Platte County faces daunting move up to Class 4 in Burress’ final season as coach

The pieces were in place to make a run at fabricating the type of storybook ending that typically requires a predetermined script.

Platte County returns eight qualifiers, three medalists, two finalist and a champion from last year’s fourth-place team in the Class 3 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships. Add in a group of experienced returners and a talented uniquely debuting junior, and the Pirates were ready to send longtime coach Reggie Burress out with the program’s eighth state title.

Instead, the challenge looks much different with Platte County moving up to Class 4 for the first time in program history as the smallest school with that postseason assignment. Perhaps, the battle ahead might be even more fitting for Burress, set for his 29th and final year on staff.

“You know me, I don’t get in very many pictures. It should be about the kids, ultimately,” Burress said. “I think they just all wish we were Class 3 so we could try to send us out on a real good note, but as I tell them, wherever we are, we’re going to fight and battle and do the very best we can — like we always do. I think when you look back, Platte County wrestling has had some really good kids, but we’ve also developed some kids that other places wouldn’t have developed them like we did.”

Platte County sent 10 to state last season and came away with a fourth-place finish in Class 3 behind a trio of finalists and five total medalists. Nine qualifiers won at least one match in what ended up an inspired run that seemed to portend future success and a roster capable of earning another state trophy — possibly the first championship since moving up from Class 2 more than a decade earlier.

Now, Class 4 District 4 includes four of the top eight teams from state last year — first-place Liberty, Staley (fifth), Park Hill (seventh) and Fort Osage — plus Class 3 champion St. Pius X and Platte County in what shapes up as the most brutal state qualification path in Missouri.

Intentionally delayed to start the season again in an effort to mitigate absences, Platte County still can field a strong lineup with junior Jaxson Shute (138 pounds), senior Cole Johnson (215 pounds) and sophomore Cade Crawford (113 pounds) the returning medalists while senior Grant Fadler (157 pounds), sophomore Hank Marriott (165 pounds), junior Jack Johnson (175 pounds), senior Cooper Hammontree (190 pounds) and senior Quinn Lightle (285) have all qualified at least once.

In addition, Platte County senior Gabe Wittel returns with a chance to make the lineup at 120 or 126, having been a contributor in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and junior Chase Hulett (144) appears on track to make his career debut after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee each of the past two seasons during football that prevented him from wrestling.

“This is definitely a really deep roster for us compared to the past, and it looks good for the future, too,” Burress said. “We really only lost three seniors, and we’re only looking at losing three more this year. We’ve got kids that can step into spots.”

Platte County does have to replace a pair of top senior contributors in Evan Maccuish, a state finalist and first-time medalist last year at 157, and Darrell Smith, who made the podium each of the past two seasons in a determined path of development throughout his career.

Shute (41-7) reached the state finals for a second straight year in 2025 while navigating one of Class 3’s deepest brackets. He won tight decisions in his final three matches at 120, avenging an earlier loss to Hannibal’s Austin Brown in the championship match.

A year earlier, Shute made the finals at 106 but lost 3-1 to Branson’s Ryzen Isringhausen to end up second. Shute now jumps up again to 138 pounds.

“Jaxson got more offensive this summer, started doing different things, and I think we’ll see that from him this year,” Burress said.

Cole Johnson remains at 215 for a second straight year coming off an abbreviated season that ended in the state finals with a loss to St. Pius X’s Jackson Rotterman. He went 22-6 overall but bounced back from a third-place finish at districts to reach the championship after pinning Smithville’s Haze Middleton in a dramatic come-from-behind win in the semifinals.

A three-time qualifier, Johnson went 0-2 as a freshman and 1-2 in an injury-plagued sophomore campaign — both at 175 — and then faced a tough turnaround from football season. The same will be true this year with Platte County just completing a second straight run to a Class 5 state title Friday.

“Early in the year, coming off of football, Cole was still trying to figure some things out,” Burress said. “We tried to boil it down and make the plan simple. When the plan goes exactly like it’s going to go, it’s easier to listen to the next plan.”

Crawford (33-14 at 106) moves up to 113 after placing fifth a year ago in a strong late-season run to a medal at state. He defeated St. Pius X’s Patrick Hickey three times, the final one assuring him of a spot on the podium.

That makes Crawford the leader at the lower weights with sophomore Lennon Fitzpatrick (106) back with limited varsity experience, mostly as an undersized 113 last season with a 6-23 record. Wittel nearly qualified for state in Class 3 both as a freshman and sophomore but was not on the roster as a junior.

Wittel and freshman Mitchell Frost must compete for the spot at 120, while senior Liam Franksen could be at 126 or 132 with sophomores Ian Giese and Hassan Alyassiri also in the mix at 132. Franksen made the postseason roster each of the past two seasons.

After Shute at 138, Hulett brings a strong youth pedigree but zero matches in high school thanks to the knee injuries. He looks to remain at 144.

“It’s great for Chase to be back, and obviously, he’s been knocking the rust off all summer,” Burress said. “I just want him to be patient with himself because there’s still going to be some learning curves coming back.

Platte County senior Jackson Woolsey and sophomore Jaymes Diercks have the initial shot at 150 if Fadler remains at 157. Woolsey earned limited varsity opportunities as a sophomore, and like Franksen, competed at districts but did not advance to state, finishing with a 9-24 record.

Fadler (30-12) currently slots at 157 with the entire top end of the lineup all coming off of football season. A three-time state qualifier, Fadler went 1-2 in each of his first two trips to Columbia but most his first two matches last year at 144 after being a Class 3 District 4 runnerup.

“I think Grant’s going to be highly motivated to make this a great final year,” Burress said.

Marriott appears set for a big jump to 165 after wrestling 126 last season, taking a difficult path to finish fourth at Class 3 District 4 and winning one of three state matches to finish with a 19-18 record as one of only two freshmen qualifiers. However, Fadler moving to 150 could open up a lower weight and allow for some shuffling at the upper weights.

Jack Johnson went to state at 165 last season despite not wrestling a match until the postseason due to a lingering shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. He finished with a 6-4 record that started with a forfeit during a dual with Ruskin where he took a forfeit but received the weigh-in needed to be eligible for districts.

Going 5-4 over the only two weekends of action, Jack Johnson became a two-time state qualifier. He placed fourth at districts after strategically using a forfeit in a successful effort to advance and the took advantage of the opportunity with a pair of wins in the 165 bracket and just missing a state medal.

Jack Johnson went 0-2 at state in Class 4 as a freshman at 144.

Now a third-year starter, Hammontree optimistically goes into a senior season after earning a trip to state at 190 as a junior and finishing with a 25-10 record. He finished third at districts to qualify.

Hammontree won in the opening round at state and then dropped back-to-back matches to the eventual fifth- and sixth-place finishers at 190.

“Cooper got there and then just one bad moment away from probably getting a medal,” Burress said.

Some uncertainty exists at 285 with Lightle potentially facing a potential stint out of the lineup due to a leg injury from football. He finished the season after missing the majority of a state quarterfinal win over Grain Valley and needs additional evaluation to determine the severity.

Platte County could benefit from last year’s injury issues and football overlap after Giese, junior Justice Martin (175) and senior Peter Tremain (285) all received varsity time last season. The Pirate also have freshman Phin McMain at 190 as depth and an option if dual strategy allows to bump Hammontree and/or Cole Johnson.

Tremain became a part of one of those moves last year in what ended up a tight victory over Grain Valley that gave Platte County the Suburban Conference White Division title.

“That (experience for those guys) could definitely help us out, especially early in the season when they might have to get into the lineup and do some things,” Burress said. “I tried to adjust the scheduled for football, but you saw last year how you just never know.”

Lightle (20-4) nearly came away with a state medal last season despite finishing fourth at districts. He went 2-2 in the Class 3 285 bracket, delivering a critical win over St. Michael the Archangel’s Brodie Purtle in wrestlebacks that ultimately helped determine the state team placements.

Platte County finished in the top four of Class 3 for just the fourth time in a slow climb from being in the state’s smallest ranks as recently as 2002. The Pirates finished third in a loaded Class 3 District 4 that produced four of the top six teams — first-place St. Pius X, Platte County, fifth-place St. Michael the Archangel and sixth-place Kearney.

Incidentally, Lightle’s win likely kept St. Michael the Archangel from a fourth-place finish that would have bumped the Guardians to Class 4 along with St. Pius X due to the success multiplier for private schools.

Platte County benefitted with the 15th team state trophy in history but now faces a formidable postseason assignment in what could be a one-year bump, just one that happens to coincides with the last for Burress before his retirement after 13 years as head coach. However, the mentality the Pirates have built for an accomplished program before and during his nearly 30-year tenure doesn’t change now.

“That district is going to be tough, adding St. Pius and us in there,” Burress said. “You know what though? We’ve just got to keep getting better every day. We’re going to have to be more focused at all times.

“We’re still in great shape.”