Quinn Lightle came in ready for a long-awaited season debut but ended up spending more time on the mat than planned.
Platte County sophomore Cade Crawford locks up a cradle in the 113-pound match of a dual with Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
There were no major concerns for the Platte County senior in the 285-pound match of Tuesday’s 48-25 Suburban Conference White Division dual victory over Belton. In fact, the 4-1 decision victory against Belton’s David Caldwell provided a chance to wrestle a full 6 minutes with a short runway left to the postseason.
Lightle came into the season with a lingering lower leg injury from football season that ultimately kept him out of action for a full two months.
“It feels great. I’m so thankful for the opportunity. I mean just with rehab and everything, it’s been a long process, but I’m glad to be back,” said Lightle, a starting left tackle who helped Platte County’s football team to a second straight undefeated Class 5 state championship while playing through the injury. “Got a good surprise in for how not in shape I am. I thought I was little bit more in shape, but yeah, it felt good. Means I need to work on my conditioning more.”
Lightle became the last of seven returning state qualifiers who helped Platte County to a memorable fourth-place finish in last year’s Class 3 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships to see action this season. The Pirates were without just one in the senior night dual in what has been an increasingly injury-riddled campaign set to conclude with a more difficult postseason assignment.
Platte County senior Liam Franksen records a pin in the 126-pound match of a dual with Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
However, Platte County came away with a much-needed victory after dropping back-to-back conference matchups with Fort Osage and Grain Valley.
Platte County sophomore Lennon Fitzpatrick took a forfeit at 106 pounds, and sophomore Cade Crawford, a returning fifth-place state medalist at the lowest weight, followed with a quick first-period pin of Malaki Fanning in the 113 bout. That provided an initial lead of 12, and Platte County never trailed.
With senior Gabe Wittel out for disciplinary reasons, Platte County dropped the 120 match with freshman Preston Harp making a spot start, but senior Liam Franksen’s pin at 126 kept the cushion. Platte County sophomore Ian Giese then wrestled tough late and limited Ravion Davis to a 10-1 major decision to avoid the recent trend of falling behind early.
“We got started off on a good roll and continued that,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said. “Ian’s been wrestling better and did some better things that he’s been getting coached on against a good kid. He did a great job at the end not giving up those extra bonus points.”
Platte County senior Grant Fadler wrestles in the 150-pound match of a dual with Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County then went into the more experienced part of the lineup, starting with junior Jaxson Shute — a two-time state finalist and 2025 Class 3 state champion at 120. He built a big lead an then pinned Trevin Harvey in 1 minute, 30 seconds in the 138 match.
That started a run of five straight victories that locked up the dual victory.
Platte County junior Chase Hulett (144) and senior Grant Fadler (150) also came up with pins, while sophomore Hank Marriott gave up the initial takedown but otherwise dominated in a 16-4 major devision over Blayne Barkley at 157. Platte County junior Jack Johnson ended up with a 19-4 technical fall concluding at the end of the first period in the 165 bout, increasing Belton’s deficit to 45-10.
Of that group, all have at least one state berth at this point except for Hulett, who continues to have an encouraging debut season after missing each of the past two seasons due to torn ACLs suffered in football as both a freshman and sophomore.
Importantly, Platte County couldn’t lose the dual after Johnson’s victory — a welcome result after disappointing outcomes in the last two conference duals.
Platte County junior Jack Johnson wrestles in the 165-pound match of a dual with Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
“We’ve had a tough stretch, but I think this win will boost our confidence,” Lightle said.
Fadler, Marriott and Johnson all recently bumped down a weight to optimize the lineup for the postseason.
Platte County then lost three of the final four matches with junior Justice Martin now at 175 and sophomore Max Shuey in at 215 with senior Cole Johnson — a three-time state qualifier and returning state runnerup — currently out due to a recent head injury. Belton won both of those matchups in addition to Jared Meineker’s 10-7 decision over Platte County senior Cooper Hammontree at 190.
Hammontree, a first-time state qualifier as a junior, dropped a second straight matchup by three points to Meineker. The two also met in the Platte County Invitational the previous weekend, and Meineker’s seven-point move late in the second period proved to be the difference this time around after winning with a takedown in overtime in the prior matchup.
“Just 15 seconds of kind of going off track,” Burress said. “He did some better things but just one thing that cost him. He’s getting close.”
Platte County senior Cooper Hammontree wrestles in the 190-pound match of a dual with Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Lightle, who missed a state medal by just one match in a breakthrough junior season at 285, scored a first-period takedown against Caldwell but added only an escape after that. Caldwell opted to start the third period in the neutral position with neither wrestler scoring in the final 2 minutes.
The grinding victory provided a positive cap on a night honoring seven seniors even with only four in the lineup. The honorees also included Peter Tremain, who combined with Shuey to fill in for Lightle during his absence.
“It was great to have Quinn back,” Burress said. “He’s been ready, chomping at the bit, and this was a good night to get him in (the lineup).”
Blue Springs South Tournament
Platte County won the team title in this event for the third straight year, finishing well atop the 10-team standings in the final tuneup before the start of the postseason in three weeks. The Pirates totaled 11 medalists with seven finalists, and Crawford (113), Shute (138), Fadler (150), Marriott (157) and Hammontree (190) all taking home individual titles.
Platte County sophomore Hank Marriott wrestles in the 157-pound match of a dual with Belton on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
The runnersup were Hulett (144) and Jack Johnson (165), while Fitzpatrick (106), Giese (132), Martin (175) and Lightle (285) all placed third.
Shute dominated his way to the 138 final and then won a 15-11 decision over Lee’s Summit’s Luke Nally. Marriott placed first in a tournament for the first time in his career, capping the run with a pin of Raymore-Peculiar’s Gage Medley in the 157 final, while Hammontree also scored a fall in the 190 championship match against Lee’s Summit North’s Deandre Harrell.
Hammontree beat Harrell with a 16-7 major decision in pool before the two rematched Saturday morning.
Crawford lost his final pool match in an 8-0 major decision for Father Tolton Catholic’s Athan Briggs but came back to avenge the result. Crawford took a 3-0 decision over Briggs in the 113 championship bout.
Platte County closes the regular season this week with a road dual at Truman before competing in Class 4 District 4 later this month. The Pirates have never been in the state’s largest classification before and must embrace the challenge in a season where multiple football players debuted late and Shute missed nearly a month due to a shoulder injury.
“It sucks going to Class 4, but we always welcome a new challenge and we’d never back down,” Lightle said.
