Coming off of a near-miss for a playoff return, Platte County brings back the pieces to expect another solid season but a potentially more difficult postseason assignment to navigate. Districts come out at the end of this week with the Pirates a candidate to move up to Class 4.
Platte County must replace Finley Kaser, a four-year starter and a first team All-Missouri High School Soccer Coaches Association all-state pick last spring, plus the two most productive offensive players. The Pirates averaged nearly four goals per game with Lily Kytasaari and Rylee Burris leading the way.
Those three seniors were instrumental in the successes of a 20-4 season that required navigating multiple injuries through a rotation going 20 players deep at times.
Platte County reeled off a 14-game winning streak at one point and shared the Suburban Conference White Division title with Grain Valley after the teams split two regular season meetings. The Pirates bring back 10 players with significant experience in helping the Pirates rebound from back-to-back losing seasons.
Most notably, Platte County junior Caroline Linn and sophomore Emily Fadler were half of the starting back line in front of Kaser, the conference Class 3 Region 4 goalkeeper of the year who posted 14 cleansheets as a senior, while senior Kaylee Dixon became a rotational piece of the defense — mostly at left back. However, Kytasaari, another four-year starter and all-state pick last spring, scored a team-high 24 goals and eight assists to cap off a decorated career as a versatile attacker. She also earned conference offensive player of the year honors.
Burris also contributed four seasons and served as Platte County’s go-to forward the past two seasons.
This year’s attacking options include junior forward Macy Doll and sophomore speedster Addison Stone, while seniors Kiara Smith and Saige Dickens and sophomore Katelyn Newberry bring back the most experience in the midfield from last season. The Pirates also have senior Carissa Bacon back on the roster after a year away to help absorb multiple losses from a productive senior class.
Giada Cucchiara (defensive midfield) and Lauren Stone (forward/attacking midfield) both played key roles over three seasons, while Madison Palmer, Annabel Beeman and Aliva Juarez were all part of last year’s backline rotation. Cucchiara missed her junior season due to a torn ACL, while like Bacon, Lauren Stone did not go out for the team as a junior.
Injuries limited time for Palmer, Lauren Stone, Doll, Newberry and Brooklynn Jenni, a graduated senior after she started the majority of the past two seasons.
Last year’s combination of experienced returners, talented freshman and Smith, a transfer from Staley led Platte County to the Class 3 District 8 title game for the first time since 2022. The Pirates ended up with a season-ending 1-0 loss to St. Pius X, but the 20 wins were the most since piling up 24 and 22 in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Platte County reached the playoffs in 2021 but lost in the state quarterfinals.
To end the drought, Platte County might have to navigate increased difficulty in Class 4 District 8 depending on the enrollment breaks. The Pirates have junior Agum Oak, freshman Kylie Hill and sophomore Harper Dudley competing to take Kaser’s spot at goalkeeper, and freshmen Ella Miller, Addison Linn and Mary Dellinger have the chance to compete for time in this year’s rotation with Greta Espeer and Lily Stark also in the mix. This year’s eight-player senior class also includes Kyla Donley, Teagan Hill, Sophie Lugo Barra and Anna Wiesehan.
All four of Platte County’s losses last season were in shutouts, and the Pirates allowed more than one goal just twice — once in a 3-2 win over Grain Valley. A 7-0 loss to St. Pius X in the Platte County Invitational also contributed to losses in two of the first three games.
Platte County owns the No. 6 seed in this week’s home tournament, opening with Park Hill South on Thursday. The semifinals and consolation semifinals will be Saturday and place matches on Monday.
