The postseason begins with experiences on the opposite end of the spectrum creating some uncertainty.
Platte County junior forward Rylee Carr looks for space against William Chrisman on Monday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County almost unfathomably created a 62-5 drubbing of visiting William Chrisman on Monday night at Pirate Fieldhouse. Just three days later, turnovers and struggles on offense in the middle two quarters led to a 58-47 loss at Fort Osage in Independence. The Pirates closed the regular season at 15-8 and finished 10-4 in Suburban Conference White Division play.
In the midst of a third straight winning season under coach Eric Mitchell, Platte County owns the No. 2 seed in Class 5 District 8 and opens play Thursday at home against Van Horn (13-12). The Pirates have generated an unquestioned turnaround since Mitchell took over, reaching the championship game in his first season and hitting the 20-win mark in his second, but have yet to break a playoff drought extending back to a Class 4 state title run in 2009.
Platte County continues to show form indicative of a state contender, perhaps most notably in dominating William Chrisman to start the week and bouncing back from a loss late last week at Belton. The Bears hit just one free throw in the entirety of the second half after trailing by 30 at halftime.
With a trio of double-digit scorers leading the way, Platte County scored the first 27 points of the game. Amani Harlin, a sophomore reserve forward, rolled in a 3-pointer late in the first quarter to put the Pirates up 13-0.
William Chrisman missed two free throws in the opening 8 minutes and remained scoreless until near the 5-minute mark of the second quarter.
Platte County junior guard Addie Ayers goes in for a layup against William Chrisman on Monday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County junior forward Rylee Carr scored seven quick points to open that frame with a three-point play stretching the lead to 22-0, and senior point guard Haley Barlow converted another after drawing a foul on a runout layup after a steal for senior guard Lauren Stone. The first three of her 10 points were the last of the 27 consecutive before William Chrisman finally hit a shot from the floor, and the Bears needed a second field goal in the closing seconds before halftime just to stay within 34-4.
Carr finished with a team-high 15 points to go with five rebounds, while Stone added 13 points, including three of Platte County’s five 3s, and added five steals. The Pirates received 16 points from reserves with junior guard Addie Ayers leading the way with nine. Harlin finished with five and freshman reserve point guard Kinleigh Howren added two plus four rebounds and two assists in extended action as the lead ballooned.
Platte County senior center Addy Schlake ended up in single digits in points for the fifth time in the last eight games with six but totaled team-highs of nine rebounds and five steals. Eight players scored for the Pirates with senior forward Haley Schank finishing with two points and five rebounds.
Just a few days later, Platte County’s offense went stagnant in the second and third quarters with just five points in each. The Pirates were just 17 of 44 shooting from the floor overall (38.6%) but rallied late to try and stage a comeback that came up short.
Platte County senior center Addy Schlake defends against William Chrisman on Monday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County led 15-6 after the first quarter but trailed by six at the break and then 15 going into the final 8 minutes. Ayers hit four 3-pointers and led the Pirates in scoring with 14 points, while Stone added 13.
Fort Osage only hit five 3s but shot 53.3% from the floor with 20 assists on 24 made field goals.
Schlake led Platte County with seven rebounds to go with eight points, while Carr (five), Schank (three), Barlow (two) and Howren (two) accounted for the final 12 points. The Pirates won’t have momentum going into the district opener against Van Horn but will have a chance to build confidence before a likely rematch with No. 3 seed Smithville (19-7).
In the first meeting, Platte County led most of the way and held on late for a 48-43 victory. The Pirates have won the past two regular season matchups, while Smithville advanced to the Class 5 playoffs last year and finished fourth in state.
St. Teresa’s Academy (16-5) owns the No. 1 seed after winning the Class 5 District 7 championship in 2024 and losing to Smithville by three points in the state quarterfinals.
