Platte County made the delayed start to the season still minus the majority of the expected lineup. No matter. The Pirates were dominant in a 56-20 victory over William Chrisman in a Suburban Conference White Division dual Wednesday night in Independence. The Bears won just three of the nine head-to-head matches.
With about half of the lineup having just finished a run to a second straight state title in football, Platte County took advantage of an opportunity for potential contributors to gain extra experience.
William Chrisman gave up three forfeits, including one at 144 pounds that gave Platte County junior Chase Hulett a win in his first career match. However, he hoped to wrestle after missing each of the past two seasons due to ACL tears suffered in football.
That will have to wait.
Platte County freshmen Mitchell Frost (120) and Phin McMain (215) and sophomore JT Diercks (157) also won their debuts. Diercks pinned Elias Kroesen in 1 minute, 29 seconds, while McMain built an 11-2 lead and earned a fall in the third period against Logan Perrin. Frost took one of the Pirates’ four forfeits, as did sophomore Lennon Fitzpatrick (106) and junior Justice Martin (175).
After Fitzpatrick opened to give Platte County an uncontested 6-0 lead, Platte County sophomore Cade Crawford — one of only two returning state qualifiers in the opening lineup — won a 13-10 decision over Cameron Russell at 113. The Pirates went up 15-0 after Frost’s forfeit at 120, and senior Gabe Wittel, returning to the lineup after being a solid contributor as a freshman and sophomore, pinned Alex Hutson late in the second period.
William Chrisman trailed 21-0 before Lesta Chavis Fitzgerald won a 10-9 decision over sophomore Ian Giese.
Platte County junior Jaxson Shute — a two-time state finalist and returning champion at 120 pounds — needed just 1:25 for a 19-4 technical fall at 138. The Pirates then slowly extended the lead to 50-8 with Hulett, senior Jackson Woolsey (150), Diercks and Martin all scoring maximum points.
Woolsey pinned Elias Kroesen in 1:29 during that stretch, while William Chrisman’s second win came at 165. The Bears closed with a forfeit at 190 and a pin for Robert Cedillo at 285, sandwiched around McMain’s pin.
Despite the delayed start, Platte County does not wrestle again until next weekend’s KC Stampede at Hale Arena. The annual holiday tournament brings teams from about a dozen states and offers some of the best cumulative competition in the Midwest.
Platte County returns eight total state qualifiers, but sophomore Hank Marriott, junior Jack Johnson and seniors Grant Fadler, Cole Johnson, Quinn Lightle and Cooper Hammontree will all be held out until the Carthage dual tournament scheduled for late December. The Pirates finished fourth in last year’s Class 3 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships but face a more difficult follow up for state qualification and placement this season.
For the first time in program history, Platte County bumps up to Class 4 in a district with six-time defending state champion Liberty plus returning Class 3 champion St. Pius X.
