday morning when Shute won his semifinal. The Pirates went 5-0 in a round that also included third-round wrestlebacks with Hulett, Leary and Smith each earning their spots on the podium with their victories.

A rare four-time state qualifier, Hulett (37-12) reached the same point in the tournament last year before coming up one win shy of a state medal. He ended up in the consolation side of the bracket after a quarterfinal loss on Friday to a familiar opponent but closed his career with three straight wins to finish third.

Hulett entered all four state tournaments with a strong potential to medal but came up short in repeatedly agonizing fashion in the three previous trips, including last season when he suffered an upset loss in the opening round and lost a decision in third-round wrestlebacks to Hannibal’s Reign Creech — the eventual third-place finisher.

“Every year really, doubted myself. Wanted to quit the sport,” Hulett said. “The lows have been really, really low, but coaches picked me back up, put me back in it, and like I said, this year, just letting it all loose and really believing in myself, and look, that’s the difference.”

Hulett won this year’s first round but with a 49-second fall against McDonald County sophomore Robinson Yoshino (27-23) before matching up with Creech (45-8) at state for the third time in four years. In fact, the senior duo met up six times in their careers with Hulett winning the first three only for Creech to take the next three.

This one ended up with a pin for Creech in sudden victory after they went to overtime tied 1-1. Creech won last year’s state matchup in ultimate tiebreaker, and he also won a January bout at the Platte County Invitational with a takedown in sudden victory.

Hulett quickly bounced back and beat Windsor (Imperial) senior Brayden Balding in a 5-1 decision to advance to the third round of wrestlebacks. The medal-clinching win came via a tidy and clean 3-0 decision over DeSoto sophomore Brenton Drummond (39-9).

“I’d just say wow, what a great tournament (Hulett) had,” Burress said. “So happy for him how he went out. It’s been a lot of almosts and what-ifs. He didn’t have any what-ifs this time, coming back from that loss.”

However, the run continued, and Hulett’s 4-3 decision over Carl Junction senior Sam Melton (30-6) — a head-to-head result that briefly pushed Platte County in front of his opponent’s Bulldogs and into fourth place — sent him to what ended up an adventurous third-place match.

North Point freshman Brody Kell (39-18), who scored the opening takedown. Hulett scored the next two and took a 6-4 lead into the closing seconds, only for the official to controversially award a pair of stalling penalty points. The first came with 7 seconds left in regulation, and the second as time expired to force overtime. The match went to tiebreakers, and Hulett’s escape in the first of two periods earned him a 7-6 decision after he held Kell down for the full 30 seconds of the second.

Creech ended up suffering a semifinal loss to Hillsboro sophomore and eventual state champion Carter Wallis (38-5) and finished fifth.

“You know, as I’m sure everyone knows, four years of heartbreak, but if that heartbreak didn’t happen I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now,” Hulett said. “That’s all I thought. Let it all loose. I mean I got screwed on those calls at the end, but I mean we fight, fight, fight in practice so that’s what we do in tournaments.

“Last one, leave it all out there. I’ve been here. I’ve had all the heartbreak. I’ve been reversed to my back; I’ve been beat in the bubble match — all the stuff — so I’m prepared.”

After Hulett’s victory in the consolation semifinals to move into the third-place match, Leary and Smith both suffered losses to end up wrestling for fifth. Whitfield then made a move from sixth to third, passing Carl Junction, Platte County and Kearney to solidify a trophy position. The Pirates were stuck in fifth for the remainder of the tournament.

“We’ve had doubters all year, never being ranked in the top 10 as a team — only having two ranked wrestlers going in (to state),” Hulett said. “We know that going in, but like I said, we just fight, and that’s Platte County wrestling. And that’s on full display today.”

The podium finishes for Leary and Smith were crucial to putting Platte County in the race.

Leary became a two-time qualifier after finishing as the District 4 runnerup to Smithville senior Alex Hutchcraft (46-5), a three-time finalist and this year’s champion at 157. A year earlier, Leary entered state with a losing record and went 0-2 at 138 pounds. His second trip started with a 2-1 victory over Jefferson City senior Anthony Seneker (32-15), who allowed a reversal with just 2 seconds left in regulation.

In the quarterfinals, Leary tied his matchup with Hannibal senior Koen Ramage (27-5) on a penalty point with 24 seconds left and nearly pulled off another last-gasp victory. Instead, Ramage scored two near-fall points as time expired after thwarting an escape on his way to a state runnerup finish.

“I think that put a little relentless in him, and he didn’t want his career to end,” Burress said.

Leary then earned his medal with a 7-1 decision over Sikeston senior Jax Lancaster (33-13) and a 7-2 decision over Fort Zumwalt South senior Koen Erickson (37-12). His consolation semifinal and fifth-place match losses came to Washington senior Casey Olszowka (51-1) and Carl Junction senior Dexter Merrell (38-11). That means the final four losses of his career came to the four semifinalists at 157 — Hutchcraft in the previous week’s district finals and the other three in the state bracket.

Olszowka lost a 3-2 decision to Hutchcraft in a semifinal that ultimately decided the overall winner.

As a freshman, Leary helped Platte County win a Class 3 District 8 title in an altered postseason format due to COVID-19 protocols. He quit the team twice as a sophomore after finding difficulty breaking back into a crowded lineup, only to earn his way back and eventually close his career in accomplished fashion.

“He wrestled one match as a sophomore,” Burress said. “He kept believing, gets to the state tournament, works his butt off, gets back down here and gets a state medal.”

Like Leary, Smith (22-12) became a repeat state qualifier but again did so as a fourth-place District 4 finisher. He opened the season sidelined with a knee injury suffered in a preseason practice and entered the postseason with less than 30 matches.

The draw did him no favors with a matchup against No. 1-ranked Hillsboro senior Sam Richardson (48-3) awaiting in the first round. However, Smith went to the third period against the eventual two-time state champion in what actually helped change his outlook for his long road through the back side of the 165 bracket.

“My mindset, for real,” said Smith, who wrestled limited varsity as a freshman and went a quick 0-2 in last year’s first trip to state. “I was coming in fourth-seeded going against Sam Richardson, a really good dude. I just had to have a good mindset and keep working hard.

“That gave me a lot of confidence.”

Smith went 3-1 in his remaining matches, starting with a second period pin against North Point sophomore Brody Wilkes (15-19). However, he needed to upset No. 6-ranked Carl Junction sophomore Marcus Lopez-Durman (34-8) to advance to the second day. He did so with a pair of late throws — the first a five-point move to break a 1-1 tie and the second shortly after allowing an escape that finished off a 10-2 decision with Lopez-Durman on his back.

The momentum carried into the third-round wrestlebacks after having seen Shute and Hulett record wins and with Leary leading his match on an adjacent mat.

Smith took a 4-3 lead over Farmington senior Ethan Turner (38-8) with a takedown in the third period, but at the urging of Burress, he allowed a tying escape with under 30 seconds left. The final takedown in the closing seconds also went to Smith, who said there was no doubt he would score but that he didn’t want to leave too much time on the clock.

“You’ve got to have that dog in you, and I felt it from coach Burress,” Smith said. “He always tells me keep pushing, keep pushing, and my hard works going to pay off.”

Smith lost his consolation semifinal to Helias sophomore and District 4 champion Eli Homan (45-4) by fall late in the first period but closed his tournament with another memorable victory. This time, Smith took down Vianney senior Owen Dalpoas (42-10) once in the first period of the fifth-place match and then again in the second, turning the latter into a pin at 2:08.

Still a relatively raw and developing talent, Smith made the rare jump from fourth place out of districts to top six at state. The other three No. 4 seeds in the 165 bracket went a combined 0-6.

“Darrell not only hit his double-leg takedowns but also got to the single,” Burress said. “He hit some throws, countered some throws. That was by far the best tournament he’s wrestled start to finish. He just gained momentum as the tournament went on. I think he thought, ‘Why not me? Why can’t I go get a medal?'”

Platte County finished Day 1 in eighth place after all nine qualifiers contributed team points, but only five wrestlers were still alive at that point junior Evan Maccuish (150), sophomores Grant Fadler (132) and Cole Johnson (175), and freshman Jack Johnson (144) were all eliminated after going 1-2. All four suffered first-round losses before winning a wrestleback match with the three non-freshmen part of the group of seven making return trips to state.

A District 4 runnerup, Maccuish (32-15) fell behind early against Carl Junction freshman Aaron Dillingham (36-19), who recorded a pair of big-point throws on the way to a 17-5 major decision in a first round matchup. Maccuish then avenged a prior loss from the Platte County Invitational to Hannibal senior Peyton Elliot (25-12) with a 4-3 decision. The winning points came on a third period takedown, and Elliot failed to escape from bottom in the final 1:10 of the loss.

That set up a third matchup with Smithville sophomore Tristan Waters (34-19) in the second round of wrestlebacks. Maccuish pinned him in the third-place match of the Platte County Invitational, but Waters, a 2023 state finalist at 113, took major decision in the prior week’s District 4 final (9-0) and Saturday’s state wrestleback (14-5).

Dillingham finished sixth, while Waters did not medal.

“I definitely think he’ll work hard all year and get back down here and get himself a state medal next year,” Burress said of Maccuish, who went 0-2 at state last year as a first-year starting sophomore. “This will drive him next year.”

Fadler went 1-2 at state for a second straight year but received a difficult draw in the 132 bracket after entering as a No. 4 seed. Like Smith, he lost in the opening round to the eventual state champion — top-ranked Hannibal senior Tristen Essig (49-1).

In the opening wrestleback, Fadler (27-23) needed a late takedown to take a 6-5 decision over Camdenton junior Finnegan McNitt (37-9) but that led to a matchup with Jefferson City senior Braden Werdehausen (47-6), a hard-luck quarterfinal loser to North Point junior, defending state champion and eventual runnerup at 132 Kaden Purler (35-3).

Purler entered as a No. 2 seed out of District 1 due to a loss to Essig, who also topped him in the state final with a 6-3 decision. Fadler’s tournament ended with 4-0 loss to Werdehausen, who came back to finish third.

“He beat a 37-9 kid, and that was overall just a tough draw. He gave us everything he had,” Burress said of Fadler, who drew a state finalist in the opening round for a second straight year.

Cole Johnson rounded out a group of five making a second straight state appearance and also improved after a winless showing as a freshman.

Back in the 175 bracket after placing fourth in District 4, Cole Johnson (13-13) likely ended up showing some of the effects of a limited schedule due to a pair of injuries — one to his knee lingering over from football and the other a concussion suffered in the Platte County Invitational. He trailed big in his opening round match against Carl Junction senior and eventual fifth-place finisher Tony Stewart (47-5) and ended up pinned in the third period.

However, Cole Johnson appeared to quickly bounce back with a dominant 15-1 major decision over Holt senior Jacob Ketterman (28-20), who went to his back twice but avoided the fall. However, the second round wrestleback — the third match in a short period on Friday — looked different with Central (Cape Girardeau) senior Davarious Nunley (27-12) overcoming a brief 1-0 deficit after allowing an escape to open the second period on the way to a 12-5 decision victory.

Nunley lost his next match and did not medal.

“I think if he had more mat time this year he definitely could’ve won the last one he lost,” Burress said of Cole Johnson. “He needs more matches. That’s what he needs, and that did hurt him this year.”

Jack Johnson, Cole’s younger brother, entered as a district runnerup at 144 but struggled to create offense in his first state match. Fort Zumwalt South senior Austin Hunter (36-11) won a 7-0 decision and went on to place fourth in the bracket after reaching the semifinals.

In the first round of wrestlebacks, Jack Johnson scored the lone point of a 1-0 decision victory on a stalling call against Rolla junior Sawyer Black (33-19) late in the third period. That led to a third matchup this season with Smithville junior Brennen Green (45-11), who won all three — a pool matchup at the Platte County Invitational, the District 4 final and the state wrestleback. The last came in a 10-4 decision on the way to finishing fifth, while Jack Johnson finished his state debut at 1-2.

“He was in the matches he lost and tried to get to his attacks,” Burress said. “Hopefully, we can get him a bit better at setting up his offense and finishing shots. He’s got a lot to look forward to in the years to come.”

With just five in contention for medals starting Saturday’s action, Platte County seemed unlikely to compete for team hardware, but instead, the inspired individual pursuits led to a resurgence from one of the state’s most decorated and consistent programs over the past three-plus decades. The Pirates last had five medalists in 2018. The Pirates had been as low as 33rd (2020) and 24th (2023) in the Class 3 team standings in the five years since, and even in back-to-back seventh-place finishes in 2021 and 2022, they were never truly in contention for a top-four trophy.

That changed this year thanks to three inspired seasons and a burgeoning and developing group of underclassmen who look poised to lead continued success in the years to come.

“We knew we had a chance and just kept plugging along,” Burress said. “We didn’t quite get it done, but I’m proud of every single person on this team that helped us get here. Now, it’s time to get to work for next season.”