Gavin Nichols came back to show what makes him one of the best players in the Northland in three dual victories this past week.
After battling a minor injury and some cramping the week prior, Platte County’s junior No. 1 went a perfect 3-0 in singles and 3-0 with senior doubles partner Mason McBratney — the only player for the Pirates without a loss during tough wins over Kearney (8-1), Staley (5-4) and Park Hill (6-3). They have won seven straight duals since a season-opening loss to Blue Springs South.
Nichols and McBratney came up big with a dominant 8-3 victory at No. 2 doubles Friday against Park Hill at Platte County High School. Coupled with a 9-8 (7-4) triumph in tiebreaker for seniors Jack Forrest and Nathan Vanek at No. 1, Platte County took a 2-1 advantage into singles but then had to endure a 30-minute lightning delay. The Pirates then won 4 of 6 matches — all competitive and only one decided by more than three games.
Platte County senior Jaron Cook (No. 6), Vanek (No. 3) and Forrest (No. 2) all won by a score of 8-5, while Nichols held off Park Hill junior Tristan Houchin 8-6.
“Before the match I challenged the guys to really step up against a quality opponent,” Platte County coach Zach Keith said. “We didn’t play our best against Staley or Kearney, and I wanted them to go into the weekend with good energy and positive mindsets moving forward. I was really proud of the way we played. This was a fun, competitive match.”
Platte County entered off of a nonconference home win Thursday over rival Kearney at Platte County High School.
While the final score ended up lopsided, Platte County held a 2-1 lead after doubles after splitting two tight matches. Nichols and McBratney were 8-1 winners at No. 2, while sophomore Jack Bralley and senior Jaron Cook escaped with an 8-6 victory at No. 3. The Pirates then dominated singles with McBratney (10-1) and Cook (10-0) starting the sweep. Nichols won 10-3 at No. 1, while Forrest and Vanek both prevailed by scores of 10-4.
Bralley put in a strong effort to hold on for an 11-10 (10-3) tiebreaker victory for Platte County at No. 4.
“Kearney is a district opponent, so it was nice to see them during the regular season and get a convincing win over a school that typically plays well against us,” Keith said.
Platte County also earned a road win over Staley on Wednesday in Kansas City.
Staley trailed 2-1 out of doubles before the teams split the six singles matches on a windy afternoon. Nichols and McBratney (8-3) and Bralley and Cook (8-2) were strong in the No. 2 and No. 3 matches. However, Staley won the first two singles matches to go in front 3-2, and Nichols had to come back from a 6-3 deficit to beat Liam Colebank 8-6 at No. 1.
Vanek dominated 8-1 at No. 3 singles, and McBratney was also victorious at No. 5 (8-3) to close out the victory for Platte County, which improved to 8-4 all time against Staley after both teams started programs in the 2008-2009 season.
“The big takeaway was their ability to secure two out of three doubles matches, which proved to be the difference on a day when singles was a struggle,” Keith said.
Platte County now sits at 7-1 overall and should have the inside track for the top seed in Class 2 District 8. However, the Pirates will face another tough week of competition at Oak Park (4-2), vs. Park Hill South (6-3-1) and at Central (St. Joseph) (9-0).
