Zach Keith never fails to reflect on the past, even as the present continues to produce more and more historic success.
Platte County senior Jaron Cook hits a return during a match in the Class 2 District 8 championship dual Wednesday against Grain Valley at Platte County High School.
Platte County’s players have fully bought into embracing an established and nurtured culture — a credit to the only coach the program has ever known who helped quite literally build a program from scratch. The Pirates practiced for years either on two campus courts beaten down over years of limited use or a residential subdivision facility outside of town. No home matches were ever held until years of slow but methodical process finally produced the current eight-court facility located between the high school and Siegrist Elementary.
On that very home venue, Platte County came up with a 5-1 victory over Grain Valley on Wednesday in the Class 2 District 8 championship match. The Pirates’ first-ever district title sends them to the state playoffs for the first time, and a Monday quarterfinal at Helias (16-1) in Jefferson City awaits on Monday.
For now, coaches and players were able to celebrate another meaningful program-first but not missing a chance to honor the talented Platte County players and teams who might not have reached this point but definitively paved the way for the success.
“I know there’s been a ton of good players, ton of good teams before us, but none of them have really gotten that we got,” Platte County junior No. 1 Gavin Nichols said. “I’m really glad we were able to finish it off and win it for everyone.”
Platte County sophomore Jack Bralley hits a shot during a match in the Class 2 District 8 championship dual with Grain Valley on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
For the record, Platte County’s first-ever playoff lineup features seniors Jack Forrest, Nathan Vanek, Mason McBratney, and Jaron Cook; Nichols and sophomore Jack Bralley.
Platte County (15-3) reached a district final for just the fourth time in program history, which started with the 2009-10 in Missouri’s smallest classification. Three of those have come in successive seasons — the previous two ending with 5-4 losses (Kearney in 2021 and Grain Valley in 2022).
The No. 1 seed and overwhelming favorite, Platte County left little doubt this year, routing fifth-seeded Lincoln Prep 5-0 in Tuesday’s semifinals before dominating Grain Valley for the second time in three weeks. The Pirates took the prior meeting 8-1 on the way to a Suburban Conference White Division title.
In the rematch, Platte County left doubles with a 2-1 lead and then posted wins in the first three singles matches completed to avoid any dramatics.
“It was amazing,” Nichols said. “It didn’t seem as super exciting and all of that like it would have been if it was 5-4, but we’re still so excited, so happy because last year it was so heartbreaking losing 5-4. This year, coming out and being able to get it done easily, it was just a great feeling.”
Nichols and McBratney opened with a dominant 8-1 win at No. 2 doubles for Platte County, while Bralley and Cook followed with an 8-5 victory at No. 3.
Platte County senior Jack Forrest hits a forehand during a match in the Class 2 District 8 championship dual against Grain Valley on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
Grain Valley grabbed some momentum with a 9-8 (7-2) tiebreaker victory from Ethan Miller and Ben Drinkwater over Forrest and Vanek. However, Bralley (No. 4), Vanek (No. 3) and Cook (No. 6) all secured straight set wins to close out Platte County’s monumental victory. The Pirates also led in all there other matches but were more than happy to wrap early and collect the district championship plaque.
Uniquely, Nichols boasts the most experience for Platte County, having played No. 1 for 2 1/2 seasons as a third-year starter. Forrest, Vanek and Bralley were all on last year’s district runnerup, while McBratney (No. 5) and Cook worked to finally crack the lineup as seniors.
“I don’t think it’s really hit me yet,” Cook said. “We really have made history this year. It’s been a great season. We’ve done things, won matches that we have never been able to win. Yeah, it’s just great to be part of.”
Having secured one singles and two doubles berths to the Class 2 Missouri State Tennis Championships just four days earlier, Platte County’s district championship wrapped easily the most successful week in program history and set the stage for potentially more superlatives. A win over Helias would send the Pirates to state and guarantee a top-four team trophy.
Platte County senior Mason McBratney hits an overhand shot during a match in the Class 2 District 8 championship dual with Grain Valley on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
Platte County and Helias have no directly common opponents, but a comparison of results shows the potential for a tight dual.
“I feel like something we can do as a team is just mentally prepare ourselves” Nichols said. “There’s not much you can do in a tennis match about your opponent, but you can control yourself. I feel like if we all focus on ourselves, focus on our weaknesses and try to strengthen them, we’ll be all good for Monday.”
In addition, Nichols enters next week’s individual state tournament, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, after winning a third straight district singles title. He finished seventh in Class 2 as a freshman but went 1-2 last year against a uniquely difficult draw.
Nichols long ago established the credentials of the best player in program history. In fact, he became Platte County’s first singles state qualifier ever and the first to advance out of districts since a doubles team in 2010 (Ethan Savage and Aaron Stout).
“I take a lot of pride (in what I’ve accomplished),” Nichols said. “I feel like my freshman year I kind of didn’t know anything. I was just out here to have fun, but now, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do this; I’ve got to do this.’ All of my hard work is kind of paying off. With the three championships, it’s like I’ve worked so hard for this my entire high school (career). I’ve got to finish it off now.”
Platte County senior Nathan Vanek hits a shot during a match in the Class 2 District 8 championship dual with Grain Valley on Wednesday at Platte County High School.
For the second straight year, Platte County sends a doubles team to state, as well. However, the Pirates have two this time after Forrest and Vanek defeated teammates Cook and Bralley in Saturday’s Class 2 District 8 final. Incidentally, Cook and Bralley actually upset Grain Valley’s fourth-seeded Miller and Drinkwater then Kearney’s top team to earn the right to face second-seeded Forrest and Vanek.
Vanek became Platte County’s first two-time doubles state qualifier, going the past two years with different partners. Austin Vanek and Nathan Vanek were district runners-up in 2022 and went 0-2 at state as the first to advance out of districts since Savage and Stout more than a decade earlier.
The program-record three qualifiers each have a chance to establish or build on Platte County history. Nichols will look to add a second state medal, already the owner of the Pirates’ only one to this point.
Neither of Platte County’s prior state doubles teams have won a match in the tournament. A victory for either duo would allow for the possibility to chase the first doubles state medal.
“I think the only thing we can do is play the best we can, have as much fun as we can with the least amount of stress possible,” Cook said. “A couple of months ago, it was only a dream to me, and now, we’re here about to play in state.”
One step at a time.
First, Platte County wants to add McBratney to the state qualifying contingent and advance to the state semifinals. Regardless of Monday’s result, the Pirates will have a quick turnaround for the individual state tournament in another landmark week for a 14-year-old program repeatedly resetting the standards for current and future players to chase.
