Platte County all but knew the result before the dual started and the stakes associated with the obvious outcome. The Pirates more than took care of business in a 63-12 victory over Grain Valley on Tuesday night at Pirate Fieldhouse to wrap up at least a share of the Suburban Conference White Division title.
Platte County senior Alivia Juarez wrestles in the 170-pound match of a dual with Grain Valley on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Grain Valley went in with a shorthanded lineup and won only a single match while giving up six forfeits and 36 points.
Increasingly familiar in a breakthrough season for the program, Platte County seniors Taylore Lavery and Alivia Juarez along with junior Gabriella Ciccarelli all won tight decisions for three of six head-to-head victories. The Pirates filled all but one weight class (155 pounds) and improved to 5-0 in conference duals.
“We’re kind of seeing how much our hard work is actually paying off, and we’re getting rewarded for our hard work,” Lavery said.
Platte County senior Maddie Nichols, junior Nicole Fernandez and freshman Ava Blankenship also recorded pins in another dominant victory for the deepest roster in program history.
With the dual starting at 100 pounds, Grain Valley trailed 24-0 before the first match with Platte County’s run of freshman Harper Golden, junior Karrington Friddell (105 pounds), senior Adrianna Ciccarelli (110 pounds) and junior Charley Sims (115 pounds) all receiving forfeits. However, the true development for the Pirates showed with Gabriella Ciccarelli building a 6-0 lead with a takedown and three near-fall points in the first period of a 6-3 victory over Valerie Bleess in the 120 match, while Lavery allowed just three escapes in a 7-3 decision at 125.
Platte County senior Taylore Lavery wrestles in the 125-pound match of a dual with Grain Valley on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County locked up the dual at that point with a 30-0 lead.
“Those two matches were big,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said.
With the sport mostly in the infancy stages at the high school level in Missouri for girls, many duals feature a lot of pins in addition to the open weight classes.
Gabriella Ciccarelli looks to be headed toward progressing through a four-year career, while Lavery joined the team as a junior and showed flashes of potential for Platte County. She cut down multiple weight classes this season and feels increased confidence to trust the plan in matches and go the distance when necessary.
“I feel like definitely, this year, I’m a lot more conditioned well,” Lavery said.
Platte County’s lead increased to 42-0 with opens for seniors Annabel Beeman (130) and Giada Cucchiara, who is one of two former state qualifiers on the roster. The Pirates then added quick pins for Blankenship (140) and Nichols (145).
Platte County senior Maddie Nichols wrestles in the 145-pound match of a dual with Grain Valley on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
With sophomore Mila Cucchiara still out since suffering a head injury prior to the holiday break, Blankenship and Nichols have both moved down one class for Platte County. Blankenship recorded another victory with flair after countering a shot from Grain Valley’s Lucy Dampf with a head-and-arm throw that resulted in a pin after just 33 seconds.
“Quote,” Burress said.
After Nichols’ pin of Addison Cross in 1:17, Grain Valley took the first points of the dual on the open at 155. Juarez benefitted from a penalty point in the third period of her 170 match with Evie Wyatt and scored the winning escape of a 2-1 decision late in regulation. The Pirates were up 63-6 after Fernandez pinned Ella Hay in just 58 seconds at 190 to set up the featured match of the night.
Grain Valley junior and defending Class 2 state champion Jayden Moehle and Platte County senior Madeleine Stone met for the third time in the past two seasons at 235. Another second-year wrestler and former honorable mention all-state swimmer, Stone continued to close the gap and took a 3-0 lead in the second period with a takedown before locking in a power half and nearly working to turn Moehle to her back.
However, Moehle chose top for the third period and displayed her prowess from that position with a turn and pin at the 4:30 mark. She improved to 3-0 against Stone with the meetings coming in conference duals each of the past two years and in the KC Stampede tournament bracket back in December.
Platte County senior Madeleine Stone wrestles in the 235-pound match of a dual with Grain Valley on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Stone qualified for the Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships in her first season and went 1-2 at state. She could conceivably see Moehle twice more in the postseason when the should both be top three seeds in the Class 2 District 4 tournament with the state tournament two weeks later.
“We’re starting to figure it out,” Burress said. “I like it, just give ourselves the momentum and showing we’re closing (that gap) down is big for (Stone).”
The final match couldn’t dull the impact of the dominant team performance.
Platte County’s only other conference title came in the White Division, and this one could end up being outright or shared between three teams. One of the top-ranked teams in Class 2, Belton lost to Fort Osage to create the current scenario.
After holding off Fort Osage five days ahead of the Grain Valley dual, Platte County matches up with Belton on Tuesday with a chance to stand alone the top of the White Division. Platte County also must travel to Truman in in February but will assuredly win that matchup based on the roster disparity that should to many open weight classes for the Patriots.
Park Hill South Dual Tournament
Platte County freshman Ava Blankenship works for a pin in the 140-pound match of a dual with Grain Valley on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County went 4-0 and dominated all four matchups with Excelsior Springs, Harrisonville, Park Hill South and Staley on Monday at Park Hill South High School. This marked just the second tournament title in program history for the Pirates, who also won the Blue Valley West Tournament the previous week.
“It’s exciting, espeically being my senior year,” Lavery said. “We have a really good team for my senior year, and I’m confident in a lot of the girls. I think we’ll make a really good state team and district team, and I’m really excited to see what the rest of the season brings everybody.”
Park Hill South provided the most competitive matchup with only three opens between the two teams.
Platte County essentially started with a 12-6 lead with Golden (100) and Giada Cucchiara (135) both taking forfeits. The Pirates also won seven of the 11 head-to-head matches, which included pins for Beeman (130), Blankenship (140), Nichols (moving up to 155), Juarez (170), Fernandez (190) and Stone (235).
Platte County junior Nicole Fernandez records a pin in the 190-pound match of a dual with Grain Valley on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Park Hill South led 9-6 on the scoreboard after wins at 105 and 110 and then again 21-12 after pins at 120 and 125. The Pirates countered by having the lone loss in the closing stretch from the open given at 145.
Platte County lost three matches and gave up a forfeit in a 60-21 victory over Excelsior Springs, which also gave up six forfeits. The Pirates added 24 points with pins for Lavery (125), Blankenship (140), Nichols (145) and Friddell (105).
Excelsior Springs led 6-0 after a pin in the opener at 120, but Lavery’s pin started a run of 30 unanswered points for Platte County in response.
Platte County also beat Staley 64-17 and Harrisonville 72-12. The Pirates lost just three matches total in those duals.
Against Staley, Golden recorded an impressive 11-0 major decision over Alaina Bigham, while Platte County put up 11 pins in 12 head-to-head matches against Harrisonville. The Pirates have a 9-0 overall dual record with only two remaining on the schedule.
