The move up to Class 5 District 4 proved as daunting as expected.
Now, Platte County must turn the page from the most successful stretch in program history to not only restock the lineup but also identify the roster’s leaders. The Pirates’ run of streak of qualifying a full team for state ended at five years.
Unsurprisingly, this coincided with a move up from Class 4.
This season’s returners for Platte County include a pair of former state qualifiers in senior Jacoby Keith and junior Landon McKinzie. The Pirates also have plenty of other experienced pieces with seniors Jackson Townsend, Nick Flowers and Zarren Moore plus junior Tate Stone and sophomore Haddon Newsome all spending significant time in the lineup last season.
Regardless of Class 5 or Class 4, Platte County’s established tradition necessitates high expectations but without sacrificing the family culture that plays a noticeable role in recent success.
“I am very excited about the season and the journey towards helping the student-athletes have a memorable season that they do not want to end,” Platte County coach Courtland Ingram said.
Platte County put up a valiant effort to extend last season behind inspired performances from Blake Herron, Donavin Ness and Elijah Jackson, a trio of seniors who combined for nine appearances at state in decorated careers. The Pirates ended up sixth in a deep field of 17 teams — 62 behind fourth-place Park Hill South for the fourth and final automatic berth to state.
In addition to the top four teams, any other runners in the top 30, inclusive of those from the qualifying teams, also advanced to state.
That included Herron, who finished fifth at Class 5 District 4. He ended up 47th at state and about 17 seconds out of an all-state spot, having earned a spot on that list in Class 4 each of the previous two season — 23rd as a sophomore and ninth as a junior.
Platte County’s resolve with the move up to Class 5 showed with five of seven runners setting career-bests in the district race.
A three-time state qualifier, Ness set a PR at 16:54.60, going under 17 minutes for the third time in his career, to place 36th. He came in a little more than 18 seconds off the individual cutline. Jackson went to state twice and placed 70th in his final race at 18:03.39 — a season-best — but did not factor into the team score. The Pirates’ total also included McKinzie (42nd, 17:12.39), Stone (48th, 17:17.39) and Nick Flowers (54th, 17:42.35).
Platte County’s top five runners were all in the top half of more than 120 runners McKinzie, Stone and Flowers also setting PRs, as did Newsome (72nd, 18:05.22) in rounding out the seven postseason runners.
McKinzie — a state qualifier who placed 75th in that race as part of Platte County’s Class 4 team as a freshman in 2024 — bettered his previous best time by 8 seconds. Stone shaved more than 18 seconds off his prior best mark, while Flowers went under 18 minutes for the first time.
This year’s restructuring comes in the wake of the last traces to Platte County’s 2023 Class 4 state runnerup team with the fastest collection of runners in program history. Herron’s ascension to all-state as a sophomore played a big part in that outcome, while he co-led a quick rebuild in 2024 when the Pirates finished fifth as a team and nearly claimed another Class 4 team trophy.
Ness and Jackson also ran on both of those teams.
The unquestioned leader as a senior, Herron became Platte County’s first state qualifier in Missouri’s largest class since Matthew Sullivan in 2019. He advanced in Class 4 before the state added a fifth classification for the fall of 2020, which coincided with the start of the Pirates’ run of five straight team berths.
The only others from Platte County to go in Class 4 before the split to five classifications were Nathan Straubel (2014) and Jackson Letcher (2015-2018).
Herron set a PR in September’s Gans Creek Classic on the state meet course at 15:36.20 and finishes as the second-fastest runner in program history behind Andrew Johnson, who owns Platte County’s six best times. Johnson, Herron, Tanner Jenks, Kade Meinke and Straubel have the only sub-16 performances with the majority coming over the past three seasons.
Keith, one of six seniors on the roster, went to state as a sophomore and placed 116th. He adds depth along with Moore and Townsend, a transfer from Glendale prior to last school who hopes to stay healthy after an injury derailed his junior season, while juniors Josiah O’Rourke and Evan Backer and freshman Wyatt Burnich also have a chance to contribute.
O’Rourke will split time with soccer.
Platte County’s new-look lineup will also look to win a third straight Suburban Conference White Division title after Herron led a group of five runners in the top 12 of last season’s championship race in Kearney. The Pirates totaled 27 points and were 11 clear of runnerup Grain Valley.
Herron, Ness (third) and McKinzie (fifth) were all first team all-conference performers for Platte County, while Jackson made the second team and Flowers ended up honorable mention. McKinzie was honorable mention as a sophomore.
