The proceedings were a mere formality, but that didn’t track from the impact of the result.
Platte County junior Charley Sims works for a takedown in the 115-pound match of a dual with Truman on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County finished out the regular season with a 65-10 dual victory over Truman on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse. The result officially locked up the Pirates’ share of the Suburban Conference White Division title, which split three ways this season with Belton and Fort Osage also involved.
The attention can now turn to this weekend’s Class 2 District 4 tournament with Platte County again looking to maximize the number of state qualifiers.
“I love this team. We finally have a basically full roster,” said Platte County junior Charley Sims, who recorded a pin in the second period of her 115-pound match with Truman’s KeNiyah Coleman. “It just feels great to be dominant and get to win with your friends and teammates.”
With the most complete lineup in program history, Platte County led 30-0 before the first contested matchup — a pin for Truman’s Trinity Harrison at 170 against Pirates’ senior Alivia Juarez.
Platte County won the next three matches by fall, the first two from junior Nicole Fernandez (190) and senior Madeleine Stone (235) — two of the most talented wrestlers in the lineup. Fernandez fell behind 3-0 against A’Nyla Davis, who slowly wore down in the second period. Fernandez eventually scored a takedown to take the lead on points but then turned Davis twice and pinned her in 3 minutes, 40 seconds.
Platte County senior Madeleine Stone wrestles in the 235-pound match of a dual with Truman on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Stone went to the second period scoreless with Truman’s Majesty Harrison, who went to the bottom position with the first choice of the match. Stone then turned an pinned her in 2:33.
“Being patient, pulling on people’s heads and making them tired. That’s what both (Fernandez and Stone) did,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said. “Madeleine’s kind of figured out the top game a little — pressure down, patient and then takes care of business.”
Up 42-6 at that point, the lineup turned over, and Platte County freshman Harper Golden worked quickly for a first period fall against Truman’s Analea Hewitt at 100 pounds. Ava Blankenship, the other freshman starter, took a forfeit at 140 in a string of five straight opens for the Patriots to start the dual — a stretch that also included seniors Taylore Lavery (125), Annabel Beeman (130), Giada Cucchiara (135) and Maddie Nichols (145). Both teams went open at 155 with Trinity Harrison going up a weight class to face off with Juarez.
Golden and Blankenship brought significant youth experience into their debut seasons and immediately added to the depth of the roster with high expectations for postseason success.
Platte County freshman Harper Golden works for a pin in the 100-pound match of a dual with Truman on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
“I kind of expect them to qualify (for state),” Burress said. “That’s the goal; that’s the expectation: to wrestle hard and get through that tournament. Harper’s really good on top, and I think Ava will have a good tournament, too.”
After a forfeit for Platte County junior Karrington Friddell at 105, the lead went to 54-6 before Truman’s Molly Saak won a 17-3 major decision over senior Adrianna Ciccarelli in the 110 match. The Pirates closed with Sims’ pin and then an impressive 21-2 technical fall for junior Gabriella Ciccarelli in the 120 bout to finish the dual.
Gabriella Ciccarelli spent much of the season battling fellow junior Anna Wiesehan for a spot in Platte County’s competitive lineup, which ultimately produced the second conference title in program history and first since moving up to the White Division.
“(Gabriella)’s starting to score on her feet a little bit more, and that helps a lot,” Burress said.
To earn the share, Platte County upset Fort Osage early in the season but lost to Belton. In the other pertinent matchup, Fort Osage topped Belton to create the split.
Platte County junior Gabriella Ciccarelli turns an opponent to her back during the 120-pound match of a dual with Truman on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
“They’ve done a great job of coming together,” Burress said. “They wrestle hard, practice hard; they do good things. They got a piece of the conference championship, which going into the season no one would have given them a chance. Obviously, we were underdogs to both Fort Osage and Belton. We took care of Fort Osage and wrestled tough against Belton, too.”
Platte County has advanced at least two wrestlers to state in each of the program’s first six seasons but have a challenge to keep that streak alive. Stone and Cucchiara have the only previous experience in the Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships but from separate years.
Stone finished third at Class 2 District 4 as a junior and went 1-2 at state in the 235 bracket to conclude her first season in the sport. As a sophomore in 2023, Cucciara helped the Pirates set a record with five state qualifiers but lost both matches at 135 before missing all of last season while repairing a torn ACL.
Giada Cucchiara is also in just her second full season in the sport.
Platte County senior Alivia Juarez wrestles in the 170-pound match of a dual with Truman on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County appears set to fill 13 of 14 weight classes at districts, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at home inside Pirate Fieldhouse, with sophomore Mila Cucchiara having been out of action since December due to a head injury. Her absence has allowed both Nichols and Blankenship to move down a weight class.
With Nichols a first-year transfer and Giada Cucchiara’s season lost to injury, Platte County brings back nine from last year’s postseason lineup, which did feature two-time state qualifier EmmaLyn Burnett after she concluded her career with a sixth-place Class 2 medal at 125. This group includes four who have been within one win of advancing out of districts — Sims, Fernandez, Fridell and Gabriella Ciccarelli.
Sims and Fernandez both reached the Class 2 District 4 semifinals as sophomores before dropping their final two matches.
“No. 1, don’t get hurt, and I’m pretty confident,” Sims said. “I’m ready. I think I’m as confident and ready as I will be.”
In addition, Lavery, Beeman, Adrianna Ciccarelli and Wiesehan all won matches to help Platte County finish ninth in the final Class 2 District 4 team standings. Adding in Giada Cucchiara gives the Pirates 10 in the projected lineup with postseason experience with Golden, Blankenship and Nichols filling in the additional spots. The Pirates know the difficulty of most brackets but have set high goals for success.
“I think over half the team can make it out of districts,” Sims said. “I think that we can win the title. I think we can place. This is a big team. I think we’re all highly motivated, and we motivate each other. And I think we can accomplish a lot of big things.”
